DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL SYSTEM
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a direct oxidation fuel cell system including: a direct oxidation fuel cell including an anode and a cathode, an air pump for supplying air to the cathode, a liquid feed pump for supplying an aqueous fuel solution to the anode, and a collection tank for collecting an anode fluid discharged from the anode. The collection tank has an anode fluid collection port at which the anode fluid is merged with a liquid in the collection tank. Either during normal operation or during suspension of operation of the fuel cell system, or both, the volume of the liquid in the collection tank is controlled to be equal to or greater than a predetermined first lower-limit value. The first lower-limit value is set such that the anode fluid collection port is positioned below the level of the liquid in the collection tank.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1-10. -10. (canceled)
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11. A direct oxidation fuel cell system comprising
a direct oxidation fuel cell including an anode and a cathode, an air pump for supplying air to the cathode, a liquid feed pump for supplying an aqueous fuel solution to the anode, and a collection tank for collecting an anode fluid discharged from the anode, wherein: -
the collection tank has an anode fluid collection port at which the anode fluid is merged with a liquid in the collection tank; either during normal operation or during suspension of operation of the fuel cell system, or both, a volume of the liquid in the collection tank is controlled to be equal to or greater than a predetermined first lower-limit value, the first lower-limit value being set such that the anode fluid collection port is positioned below a level of the liquid in the collection tank; and when the volume of the liquid in the collection tank is equal to the first lower-limit value, a volume of the liquid present above the anode fluid collection port is greater than a volume of an anode-side space extending from the liquid feed pump via the anode to the anode fluid collection port in the liquid in the collection tank. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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24. A direct oxidation fuel cell system comprising
a direct oxidation fuel cell including an anode and a cathode, an air pump for supplying air to the cathode, a liquid feed pump for supplying an aqueous fuel solution to the anode, and a collection tank for collecting an anode fluid discharged from the anode, wherein: -
the collection tank has an anode fluid collection port at which the anode fluid is merged with a liquid in the collection tank; and during suspension of operation of the fuel cell system, when the volume of the liquid in the collection tank reaches a predetermined first lower-limit value, an auxiliary operation is automatically performed for a certain period of time, the first lower-limit value being set such that the anode fluid collection port is positioned below a level of the liquid in the collection tank.
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Specification