US 2009/0253003 A1Published application

Fuel cell system and method of scavenging fuel cell system

AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsYuji Matsumoto, Kenichiro Ueda, Koichiro Miyata

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Abstract

A fuel cell system is provided with a fuel cell that supplies fuel gas to an anode electrode and that supplies oxidant gas to a cathode electrode to generate electric power; a scavenging gas supply device that scavenges the inside of the fuel cell; a temperature detection device that detects a temperature of the inside of the fuel cell; a deterioration countermeasure scavenging device that executes deterioration countermeasure scavenging by the scavenging gas supply device and replaces the accumulated gas accumulated in the anode electrode with the scavenging gas; and a sub-zero countermeasure scavenging device that executes sub-zero countermeasure scavenging with a greater flow volume than the scavenging gas supplied during the deterioration countermeasure scavenging and to discharge the generated water in the inside of the fuel cell.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell that supplies fuel gas to an anode electrode and that supplies oxidant gas to a cathode electrode to generate electric power;
a scavenging gas supply device that scavenges the inside of the fuel cell;
a temperature detection device that detects a temperature of the inside of the fuel cell;
a deterioration countermeasure scavenging device that executes deterioration countermeasure scavenging to supply scavenging gas to the inside of the fuel cell by the scavenging gas supply device and to replace the accumulated gas accumulated in the anode electrode with the scavenging gas in a case where predetermined time has elapsed from stopping of the operation of the fuel cell;
and
a sub-zero countermeasure scavenging device that executes sub-zero countermeasure scavenging to supply scavenging gas by the scavenging gas supply device with a greater flow volume than the scavenging gas supplied during the deterioration countermeasure scavenging and to discharge the generated water in the inside of the fuel cell in a case where the temperature of the inside of the fuel cell which is detected by the temperature detection device drops to or below a predetermined temperature after stopping of the operation of the fuel cell.

3 more elements

A method for scavenging a fuel cell system, which utilizes scavenging gas to scavenge the inside of a fuel cell having an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, which generates electric power by a chemical reaction of a fuel gas and an oxidant gas, the method comprising:

a deterioration countermeasure scavenging step to supply the scavenging gas to the inside of the fuel cell and to replace the accumulated gas accumulated in the anode electrode with the scavenging gas in a case where a first predetermined time has elapsed from stopping of the operation of the fuel cell;
a time detection step to detect whether or not a second predetermined time has elapsed from stopping of the operation of the fuel cell;
a temperature detection step to detect a temperature of the inside of the fuel cell when the second predetermined time has elapsed;
and
a sub-zero countermeasure scavenging step to supply the scavenging gas which has a greater flow volume than the scavenging gas supplied during the deterioration countermeasure scavenging step and to discharge the generated water in the inside of the fuel cell in a case where the temperature of the inside of the fuel cell which is detected in the temperature detection step drops to or below a predetermined temperature.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/415,516Filed 31 Mar 2009
Priority: JP 2008-1006028 Apr 2008
Published: 8 Oct 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H01M 8/04007
Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids: related to heat exchange
H01M 8/04231
During start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells: purging of the reactants
H01M 8/04253
During start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells: means for solving…
H01M 8/04343
Temperature; Ambient temperature: of anode exhausts