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US 6,444,338 B1Granted
Fuel cell system with improved startability
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYasushi Araki, Shigeaki Murata, Hitoshi Hamada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell system in which warm up of the fuel cell is promoted at the time of starting and the fuel cell is operated under steady condition in a short time. The fuel cell has a plurality of power generator portions. A circulating water passage connected to the power generator portions are changed so that circulating water flows in just part of the generator when the temperature of the fuel cell is not higher than the predetermined value.
Claims17
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell having a plurality of power generator portions;
- a fluid flow passage connected to the plurality of power generator portions so as to selectively supply a heating or cooling fluid to selected ones of said plurality of power generator portions;
- and
- at least one switching device associated with the fluid flow passage so as to switch the fluid flow passage to supply heating or cooling fluid to at least one of said plurality of power generator portions.
1 more element
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell having a plurality of power generator portions;
- a fuel gas passage connected to selectively supply fuel gas to the power generator portions of said fuel cell;
- and
- at least one switching device associated with the fuel gas passage so as to switch the fuel gas flow to at least one of said plurality of power generator portions.
1 more element
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell having a plurality of power generator portions;
- fluid flow passage means for selectively supplying a heating or cooling fluid to selected ones of said plurality of power generator portions;
- and
- switching means for switching the fluid flow passage means to supply heating or cooling fluid to at least one of said plurality of power generator portions.
1 more element
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell having a plurality of power generator portions;
- fuel gas passage means for selectively supplying fuel gas to the power generator portions of said fuel cell;
- and
- switching means for switching a flow of the fuel gas in said fuel gas passage means amongst said plurality of power generator portions.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.