Fuel cell power generating apparatus and method for controlling the apparatus

• US 4,988,283 A
• Filed: 09/12/1989
• Issued: 01/29/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Makoto, Miwa, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/415,330
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 429/17, 429/19, 429/23
• US Class Current: 429/423
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04014 Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04037 Electrical heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04328 of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04335 of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04358 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04365 of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04597 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04731 of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04738 of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04768 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04776 at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04917 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0612 : from carbon-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells

Abstract

An electric power supplied to an electric load (24) is determined and the current (i_FC) outputted from a fuel cell part (7) is controlled in accordance with a load power signal (701) which corresponds to the detected result. A fuel cell output following the variation of the power load (24) can be obtained by controlling the amounts of a starting material (41) to be reformed, a reformed fuel (42) and an air (43) to be supplied based on this output current. When the power load (24) is at a low level, the foregoing output from the fuel cell is also supplied to a heating portion (10) for heating the fuel cell part so as not to reduce the current (i_FC) outputted from the fuel cell part. Since the output current is not reduced, it is possible to prevent an extreme increase in the electrode voltage of the fuel cell part (7) and hence the deterioration of the electrode is reduced.

Claims

1. A fuel cell power generating apparatus which comprises a fuel cell, a fuel reforming portion for generating a reformed fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell and a heating portion for heating the fuel cell, the fuel cell generating apparatus, comprising:

a first detecting means for detecting power supplied to a load;

an operational control means for operating an electric current command signal for leading out an electric current from said fuel cell based on a first detected signal outputted from said first detecting means; and

a second detecting means for detecting an electric current outputted from said fuel cell based on said electric current command signal;

thereby the flow rate of a material which is fed to said fuel reforming portion to produce said reformed fuel being controlled on the basis of a control signal obtained by processing a second signal detected by said second detecting means with said processing means and an electric power being supplied to said heating portion on the basis of said first signal detected by said first detecting means.

2. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first detecting means comprises an output voltage detecting part for detecting a voltage between both ends of said load, an output current detecting part for detecting a current passing through said load and a load power processing part.

3. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said load power processing part is in the form of an AC transducer.

4. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said output current detecting part is in the form of a Hall CT.

5. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said output current detecting part is in the form of a shunt.

6. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second detecting means is in the form of a Hall CT.

7. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control of the flow rate of said material for producing said reformed fuel is performed by a controlling means which comprises an operating device, a pulse width modulator and a power element.

8. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said operating device comprises a function generator in the form of a CPU, an operational amplifier and a resistor.

9. A fuel cell power generating apparatus which comprises a fuel cell, a fuel reforming portion for generating a reformed gas to be supplied to the fuel cell and a heating portion for heating the fuel cell, the fuel cell generating apparatus, comprising:

a first detecting means for detecting power supplied to a load;

an operational control means for operating an electric power command signal for leading out an electric power from said fuel cell based on a first signal detected by said first detecting means; and

a current operating means for operating a current command signal for use in leading out a current from said fuel cell based on said electric power command signal;

thereby the flow rate of a material which is fed to said fuel reforming portion to produce said reformed fuel being controlled on the basis of a control signal obtained by processing a current command signal operated by said current operating means with said processing means and an electric power being supplied to said heating portion on the basis of said first signal detected by said first detecting means.

10. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first detecting means comprises an output voltage detecting part for detecting a voltage between both ends of said load, an output current detecting part for detecting a current passing through said load and a load power processing part.

11. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said load power processing part is in the form of an AC transducer.

12. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said output current detecting part is in the form of a Hall CT.

13. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said output current detecting part is in the form of a shunt.

14. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said current operating means is in the form of a divider.

15. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said control of said flow rate of said material for producing said reformed fuel is performed by a controlling means which comprises an operating device, a pulse width modulator and a power element.

16. The fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operating device comprises a function generator in the form of a CPU, an operational amplifier and a resistor.

17. A method for controlling a fuel cell power generating apparatus comprising a fuel cell, a fuel reforming portion for generating a reformed fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell and a heating portion for heating the fuel cell, said method comprising the steps of:

a first detecting step for detecting an electric power supplied to a load;

controlling an operation of a current command signal for leading out a current from said fuel cell on the basis of a first signal detected by said first detecting means; and

a second detecting step for detecting a current outputted from said fuel cell based on the current command signal;

thereby a flow rate of a material which is fed to said fuel reforming portion to produce said reformed fuel being controlled on the basis of a control signal obtained by processing a second signal detected by said second detecting step through said processing step and an electric power being supplied to said heating portion on the basis of said first signal detected through said first detecting step.

18. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first detecting step comprises a detecting step by means of an output voltage detecting part for detecting said voltage across said load, a detecting step by means of an output current detecting part for detecting a current passing through said load and an operating step by means of a load power operating part.

19. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said load power operating part is in the form of an AC transducer.

20. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said output current detecting part may be in the form of a Hall CT.

21. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said output current detecting part may be in the form of a shunt.

22. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said detecting means in said second detecting step is in the form of a Hall CT.

23. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein a control of a flow rate of said material for producing said reformed fuel is performed by a controlling means which comprises an operating device, a pulse width modulator and a power element.

24. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein said operating device comprises a function generator in the form of a CPU, an operational amplifier and a resistor.

25. A method for controlling a fuel cell power generating apparatus comprising a fuel cell, a fuel reforming portion for generating a reformed gas to be supplied to the fuel cell and a heating portion for heating the fuel cell, said method comprising the steps of:

a first detecting step for detecting an electric power supplied to a load;

an operational control step for operating an electric power command signal for outputting an electric power from said fuel cell on the basis of a first signal detected by said first detecting step; and

operating a current command signal for leading out a current from said fuel cell based on said electric power command signal;

thereby the flow rate of a material which is fed to said fuel reforming portion to produce the reformed fuel being controlled on the basis of a control signal obtained by operating said current command signal processed by said current operating means through said processing step and an electric power being supplied to said heating portion on the basis of said first signal detected through the first detecting step.

26. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said first detecting step comprises a detecting step by means of an output voltage detecting part for detecting a voltage across said detecting step by means of an output current detecting part for detecting a current passing through said load and an operating step by means of a load power operating part.

27. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said load power operating part is in the form of an AC transducer.

28. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said output current detecting part is in the form of a Hall CT.

29. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said output current detecting part is in the form of a shunt.

30. The method for controlling the fuel cell generating apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said current operating means is in the form of a divider.

31. The method for controlling the fuel cell as claimed in claim 25, wherein a control of a flow rate of said material for producing said reformed fuel is performed by a controlling means which comprises an operating device, a pulse width modulator and a power element.

32. The method for controlling the fuel cell as claimed in claim 31, wherein said operating device comprises a function generator in the form of a CPU, an operational amplifier and a resistor.

33. A method for controlling a fuel cell to which a reformed fuel is supplied, said method comprising the steps of:

outputting an electric power to a heating portion for heating said fuel cell and simultaneously computing a current outputted from said fuel cell based on a predetermined electric power and an electric power for charging a secondary battery when said value obtained by subtracting an electric power supplied to a load from said predetermined power based on properties of said fuel cell is positive;

computing a current outputted from said fuel cell on the basis of said electric power supplied to said load and said power for charging said secondary battery which backs up said fuel cell when said subtraction value is not positive; and

supplying, to a fuel reforming device, a material for producing a fuel corresponding to said calculated value, for supplying an electric power outputted from said fuel cell to said secondary battery and for controlling said cell so that an output therefrom becomes not less than said predetermined electric power.

34. A method for controlling a fuel cell to which a reformed fuel is supplied, said method comprising the steps of:

outputting an electric power to a heating portion for heating said fuel cell and simultaneously computing a current outputted from said fuel cell based on a predetermined electric power when said value obtained by subtracting an electric power supplied to a load from said predetermined power based on properties of said fuel cell is positive;

computing a current outputted from said fuel cell on said basis of said electric power supplied to said load when said subtraction value is not positive; and

supplying a material for producing a fuel to a fuel reforming device corresponding to said calculated value and for controlling said fuel cell so that an output therefrom becomes not less than said predetermined electric power.

35. A method for controlling a fuel cell to which a reformed fuel is supplied, said method comprising the steps of:

computing a current outputted from said fuel cell from a predetermined electric power based on properties of said fuel cell; and

supplying a material for producing a fuel corresponding to said calculated value and for calculating an electric power outputted to a heating portion for heating said fuel cell based on a predetermined electric power and an electric power for charging a secondary battery which back up said fuel cell; and

, during steady operation;

outputting an electric power to said heating portion and simultaneously calculating an output current of said fuel cell on the basis of a predetermined electric power and said power for charging said secondary battery when said subtraction value obtained by subtracting an electric power supplied to a load from the predetermined power is positive;

while if said subtraction value is not positive, said method comprising a step of calculating an output current of said fuel cell based on said power supplied to said load and said power for charging said secondary battery; and

supplying a material for producing a fuel to a fuel reforming device corresponding to said calculated value, for supplying said output power from said fuel cell to said secondary battery and for controlling said fuel cell so that an output therefrom becomes not less than said predetermined electric power.