Fuel cell system and method of controlling the same fuel cell system
AssigneesToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Toyota Macs Inc.
InventorsNobuo Fujita, Kimihide Horio, Tadaichi Matsumoto, Naohiro Yoshida, Kenji Kurita, Shinya Sakaguchi, Hiroaki Mori
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The fuel cell system is provided which detects a freeze among specific components and portions thereof by evaluating various conditions upon starting operation of the fuel cell system. If a freeze is detected through those evaluations, the start of the system is prohibited in order to prevent some deterioration in the fuel cell system.
Claims20
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell;
- a gas supply-discharge portion for supplying the fuel cell with a gas used in power generation conducted thereby or discharging an exhaust gas from the fuel cell;
- and
- a controller that determines the presence/absence of a freeze among specific portions or components of the fuel cell system including the gas supply-discharge portion at the time of starting up the fuel cell system, and prohibit the start of the fuel cell system when a freeze is detected in the gas supply-discharge portion even if it is only partially frozen.
A method for controlling a fuel cell system including a gas supply-discharge portion for supplying a fuel cell with a gas used in power generation by the fuel cell or discharging an exhaust gas from the fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining the presence/absence of a freeze among specific portions or components of the fuel cell system including the gas supply-discharge portion at the time of starting up the fuel cell system;
- and
- prohibiting the start of the fuel cell system if a freeze is detected in at lease one portion of the gas supply-discharge portion.
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell;
- a gas supply-discharge portion for supplying the fuel cell with a gas used in power generation by the fuel cell or discharging an exhaust gas from the fuel cell;
- and
- controlling means which determines the presence/absence of a freeze among specific portions or components of the fuel cell system including the gas supply-discharge portion at the time of starting up the fuel cell system, and which prohibits the start of the fuel cell system when a freeze is detected in the gas supply-discharge portion even if it is only partially frozen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.