Fuel cell system and method for removing residual fuel gas
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasahiro Shige, Shigeto Kajiwara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel battery system capable of quickly consuming residual hydrogen gas even if a surplus power consumption means has a limitation. During shutdown of the system, a fuel battery (10) is made to generate power by using the surplus fuel gas to charge a secondary battery (41), and non-storable surplus power is consumed by consumption means (22, 33, 13). When the surplus power generated by the fuel cell is consumed by the consumption means, any limitation in the system is detected, and the power generated by the fuel battery is changed depending on the detected limitation.
Claims18
-15. (canceled)
A fuel cell system for reducing residual fuel gas during shutdown, the fuel cell system characterized in that:
- the fuel cell system supplies the residual fuel gas to a fuel cell;
- charges a part of surplus electric power generated by the fuel cell on an electric power storing device;
- and
- consumes the other part of the surplus electric power by a consuming means,
- wherein power generation status of the fuel cell can be changed according to a limitation of a device which generates or consumes electric power in the system.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- means for supplying residual fuel gas to a fuel cell during shutdown;
- consumption means for consuming at least part of surplus electric power generated by the fuel cell;
- means for detecting operation status of the system;
- and
- means for changing power generation status of the fuel cell according to the detected operation status.
A method for removing residual fuel gas in a fuel cell system, for reducing residual fuel gas during shutdown,
- the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying residual fuel gas to a fuel cell during shutdown;
- charging a part of surplus electric power generated by the fuel cell;
- consuming the other part of surplus electric power generated by the fuel cell;
- detecting operation status of the system;
- and
- changing power generating status of the fuel cell according to the detected operation status.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.