State determination device and method for fuel cell

A state determination device for a fuel cell for generating power upon receiving the supply of anode gas and cathode gas, comprising:

• an internal impedance measurement unit configured to measure an internal impedance of the fuel cell on the basis of an alternating-current signal of a predetermined frequency output from the fuel cell;
• and
• an anode reaction resistance estimation/calculation unit configured to calculate an estimation value of a reaction resistance of an anode electrode of the fuel cell on the basis of a measurement value of the internal impedance,
• wherein:
• the predetermined frequency is selected such that a difference between the estimation value of the reaction resistance of the anode electrode during hydrogen starvation and the estimation value of the reaction resistance of the anode electrode during oxygen starvation is not smaller than a predetermined value.

A state determination method for a fuel cell for generating power upon receiving the supply of anode gas and cathode gas, comprising:

• measuring an internal impedance of the fuel cell on the basis of an alternating-current signal of a predetermined frequency output from the fuel cell;
• and
• calculating an estimation value of a reaction resistance of an anode electrode of the fuel cell on the basis of a measurement value of the internal impedance,
• wherein:
• the predetermined frequency is selected such that a difference between the reaction resistance of the anode electrode during hydrogen starvation and the reaction resistance of the anode electrode during oxygen starvation is not smaller than a predetermined value.