Fuel cell generator and method of the same

A fuel cell generating method for generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of a reactive gas, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an electrode having a surface with an electrocatalyst applied thereon, said reactive gas being fed to a surface of said electrode to cause said electrochemical reaction;
• (b) providing a flow path having an inlet and an outlet for supplying said reactive gas to said surface of said first electrode;
• (c) detecting a difference in reactivity of said electrocatalyst between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path;
• (d) estimating a degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst based on the difference detected in said step (c);
• and
• (e) canceling the poisoning according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst determined in said step (d).

A fuel cell generator for generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of a reactive gas, said fuel cell generator comprising:

• an electrode having a surface with an electrocatalyst applied thereon, said reactive gas being fed to a surface of said electrode to cause said electrochemical reaction;
• a flow path having an inlet and an outlet for supplying said reactive gas to said surface of said electrode;
• reactivity difference detecting means for detecting a difference in reactivity of said electrocatalyst between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path;
• estimation means for estimating a degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst based on the difference detected by said reactivity difference detecting means;
• poisoning cancellation means for cancelling the poisoning according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst determined by said estimation means;
• and
• gas utilization estimation calculating means for calculating a degree of utilization of said reactive gas on said electrode,
• wherein said estimation means comprises prohibition means for prohibiting the estimation of the degree of poisoning when the degree of utilization of said reactive gas represents insufficiency of said reactive gas.

A fuel cell generator for generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of a reactive gas, said fuel cell generator comprising:

• an electrode having a surface with an electrocatalyst applied thereon, said reactive gas being fed to a surface of said electrode to cause said electrochemical reaction;
• a flow path having an inlet and an outlet for supplying said reactive gas to said surface of said electrode;
• reactivity difference detecting means for detecting a difference in reactivity of said electrocatalyst between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path;
• estimation means for estimating a degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst based on the difference detected by said reactivity difference detecting means;
• and
• poisoning cancellation means for cancelling the poisoning according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst determined by said estimation means,
• wherein said reactivity difference detecting means comprises temperature difference detecting means for detecting a difference in temperature between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path.

A fuel cell generator for generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of a reactive gas, said fuel cell generator comprising:

• an electrode having a surface with an electrocatalyst applied thereon, said reactive gas being fed to a surface of said electrode to cause said electrochemical reaction;
• a flow path having an inlet and an outlet for supplying said reactive gas to said surface of said electrode;
• reactivity difference detecting means for detecting a difference in reactivity of said electrocatalyst between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path;
• estimation means for estimating a degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst based on the difference detected by said reactivity difference detecting means;
• and
• poisoning cancellation means for cancelling the poisoning according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst determined by said estimation means,
• wherein said reactivity difference detecting means comprises electrical output difference detecting means for detecting a difference in electrical output of said electrode between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path.

A fuel cell generator for generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of a reactive gas, said fuel cell generator comprising:

• an electrode having a surface with an electrocatalyst applied thereon, said reactive gas being fed to a surface of said electrode to cause said electrochemical reaction;
• a flow path having an inlet and an outlet for supplying said reactive gas to said surface of said electrode;
• reactivity difference detecting means for detecting a difference in reactivity of said electrocatalyst between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path;
• estimation means for estimating a degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst based on the difference detected by said reactivity difference detecting means;
• poisoning cancellation means for cancelling the poisoning according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst determined by said estimation means;
• and
• reformer means for reforming a fuel to generate said reactive gas,
• wherein said poisoning cancellation means comprises reforming suppression means for forcibly lowering a concentration of carbon monoxide included in said reactive gas, gas flow reversing means for reversing the flow direction of said reactive gas along the surface of said electrode, and selective activating means for selectively activating one of said gas flow reversing means and said reforming suppression means according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst estimated by said estimation means.

A fuel cell generator for generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of a reactive gas, said fuel cell generator comprising:

• an electrode having a surface with an electrocatalyst applied thereon, said reactive gas being fed to a surface of said electrode to cause said electrochemical reaction;
• a flow path having an inlet and an outlet for supplying said reactive gas to said surface of said electrode;
• reactivity difference detecting means for detecting a difference in reactivity of said electrocatalyst between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path;
• estimation means for estimating a degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst based on the difference detected by said reactivity difference detecting means;
• and
• poisoning cancellation means for cancelling the poisoning according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst determined by said estimation means,
• wherein said poisoning cancellation means comprises supply pressure increasing means for temporarily increasing a supply pressure of said reactive gas to said electrode, gas flow reversing means for reversing the flow direction of said reactive gas along the surface of said electrode, and selective activating means for selectively activating one of said gas flow reversing means and said supply pressure increasing means according to the degree of poisoning of the electrocatalyst estimated by said estimation means.

A fuel cell generator for generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of a reactive gas, said fuel cell generator comprising:

• an electrode having a surface with an electrocatalyst applied thereon, said reactive gas being fed to a surface of said electrode to cause said electrochemical reaction;
• a flow path having an inlet and an outlet for supplying said reactive gas to said surface of said electrode;
• reactivity difference detecting means for detecting a difference in reactivity of said electrocatalyst between said inlet and said outlet of said flow path;
• estimation means for estimating a degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst based on the difference detected by said reactivity difference detecting means;
• and
• poisoning cancellation means for cancelling the poisoning according to the degree of poisoning of said electrocatalyst determined by said estimation means,
• wherein said poisoning cancellation means comprises stop means for substituting said reactive gas with a purge gas flowing along the surface of said first electrode to stop generation of the electromotive force, gas flow reversing means for reversing the flow direction of said reactive gas along the surface of said electrode, and selective activating means for selectively activating one of said gas flow reversing means and said stop means according to the degree of poisoning of the electrocatalyst estimated by said estimation means.