Fuel cell system and method
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasatoshi Iio, Takanori Hiyoshi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a fuel cell system and a method of controlling the same, a fuel cell stack 1 is connected at its downstream side with a hydrogen control valve 11 and a hydrogen draw pump 12. A control unit 5 controls the hydrogen draw pump 12 such that hydrogen drawing power is increased to a level larger than that required for normal operation and controls the hydrogen control valve 11 such that opening degree is decreased. After that, the control unit 5 controls the hydrogen control valve 11 such that the opening degree is increased to purge moisture in the fuel cell stack.
Claims10
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack having a polymer electrolyte;
- a hydrogen supply unit supplying hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack;
- an air supply unit supplying air to the fuel cell stack;
- a hydrogen draw pump located at a downstream side of the fuel cell stack and drawing hydrogen gas from the fuel cell stack;
- a first hydrogen control valve located between the fuel cell stack and the hydrogen draw pump and having a controllable opening degree;
- and
- a control unit controlling operation of the fuel cell system such that, when the control unit discriminates that moisture in the fuel cell stack remains at an excessive level, the control unit increases drawing power of the hydrogen draw pump, decreases the opening degree of the first hydrogen control valve and subsequently opens the first hydrogen control valve to purge moisture from the fuel cell stack by increasing an instantaneous flow rate of exhaust hydrogen gas from the fuel cell stack, accompanied with an increase of pressure at a downstream side of the first hydrogen control valve.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack having a polymer electrolyte;
- a hydrogen supplying means for supplying hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack;
- an air supplying means for supplying air to the fuel cell stack;
- a hydrogen drawing means for drawing hydrogen gas from the fuel cell stack;
- an adjusting means for adjusting an opening degree with respect to the hydrogen gas from the fuel cell stack;
- a controlling means for controlling operation of the fuel cell system such that, when the controlling means discriminates that moisture in the fuel cell stack remains at an excessive level, the controlling means increases drawing power of the hydrogen drawing means, decreases the opening degree of the adjusting means and subsequently opens the adjusting means moisture from the fuel cell stack by increasing an instantaneous flow rate of exhaust hydrogen gas from the fuel cell stack, accompanied with an increase of pressure at a downstream side of the adjusting means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.