US 2010/0248045 A1Published application

Fuel cell system and method for operating the same

OwnerOsamu Sakai, Eiichi Yasumoto +3inventors

InventorsOsamu Sakai, Eiichi Yasumoto, Yasushi Sugawara, Hideo Ohara, Takayuki Urata

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Abstract

A fuel cell system of the present invention includes: a fuel cell (10) having a fuel gas internal channel (11) and an oxidizing gas internal channel (12); oxidizing gas supplying passages (62) and (64); an oxidizing gas supplying device (31); oxidizing gas discharging passages (65) and (66) each having an upstream end communicated with the oxidizing gas internal channel (12) and a downstream end connected to the oxidizing gas supplying passage (64); a moisture exchanger (32) disposed on both the oxidizing gas supplying passage (62) and the oxidizing gas discharging passage (65); a gas circulating passage forming/canceling device (34) disposed on the oxidizing gas discharging passage (66); an air blower (35) configured to circulate a gas in a gas circulating passage; and an atmosphere communicating/closing device (33) disposed on the oxidizing gas supplying passage (62).

Claims17

Dependent claims

A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell including an anode containing a catalyst and having gas diffusivity, a cathode containing a catalyst and having gas diffusivity, a fuel gas internal channel formed such that a fuel gas flows while contacting the anode, and an oxidizing gas internal channel formed such that an oxidizing gas flows while contacting the cathode;
an oxidizing gas supplying passage having a downstream end communicated with an upstream end of the oxidizing gas internal channel;
an oxidizing gas supplying device connected to an upstream end of the oxidizing gas supplying passage and configured to supply the oxidizing gas through the oxidizing gas supplying passage to the oxidizing gas internal channel;
an oxidizing gas discharging passage having an upstream end communicated with a downstream end of the oxidizing gas internal channel;
a moisture exchanger disposed on both the oxidizing gas supplying passage and the oxidizing gas discharging passage and configured to exchange moisture between the oxidizing gas flowing through the oxidizing gas supplying passage and a gas flowing through the oxidizing gas discharging passage;
a gas circulating passage forming/canceling device configured to form or cancel a closed gas circulating passage by connecting or separating a portion (hereinafter referred to as a first portion) of the oxidizing gas discharging passage which portion is located downstream of the moisture exchanger with or from a first connecting point of the oxidizing gas supplying passage which point is located downstream of the moisture exchanger;
an air blower configured to circulate a gas in the gas circulating passage;
and
an atmosphere communicating/closing device configured to cause a portion (hereinafter referred to as a second portion) of the oxidizing gas supplying passage, which portion extends between the first connecting point and the moisture exchanger, to be communicated with atmosphere or to be closed.

6 more elements

A method for operating a fuel cell system,

the fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell including an anode containing a catalyst and having gas diffusivity, a cathode containing a catalyst and having gas diffusivity, a fuel gas internal channel formed such that a fuel gas flows while contacting the anode, and an oxidizing gas internal channel formed such that an oxidizing gas flows while contacting the cathode;
an oxidizing gas supplying passage having a downstream end communicated with an upstream end of the oxidizing gas internal channel;
an oxidizing gas supplying device connected to an upstream end of the oxidizing gas supplying passage and configured to supply the oxidizing gas through the oxidizing gas supplying passage to the oxidizing gas internal channel;
an oxidizing gas discharging passage having an upstream end communicated with a downstream end of the oxidizing gas internal channel;
a moisture exchanger disposed on both the oxidizing gas supplying passage and the oxidizing gas discharging passage and configured to exchange moisture between the oxidizing gas flowing through the oxidizing gas supplying passage and a gas flowing through the oxidizing gas discharging passage;
a gas circulating passage forming/canceling device configured to form or cancel a closed gas circulating passage by connecting or separating a portion (hereinafter referred to as a first portion) of the oxidizing gas discharging passage which portion is located downstream of the moisture exchanger with or from a first connecting point of the oxidizing gas supplying passage which point is located downstream of the moisture exchanger;
an air blower configured to circulate a gas in the gas circulating passage;
an atmosphere communicating/closing device configured to cause a portion (hereinafter referred to as a second portion) of the oxidizing gas supplying passage, which portion extends between the first connecting point and the moisture exchanger, to be communicated with atmosphere or to be closed;
and
a gas discharging passage through which the second portion of the oxidizing gas supplying passage is communicated with the atmosphere,
the method comprising the steps of:
in a stop operation of the fuel cell system,
causing the gas circulating passage forming/canceling device to connect a part of the first portion, which part is located on a side where the moisture exchanger is provided, with the first connecting point of the oxidizing gas supplying passage;
causing the atmosphere communicating/closing device to connect a part of the second portion, which part is located on a side where the moisture exchanger is provided, with the gas discharging passage;
and
causing the oxidizing gas supplying device to supply the oxidizing gas.

14 more elements

A method for operating a fuel cell system,

the fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell including an anode containing a catalyst and having gas diffusivity, a cathode containing a catalyst and having gas diffusivity, a fuel gas internal channel formed such that a fuel gas flows while contacting the anode, and an oxidizing gas internal channel formed such that an oxidizing gas flows while contacting the cathode;
an oxidizing gas supplying passage having a downstream end communicated with an upstream end of the oxidizing gas internal channel;
an oxidizing gas supplying device connected to an upstream end of the oxidizing gas supplying passage and configured to supply the oxidizing gas through the oxidizing gas supplying passage to the oxidizing gas internal channel;
an oxidizing gas discharging passage having an upstream end communicated with a downstream end of the oxidizing gas internal channel;
a moisture exchanger disposed on both the oxidizing gas supplying passage and the oxidizing gas discharging passage and configured to exchange moisture between the oxidizing gas flowing through the oxidizing gas supplying passage and a gas flowing through the oxidizing gas discharging passage;
a gas circulating passage forming/canceling device configured to form or cancel a closed gas circulating passage by connecting or separating a portion (hereinafter referred to as a first portion) of the oxidizing gas discharging passage which portion is located downstream of the moisture exchanger with or from a first connecting point of the oxidizing gas supplying passage which point is located downstream of the moisture exchanger;
a gas discharging passage through which the second portion of the oxidizing gas supplying passage is communicated with atmosphere;
a purge gas supplying passage having a downstream end connected to the gas circulating passage;
a purge gas supplying device connected to an upstream end of the purge gas supplying passage;
an air blower configured to circulate the purge gas through the gas circulating passage;
and
an atmosphere communicating/closing device configured to cause a portion (hereinafter referred to as a second portion) of the oxidizing gas supplying passage, which portion extends between the first connecting point and the moisture exchanger, to be communicated with the atmosphere or to be closed,
the method comprising the steps of:
in a stop operation of the fuel cell system,
causing the atmosphere communicating/closing device to connect a part of the second portion, which part is located on a side where the moisture exchanger is provided, with the gas discharging passage;
causing the oxidizing gas supplying device to supply the oxidizing gas;
causing the purge gas supplying device to supply the purge gas to purge the gas in the oxidizing gas internal channel and the oxidizing gas discharging passage;
causing the gas circulating passage forming/canceling device to connect a part of the first portion, which part is located on a side where the moisture exchanger is provided, with the first connecting point of the oxidizing gas supplying passage;
causing the purge gas supplying device to stop supply of the purge gas;
and
causing the air blower to operate to circulate the purge gas through the gas circulating passage.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.