Generation method with fuel cell generation system and fuel cell generation system

A generation method using a fuel cell generation system having a solid polymer membrane forming an electrolyte, having a fuel electrode on one side of the solid polymer membrane, and having an oxidizer electrode and oxidizer gas passages for supplying an oxidizer gas to the oxidizer electrode on the other side of the solid polymer membrane, the method comprising the steps of:

• supplying a fuel gas containing hydrogen as a main component to the fuel electrode at a low pressure;
• supplying the oxidizer gas to the oxidizer electrode through the oxidizer gas passages at a low pressure;
• generating electricity by causing electrochemical reaction between the fuel gas and the oxidizer gas supplied;
• and
• controlling an oxidizer utilization ratio on the oxidizer electrode so as to prevent the oxidizer gas passages from being clogged with condensed water,
• wherein a target value is preset for the oxidizer utilization ratio in the controlling step, to a low value when an output of the fuel cell generation system is low and to a high value in the vicinity of a rated operation point, and wherein the oxidizer utilization ratio is a ratio of an amount of gas actually consumed for the reaction to an amount of gas supplied for the reaction.

A fuel cell generation system comprising:

• a solid polymer membrane forming an electrolyte;
• a fuel electrode provided on one side of the solid polymer membrane;
• fuel gas passages provided adjacent to the fuel electrode, the fuel cell generation system being adapted to supply a fuel gas containing hydrogen as a main component to the fuel electrode at a low pressure through the fuel gas passages;
• an oxidizer electrode, provided on the other side of the solid polymer membrane, the fuel cell generation system being adapted to supply the oxidizer electrode with an oxidizer gas at a low pressure;
• and
• a first controller adapted to control a fuel utilization ratio on the fuel electrode so that the fuel gas passages are not clogged with water,
• wherein electricity is generated by causing electrochemical reaction between the fuel gas and the oxidizer gas supplied, and
• wherein the first controller is adapted to preset a target value for the fuel utilization ratio, the target value being set to be low when the output of the fuel cell generation system is low and to be high in the vicinity of a rated operation point, and wherein the fuel utilization ratio is a ratio of an amount of gas actually consumed for the reaction to an amount of gas supplied for the reaction.

A fuel cell generation system comprising:

• a solid polymer membrane forming an electrolyte;
• a fuel electrode provided on one side of the solid polymer membrane, the fuel cell generation system being adapted to supply the fuel electrode with a fuel gas containing hydrogen as a main component at a low pressure;
• an oxidizer electrode provided on the other side of the solid polymer membrane;
• oxidizer gas passages provided adjacent to the oxidizer electrode, the fuel cell generation system being adapted to supply an oxidizer gas to the oxidizer electrode at a low pressure through the oxidizer gas passages;
• and
• a second controller adapted to control an oxidizer utilization ratio on the oxidizer electrode so that the oxidizer gas passages are not clogged with water,
• wherein electricity is generated by causing electrochemical reaction between the fuel gas and the oxidizer gas supplied, and
• wherein the second controller is adapted to preset a target value for the oxidizer utilization ratio, the target value being set to be low when the output of the fuel cell generation system is low and to be high in the vicinity of a rated operation point, and wherein the oxidizer utilization ratio is a ratio of an amount of gas actually consumed for the reaction to an amount of gas supplied for the reaction.