Fuel cell apparatus, fuel cell system, and control method for fuel cell system

A fuel cell system comprising:

• a plurality of fuel cell apparatuses that includes a master apparatus and slave apparatuses including a first slave apparatus and a second slave apparatus;
• wherein
• the master apparatus, the first slave apparatus, and the second slave apparatus each comprise a cell stack;
• the master apparatus, the first slave apparatus, and the second slave apparatus communicably connect to each other;
• the master apparatus controls the cell stack of the master apparatus on the basis of control information;
• the first slave apparatus controls the cell stack of the first slave apparatus and the second slave apparatus controls the cell stack of the second slave apparatus on the basis of the control information acquired from the master apparatus;
• and
• the first slave apparatus transmits a master candidacy message indicating assumption by proxy of functionality of the master apparatus to the second slave apparatus when the first slave apparatus detects that the master apparatus has lost functionality.

A control method for a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising a plurality of fuel cell apparatuses that includes a master apparatus and slave apparatuses including a first slave apparatus and a second slave apparatus, the master apparatus, the first slave apparatus, and the second slave apparatus each comprising a cell stack, the master apparatus, the first slave apparatus, and the second slave apparatus communicably connecting to each other, the method comprising:

• controlling, using the master apparatus, the cell stack of the master apparatus on the basis of control information;
• controlling, using the first slave apparatus, the cell stack of the first slave apparatus and controlling, using the second slave apparatus, the slave stack of the second slave apparatus on the basis of the control information acquired from the master apparatus;
• and
• transmitting, using the first slave apparatus, a master candidacy message indicating assumption by proxy of functionality of the master apparatus to the second slave apparatus when the first slave apparatus detects that the master apparatus has lost functionality.