Fuel cell system and control method for fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10454121-B2
Application number	US-201615781248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a solid oxide fuel cell configured to receive a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas to generate electric power. The fuel cell system includes an anode discharge passage through which an anode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a cathode discharge passage through which a cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a joining portion where the anode discharge passage and the cathode discharge passage join. The fuel cell system further includes a gas supply unit configured to supply a fuel gas using a fuel stored in a fuel tank into the anode discharge passage during a system stop.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system including a solid oxide fuel cell configured to receive a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas to generate electric power, the fuel cell system comprising:
an anode discharge passage through which an anode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows;
a cathode discharge passage through which a cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows;
a joining portion where the anode discharge passage and the cathode discharge passage join;
a gas supply unit configured to supply a fuel gas using a fuel stored in a fuel tank into the anode discharge passage during a system stop;
a temperature-sensing unit configured to detect or estimate a temperature of the fuel cell; and
a control unit programmed to control the gas supply unit, wherein
the control unit is programmed to control the gas supply unit in supplying the fuel gas to the anode discharge passage on the basis of the temperature of the fuel cell during the system stop.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is programmed to control the gas supply unit such that a fuel gas is supplied to the anode discharge passage when the temperature of the fuel cell is higher than a reference temperature at which an anode electrode of the fuel cell is not oxidized during the system stop.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the control unit is programmed to control the gas supply unit so as to increase a fuel gas supply amount as the temperature of the fuel cell decreases.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , further comprising
an oxygen concentration detecting unit configured to detect or estimate an oxygen concentration in the anode discharge passage, wherein
the control unit is programmed to control the gas supply unit so as to adjust a fuel gas supply amount corresponding to the oxygen concentration.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein
the control unit is programmed to control the gas supply unit so as to increase a fuel gas supply amount as a deviation between the oxygen concentration and a reference concentration with which the anode electrode of the fuel cell is not oxidized increases.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein
the reference concentration is set smaller as the temperature of the fuel cell decreases.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the gas supply unit comprises an injector disposed in the anode discharge passage, the injector being configured as a supply unit different from an anode gas supply unit configured to supply an anode gas to the fuel cell,
the injector includes a heating apparatus that evaporates a fuel supplied from the fuel tank, and
the control unit is programmed to control the injector so as to supply the evaporated fuel to the anode discharge passage as a fuel gas.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a reformer that constitutes the anode gas supply unit, the reformer reforming a fuel supplied from the fuel tank to an anode gas, the reformer supplying the anode gas to the fuel cell; and
a reformer temperature-sensing unit configured to detect or estimate a temperature of the reformer, wherein
the control unit is programmed such that, when the temperature of the fuel cell is higher than the reference temperature and the temperature of the reformer is higher than a reformer reference temperature, an anode gas reformed by the reformer is supplied to the anode discharge passage as a fuel gas, and
the control unit is programmed such that, when the temperature of the fuel cell is higher than the reference temperature and the temperature of the reformer is equal to or less than the reformer reference temperature, an evaporated fuel from the injector is supplied to the anode discharge passage.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the joining portion is a discharged gas combustor that combusts an anode off-gas and a cathode off-gas.

10. A control method for a fuel cell system including a solid oxide fuel cell configured to receive a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas to generate electric power, an anode discharge passage and a cathode discharge passage through which an anode off-gas and a cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell respectively flow, a joining portion where the anode discharge passage and the cathode discharge passage join, and a control unit pro rammed to control supply of a fuel gas, the control method comprising:
detecting or estimating a temperature of the fuel cell; and
controlling supply of the fuel gas using a fuel stored in a fuel tank into the anode discharge passage on the basis of the temperature of the fuel cell during a system stop.

11. The control method for the fuel cell system according to claim 10 , comprising:
controlling supply of the fuel gas to the anode discharge passage when the temperature of the fuel cell is higher than a reference temperature at which an anode electrode of the fuel cell is not oxidized during the system stop.

12. The control method for the fuel cell system according to claim 11 , comprising:
controlling the fuel gas supply amount so as to increase as the temperature of the fuel cell decreases.

13. The control method for the fuel cell system according to claim 11 , comprising:
detecting or estimating an oxygen concentration in the anode discharge passage, and
controlling the fuel gas supply so as to adjust a supply amount of the fuel gas corresponding to the oxygen concentration.

14. The control method for the fuel cell system according to claim 13 , comprising:
controlling the fuel gas supply amount so as to increase as a deviation between the oxygen concentration and a reference concentration with which the anode electrode of the fuel cell is not oxidized increases.

15. The control method for the fuel cell system according to claim 14 , wherein
the reference concentration is set smaller as the temperature of the fuel cell decreases.

16. The control method for the fuel cell system according to claim 11 , wherein
the fuel cell system comprises an injector disposed in the anode discharge passage, the injector being configured as a supply unit different from an anode gas supply unit configured to supply an anode gas to the fuel cell,
the injector includes a heating apparatus that evaporates a fuel supplied from the fuel tank, and
the evaporated fuel, as the fuel gas, from the injector is supplied to the anode discharge passage.

17. The control method for the fuel cell system according to claim 16 ,
the fuel cell system comprises a reformer that constitutes the anode gas supply unit, the reformer reforming a fuel supplied from the fuel tank to an anode gas, the reformer supplying the anode gas to the fuel cell; and
wherein the control method comprises detecting or estimating a temperature of the reformer,
when the temperature of the fuel cell is higher than the reference temperature and the temperature of the reformer is higher than a reformer reference temperature, an anode gas reformed by the reformer is supplied to the anode discharge passage as the fuel gas, and
when the temperature of the fuel cell is higher than the reference temperature and the temperature of the reformer is equal to or less than the reformer reference temperature, the evaporated fuel from the injector is supplied to the anode discharge passage.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Yajima Kentarou
• Yanagisawa Masanari
• Maeshima Susumu

Classifications

• B60L50/75

  using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/1231

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title

• H01M8/04955

  Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04776

  at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner · CPC title

• H01M8/04761

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title