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US 2010/0167145 A1Published application
Fuel cell system and fuel cell system control method
OwnerHideaki Kumeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The hydrogen concentration in an anode gas passage of a fuel cell is obtained. When the fuel cell system is started up, one of a first start-up control and a second start-up control is selected based on the obtained hydrogen concentration in the anode gas passage. In the first start-up control, the power generation of the fuel cell is started after purging the anode gas passage. In the second start-up control, the power generation of the fuel cell is started without purging the anode gas passage.
Claims16
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode and operable to generate power using fuel gas supplied to the anode and air supplied to the cathode;
- a gas-discharge mechanism provided downstream of a gas passage in the anode of the fuel cell and operable to purge the gas passage in the anode in response to a purge request;
- a concentration obtaining portion that obtains a concentration of fuel gas in the gas passage in the anode;
- a comparing portion that, after a request for starting power generation of the fuel cell has been issued, compares the fuel gas concentration obtained by the concentration obtaining portion with a reference value;
- and
- a control portion that, after the request for starting power generation of the fuel cell has been issued, selects one of a first start-up control and a second start-up control based on the result of the comparison by the comparing portion and then executes the selected start-up control, the first start-up control being such that power generation of the fuel cell is started after purging the gas passage in the anode and the second start-up control being such that power generation of the fuel cell is started without purging the gas passage in the anode.
3 more elements
A fuel cell control method, comprising:
- obtaining a concentration of fuel gas in a gas passage in an anode of a fuel cell;
- determining whether the obtained fuel gas concentration is lower than a reference value;
- starting, if the obtained fuel gas concentration is lower than the reference value, power generation of the fuel cell after purging the gas passage in the anode;
- and
- starting, if the obtained fuel gas concentration is not lower than the reference value, power generation of the fuel cell without purging the gas passage in the anode.
2 more elements
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.