Fuel cell generator and method of the same

A fuel cell generator comprising:

• a reformer for reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel,
• a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said fuel cell receiving said gaseous fuel fed to said electrodes thereof and generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of said gaseous fuel,
• carbon monoxide measurement means for measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• reformer operation control means for controlling operation of said reformer according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured by said carbon monoxide measurement means, to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, wherein said carbon monoxide measurement means comprises:
• a first carbon monoxide sensor having a first sensitivity of detection;
• and
• a second carbon monoxide sensor having a second sensitivity of detection, which is different from said first sensitivity of detection.

A fuel cell generator comprising:

• a reformer for reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel,
• a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said fuel cell receiving said gaseous fuel fed to said electrodes thereof and generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of said gaseous fuel,
• carbon monoxide measurement means for measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• reformer operation control means for controlling operation of said reformer according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured by said carbon monoxide measurement means, to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, wherein said reformer comprises:
• a reformer unit for converting methanol and water to a reformed gas containing hydrogen and carbon dioxide;
• a partial oxidizing unit for oxidizing carbon monoxide generated as a by-product of said reformed gas, and
• said reformer operation control means further comprises:
• partial oxidizing unit control means for comparing the concentration of carbon monoxide measured by said carbon monoxide measurement means with a first preset value, and increasing an air flow fed to said partial oxidizing unit when the measured concentration of carbon monoxide is greater than said first preset value.

A fuel cell generator comprising:

• a reformer for reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel,
• a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon said fuel cell receiving said gaseous fuel fed to said electrodes thereof and generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of said gaseous fuel,
• carbon monoxide measurement means for measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• reformer operation control means for controlling operation of said reformer according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured by said carbon monoxide measurement means to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, said fuel cell generator further comprising:
• gas utilization calculation means for calculating a degree of utilization of said gaseous fuel in said fuel cell as a gas utilization rate;
• and
• gas utilization rate decreasing means for inactivating said reformer operation control means and controlling operation of said reformer to decrease the gas utilization rate when said gas utilization rate is greater than a preset level.

A fuel cell generator comprising:

• a reformer for reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel,
• a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said fuel cell receiving said gaseous fuel fed to said electrodes thereof and generating an electromotive force through an electrochemical reaction of said gaseous fuel,
• carbon monoxide measurement means for measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• reformer operation control means for controlling operation of said reformer according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured by said carbon monoxide measurement means, to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, wherein said carbon monoxide measurement means comprises:
• an electrolyte membrane;
• first and second electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said first and second electrodes being arranged across said electrolyte membrane;
• a gaseous fuel supply conduit for supplying said gaseous fuel to said first electrode;
• an oxygen gas supply conduit for supplying an oxygen-containing gas to said second electrode;
• and
• potential difference detection means for measuring a potential difference between said first and second electrodes while a preset load is connected to said first and second electrodes.

A method of generating an electromotive force with a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel;
• (b) feeding said gaseous fuel to the electrodes of said fuel cell;
• (c) measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• (d) controlling generation of said gaseous fuel in said step (a) according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured in said step (c), to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, wherein said step (c) comprises the steps of:
• (c-1) measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel before said gaseous fuel is fed to said fuel cell;
• and
• (c-2) measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel discharged from said fuel cell.

A method of generating an electromotive force with a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel;
• (b) feeding said gaseous fuel to the electrodes of said fuel cell;
• (c) measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• (d) controlling generation of said gaseous fuel in said step (a) according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured in said step (c), to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, wherein said step (c) comprises the steps of:
• (c-3) detecting carbon monoxide with a first sensitivity of detection;
• and
• (c-4) detecting carbon monoxide with a second sensitivity of detection, which is different from said first sensitivity of detection.

A method of generating an electromotive force with a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel;
• (b) feeding said gaseous fuel to the electrodes of said fuel cell;
• (c) measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• (d) controlling generation of said gaseous fuel in said step (a) according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured in said step (c), to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, wherein said step (a) comprises the steps of:
• (a-1) converting methanol and water to a reformed gas containing hydrogen and carbon dioxide;
• and
• (a-2) oxidizing carbon monoxide generated as a by-product of said reformed gas,
• said step (d) further comprises the steps of:
• (d-1) comparing the concentration of carbon monoxide measured in said step (c) with a first preset value, and increasing an air flow used in said step (a-2) when the measured concentration of carbon monoxide is greater than said first preset value.

A method of generating an electromotive force with a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel;
• (b) feeding said gaseous fuel to the electrodes of said fuel cell;
• (c) measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• (d) controlling generation of said gaseous fuel in said step (a) according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured in said step (c), to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, said method further comprising the steps of:
• (f) calculating a degree of utilization of said gaseous fuel in said fuel cell as a gas utilization rate;
• and
• (g) interfering with control in said step (d) and controlling generation of said gaseous fuel in said step (a) to decrease the gas utilization rate when the gas utilization rate calculated in said step (f) is greater than a preset level.

A method of generating an electromotive force with a fuel cell comprising a pair of electrodes with a catalyst carried thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reforming an original fuel to generate a hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel;
• (b) feeding said gaseous fuel to the electrodes of said fuel cell;
• (c) measuring concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel;
• and
• (d) controlling generation of said gaseous fuel in said step (a) according to the concentration of carbon monoxide measured in said step (c), to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide included in said gaseous fuel, wherein said step (c) comprises the steps of:
• (c-11) supplying said gaseous fuel to a first electrode, which is one of two electrodes having a catalyst carried thereon and being arranged across an electrolyte membrane;
• (c-12) supplying an oxygen-containing oxidizing gas to a second electrode, which is the other of said two electrodes;
• and
• (c-13) measuring a potential difference between said first and second electrodes while a preset load is connected to said first and second electrodes.