Fuel cell system
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsTomonori Imamura, Akimasa Osaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell generates electric power based on electrochemical reaction of reaction gases. A gas feed stopping device stops the feed of reaction gases into the fuel cell. At the time the power generation by the fuel cell is terminated, the fuel cell continues power generation for a while under a condition that the feed of one of the reaction gases is stopped by the gas feed stopping means. With this operation, the residual reaction gas in the fuel cell is consumed smoothly while the fuel cell continues power generation after the feed of one reaction gas is stopped. The electric potential of a cathode electrode decreases promptly. Deterioration of the cathode electrode is surely prevented.
Claims14
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell for generating electric power based on electrochemical reaction of an oxidizing gas chiefly containing oxygen and a fuel gas chiefly containing hydrogen;
- gas feed stopping means for stopping feed of said oxidizing gas or said fuel gas supplied to said fuel cell;
- electric power storage means for storing the electric power generated by said fuel cell;
- and
- an electrically driven accessory, wherein
- during a deactivation of said fuel cell system;
- power generation by said fuel cell is carried out under a condition that feed of at least one of said oxidizing gas and said fuel gas is stopped by said gas feed stopping means;
- the electric power generated by said fuel cell is stored into said electric power storage means when said electric power storage means is not fully charged;
- and
- the electric power generated by said fuel cell is consumed by said accessory when said electric power storage means is fully charged.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell including a plurality of cells or cell groups for generating electric power based on electrochemical reaction of an oxidizing gas chiefly containing oxygen and a fuel gas chiefly containing hydrogen;
- gas feed stopping means for stopping feed of said oxidizing gas or said fuel gas supplied to said fuel cell;
- electric power storage means for storing the electric power generated by said fuel cell;
- and
- an electrically driven accessory, wherein
- during a deactivation of the fuel cell system;
- power generation by said fuel cell is carried out under a condition that feed of at least one of said oxidizing gas and said fuel gas is stopped by said gas feed stopping means;
- the electric power generated by said fuel cell is stored into said electric power storage means when said electric power storage means is not fully charged, and the storing of the electric power into said electric power storage means is stopped when at least one cell or cell group of said plurality of cells or cell groups is equal to or less than a predetermined voltage;
- and
- the electric power generated by said fuel cell is consumed by said accessory when said electric power storage means is fully charged, and the consuming of the electric power by said accessory is stopped when at least one cell or cell group of said plurality of cells or cell groups is equal to or less than the predetermined voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.