Fuel cell system and control method for fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12388096-B2
Application number	US-202017925422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2020
Priority date	May 22, 2020
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell including a cell stack configured to have a reforming catalyst for generating hydrogen from hydrocarbon, a first flow path configured to supply a fuel containing hydrocarbon to the cell stack, and a second flow path configured to supply an oxidant gas to the cell stack such that the oxidant gas flows oppositely or orthogonally to the fuel. The control method for the fuel cell system including: detecting a temperature of a discharged oxidant gas that is the oxidant gas discharged from the second flow path; and performing a temperature control of the fuel cell based on the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control method for a fuel cell system that comprises a fuel cell comprising a cell stack, the cell stack comprising a reforming catalyst for generating hydrogen from hydrocarbon, a first flow path configured to supply a fuel containing hydrocarbon to the cell stack, a second flow path configured to supply an oxidant gas to the cell stack such that the oxidant gas flows oppositely or orthogonally to the fuel, a fuel flow rate adjustment device configured to adjust a flow rate of the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell, and an air flow rate adjustment device configured to adjust a flow rate of air to be mixed with the fuel, the control method comprising:
detecting, in an oxidant gas discharge path, a temperature of a discharged oxidant gas, which is the oxidant gas discharged from the second flow path;
performing a temperature control of the fuel cell based on the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas when partial oxidation reforming occurs in the cell stack by supplying air to the first flow path; and
controlling the flow rate of the fuel and the flow rate of the air such that a heat generation by partial oxidation reforming in the cell stack becomes a predetermined target heat generation based on the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas, wherein the target heat generation is set such that the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas does not exceed a heatproof limit temperature of the reforming catalyst in the temperature control of the fuel cell.

2. The control method for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the temperature control of the fuel cell is performed when the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas is equal to or higher than a temperature at which partial oxidation reforming is possible in the cell stack.

3. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a first fuel cell comprising a cell stack comprising a reforming catalyst for generating hydrogen from hydrocarbon, a first flow path configured to supply a fuel containing hydrocarbon to the cell stack, and a second flow path configured to supply an oxidant gas to the cell stack such that the oxidant gas flows oppositely or orthogonally to the fuel;
a temperature sensor located in an oxidant gas discharge path and configured to detect a temperature of a discharged oxidant gas, which is the oxidant gas discharged from the second flow path;
a fuel flow rate adjustment device configured to adjust a flow rate of the fuel to be supplied to the first fuel cell; and
an air flow rate adjustment device configured to adjust a flow rate of air to be mixed with the fuel; and
a controller configured to:
perform a temperature control of the first fuel cell based on the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas when partial oxidation reforming occurs in the cell stack by supplying air to the first flow path, and
control the flow rate of the fuel and the flow rate of the air such that a heat generation by partial oxidation reforming in the cell stack becomes a predetermined target heat generation based on the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas, wherein the target heat generation is set such that the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas does not exceed a heatproof limit temperature of the reforming catalyst in the temperature control of the first fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a second fuel cell to which the fuel discharged from the first fuel cell is supplied.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first fuel cell is configured to receive an oxidant gas discharged from the second fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein:
the second fuel cell has less reforming catalyst than the first fuel cell.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Obata Takeaki
• Chikugo Hayato
• Shimada Kazuhide

Classifications

• H01M8/0618

  Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/0435

  of cathode exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/04014 Primary

  Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title