Fuel cell system and control method of fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9601790-B2
Application number	US-201214127631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2012
Priority date	Jun 21, 2011
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

In a fuel cell system which executes a stop process of stopping an output from a fuel cell when a required power generation amount for the fuel cell is smaller than a predetermined power generation amount and supplies oxidant during a stop process period, fuel gas is intermittently supplied to a fuel electrode at a basic supply interval, which is set in advance and at which carbon dioxide is not generated in an oxidant electrode, during the stop process period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a controller programmed to execute a stop process of stopping an output from a fuel cell when a required power generation amount for the fuel cell is smaller than a predetermined power generation amount and to supply oxidant during a stop process period,
wherein fuel gas is intermittently supplied to a fuel electrode at a basic supply interval, which is set in advance and at which carbon dioxide is not generated in an oxidant electrode, during the stop process period.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , comprising:
a temperature device adapted to detect temperature of the fuel cell;
wherein the controller is programmed to correct the basic supply interval such that the supply interval decreases with an increase in the temperature of the fuel cell.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
correct the basic supply interval such that the supply interval decreases with an increase in wetness of the fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
detect a duration of the stop process; and
correct the basic supply interval such that the supply interval decreases with an increase in the duration of the stop process.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , comprising:
a device adapted to detect at least one of a cell voltage, a cell group voltage or a total voltage of the fuel cell;
wherein the controller is programmed to correct the basic supply interval such that the supply interval decreases with an increase in at least one of the cell voltage, the cell group voltage or the total voltage.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
supply flow rate per unit time of fuel gas supply intermittently carried out at the basic supply interval is a basic supply flow rate which is set in advance and at which carbon dioxide is not generated in the oxidant electrode.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , comprising:
a temperature device adapted to detect temperature of the fuel cell;
wherein the controller is programmed to correct the basic supply flow rate such that the supply flow rate increases with an increase in the temperature of the fuel cell.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
correct the basic supply flow rate such that the supply flow rate increases with an increase in wetness of the fuel cell.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
detect a duration of the stop process;
correct the basic supply flow rate such that the supply flow rate increases with an increase in the duration of the stop process.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , comprising:
a device adapted to detect at least one of a cell voltage, a cell group voltage or a total voltage of the fuel cell;
wherein the controller is programmed to correct the basic supply flow rate such that the supply flow rate increases with an increase in at least one of the cell voltage, the cell group voltage or the total voltage.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
a supply time per one time of fuel gas supply intermittently carried out at the basic supply interval is a basic supply time which is set in advance and during which generation of carbon dioxide can be suppressed in the oxidant electrode.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 , comprising:
a temperature device adapted to detect temperature of the fuel cell;
wherein the controller is programmed to correct the basic supply time such that the supply time increases with an increase in the temperature of the fuel cell.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
correct the basic supply time such that the supply time increases with an increase in wetness of the fuel cell.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
a device adapted to detect a duration of the stop process; and
correct the basic supply time such that the supply time increases with an increase in the duration of the stop process.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 , comprising:
a device adapted to detect at least one of a cell voltage, a cell group voltage or a total voltage of the fuel cell;
wherein the controller is programmed to correct the basic supply time such that the supply time increases with an increase in at least one of the cell voltage, the cell group voltage or the total voltage.

16. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the supply of the fuel gas during the stop process period is prohibited if a pressure in the fuel electrode exceeds a predetermined value.

17. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fuel cell system is an anode system dead-end system configured to exhaust fuel gas exhausted from the fuel electrode without recirculating the exhaust fuel gas to a fuel gas supply passage.

Assignees

• Makino Shinichi
• Ichikawa Yasushi
• Matsumoto Michihiko
• Kumada Mitsunori
• Asai Yoshitomo
• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Makino Shinichi
• Ichikawa Yasushi
• Matsumoto Michihiko
• Kumada Mitsunori
• Asai Yoshitomo

Classifications

• H01M8/04552

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04559

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04223 Primary

  during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells · CPC title