US 2011/0086285 A1Published application

Fuel cell system and method for controlling fuel cell system

AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsHayato Chikugo, Ryoichi Shimoi, Mitsunori Kumada

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Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed therebetween. An oxidant gas supplying device supplies oxidant gas to the cathode, an oxidant gas backpressure regulating device regulates the pressure of the oxidant gas at the cathode according to a valve opening, and a pressure detecting device detects the oxidant gas pressure at the cathode. During a start-up fuel gas disposal process, a controller controls the oxidant gas supplying device to supply the oxidant gas at a standard oxidant gas flow, controls the valve opening of the oxidant gas backpressure regulating device to a first valve opening, and controls the valve opening of the oxidant gas backpressure regulating device to a second valve opening which is greater than the first valve opening when the oxidant gas pressure detected by the pressure detecting device reaches an elevation target pressure.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, the fuel cell being configured to generate electrical power through electrochemical reactions between a fuel gas supplied to the anode and an oxidant gas supplied to the cathode;
an oxidant gas supplying device configured to supply the oxidant gas to the cathode of the fuel cell;
an oxidant gas backpressure regulating device configured to regulate the pressure of the oxidant gas at the cathode of the fuel cell according to a valve opening, the oxidant gas backpressure regulating device being disposed downstream of an oxidant gas outlet of the fuel cell;
a first pressure detecting device configured to detect the pressure of the oxidant gas at the cathode of the fuel cell;
and
a controller for controlling the fuel cell system during a start-up fuel gas disposal process, the controller being configured to:
control the oxidant gas supplying device to supply the oxidant gas at a standard oxidant gas flow;
control the valve opening of the oxidant gas backpressure regulating device to a first valve opening;
and
control the valve opening of the oxidant gas backpressure regulating device to a second valve opening which is greater than the first valve opening when the pressure of the oxidant gas detected by the first pressure detecting device reaches an elevation target pressure;
thereby diluting with oxidant gas any fuel gas that has permeated through the membrane from the anode to the cathode during a shut-off period of the system.

8 more elements

A start-up fuel gas disposal process for a fuel cell system having a fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein during a shut-off period of the fuel cell system, fuel gas has permeated through the membrane from the anode to the cathode, the process comprising:

supplying oxidant gas to the cathode of the fuel cell at a standard oxidant gas flow;
detecting the oxidant gas pressure at the cathode of the fuel cell;
controlling the oxidant gas pressure to increase by setting a valve opening of an oxidant gas backpressure regulating device disposed downstream of an oxidant gas outlet of the fuel cell to a first valve opening;
setting an elevation target pressure;
determining whether the oxidant gas pressure has reached the elevation target pressure;
and
when the pressure of the oxidant gas has reached the elevation target pressure, setting the valve opening of the oxidant gas backpressure regulating device to a second valve opening which is greater than the first valve opening.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/918,345Filed 9 Jun 2009
Priority: JP 2008-15333011 Jun 2008
Published: 14 Apr 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H01M 8/04104
Of gaseous reactants: regulation of differential pressures
H01M 8/04089
Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration: of gaseous reactants
H01M 8/04225
During start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells: during start-up
H01M 8/04228
During start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells: during shut-down