US 2012/0070753 A1Published application

Fuel cell system and control system for same

AssigneePanasonic Corporation

InventorsAkinari Nakamura, Takayuki Urata, Shigeki Yasuda

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Abstract

A fuel cell system including: a fuel cell; a fuel processor including a reformer and a selective oxidizer configured to cause a reaction between carbon monoxide contained in a reformed gas and oxygen in air, an air blower configured to send air for use in power generation to a cathode of the fuel cell and to send air for use in a selective oxidation reaction to the selective oxidizer; a cathode air passage, one end of which is connected to the cathode of the fuel cell and the other end of which is connected to the air blower; a selective oxidation air passage, one end of which is connected to a branching point, on the cathode air passage, at which the selective oxidation air passage branches off from the cathode air passage, and the other end of which is connected to the selective oxidizer; a selective oxidation air meter configured to measure the flow rate of air supplied to the selective oxidizer; and a controller configured to control the air blower. The cathode air passage and the selective oxidation air passage are formed such that the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer is less than the flow rate of the air sent to the cathode. While the fuel cell is generating power, the controller performs feedback control of controlling the supply performance of the air blower based on the air flow rate measured by the selective oxidation air meter, such that the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer becomes a target value.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell configured to generate power by using a fuel gas and air;
a fuel processor including a reformer configured to generate, from a raw material and water, a reformed gas that contains hydrogen as a main component, and including a selective oxidizer disposed downstream from the reformer and configured to generate the fuel gas by causing a selective oxidation reaction between carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas and oxygen in air;
an air supply device configured to send air for use in generating power to a cathode of the fuel cell, and to send air for use in the selective oxidation reaction to the selective oxidizer;
a first air passage, one end of which is connected to the cathode of the fuel cell and the other end of which is connected to the air supply device;
a second air passage, one end of which is connected to a branching portion, of the first air passage, at which the second air passage branches off from the first air passage, and the other end of which is connected to the selective oxidizer;
a first flow rate measurement device disposed on the second air passage and configured to measure the flow rate of air supplied to the selective oxidizer;
and
a controller configured to control the air supply device, wherein
the first and second air passages are formed such that the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer is less than the flow rate of the air sent to the cathode, and
while the fuel cell is generating power, the controller performs feedback control of controlling the supply performance of the air supply device based on the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer, which flow rate is measured by the first flow rate measurement device, such that the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer becomes a target value that is set based on power to be generated by the fuel cell, and the controller supplies air to the cathode and the selective oxidizer with the controlled supply performance.

7 more elements

A method for controlling a fuel cell system,

the fuel cell system including:
a fuel cell configured to generate power by using a fuel gas and air;
a fuel processor including a reformer configured to generate, from a raw material and water, a reformed gas that contains hydrogen as a main component, and including a selective oxidizer disposed downstream from the reformer and configured to generate the fuel gas by causing a selective oxidation reaction between carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas and oxygen in air;
an air supply device configured to send air for use in generating power to a cathode of the fuel cell, and to send air for use in the selective oxidation reaction to the selective oxidizer;
a first air passage, one end of which is connected to the cathode of the fuel cell and the other end of which is connected to the air supply device;
a second air passage, one end of which is connected to a branching portion, of the first air passage, at which the second air passage branches off from the first air passage, and the other end of which is connected to the selective oxidizer;
a first flow rate measurement device disposed on the second air passage and configured to measure the flow rate of air supplied to the selective oxidizer;
and
a controller configured to control the air supply device, wherein
the first and second air passages are formed such that the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer is less than the flow rate of the air sent to the cathode,
the method comprising
performing, by the controller, feedback control of controlling the supply performance of the air supply device not based on the flow rate of air supplied to the cathode but based on the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer, which flow rate is measured by the first flow rate measurement device, such that the flow rate of the air sent to the selective oxidizer becomes a target value that is set based on power to be generated by the fuel cell.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.