Fuel cell system

• US 7,585,578 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yonekura, Kenji, Iio, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut; Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US11/172,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 429/22, 429/24, 429/25
• US Class Current: 429/411
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04126 Humidifying
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04231 Purging of the reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0432 Temperature; Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04432 Pressure differences, e.g. between anode and cathode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04462 of anode exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04604 Power, energy, capacity or load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04761 of fuel cell exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A system controller drives a gas circulator with a purge valve closed to supply hydrogen to a fuel cell stack and then increases anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure to target operating pressures after a predetermined condition is satisfied. This allows an amount of gas mixture of remaining oxygen and hydrogen to be suppressed compared to the case of increasing the anode operating pressure in a state where oxygen remains in the anode circulation path. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress local generation of electric potential and heat and prevent degradation of the components of the fuel cell stack. Moreover, hydrogen is not discharged during activation, which eliminates the need to include dilution equipment of combustion equipment for treating hydrogen and increases the degree of freedom in the layout of the fuel cell system.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:

a fuel cell stack configured to have a plurality of fuel cells;

a fuel gas supply unit configured to supply fuel gas to an anode of the fuel cell stack;

an oxidant gas supply unit configured to supply oxidant gas to a cathode of the fuel cell stack

a gas circulator configured to circulate anode off gas discharged from the anode to the anode;

a purge valve configured to discharge the anode off gas to the outside; and

a controller configured to, at an activation time of the system, close the purge valve, drive the gas circulator, and supply the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply unit to the anode,

wherein after a predetermined condition has been satisfied, the controller increases an anode operating pressure to a target operating pressure.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller increases the anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure to the target operating pressures at a predetermined time after starting driving the gas circulator, wherein the predetermined condition is a pump driven time is greater than an oxygen concentration decreasing time.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an oxygen concentration detection unit configured to detect oxygen concentration in the anode off gas,

wherein the controller increases the anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure to the target operating pressures upon the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detection unit decreasing to a predetermined value or less, and

wherein the predetermined condition is the detected oxygen concentration is less than a predetermined oxygen concentration.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an oxygen concentration detection unit configured to detect oxygen concentration in the anode off gas,

wherein the controller increases the anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure to the target operating pressures at a predetermined time after starting driving the gas circulator or upon the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detection unit decreasing to a predetermined value or less, and

wherein the predetermined condition is the detected oxygen concentration is less than a predetermined oxygen concentration or a pump driven time is greater than an oxygen concentration decreasing time.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein

the controller measures time elapsed from when the system stops to when the system starts and adjusts the predetermined time according to the elapsed time.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller adjusts the target operating pressures according to a load requirement for the fuel cell system.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller adjusts the target operating pressures according to operating temperature.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cell voltage detection unit configured to detect cell voltage of the fuel cell stack, wherein

the controller adjusts the target operating pressures according to the cell voltage detected by the cell voltage detection unit.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller stops driving the oxidant gas supplying unit until just before increasing the anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure to the target operating pressures.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a differential pressure detection unit configured to detect differential pressure between the anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure, wherein

the controller drives the oxidant gas supply unit according to the differential pressure detected by the differential pressure detection unit to supply the oxidant gas to the cathode.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mixer configured to mix the fuel gas supplied from the fuel gas supply unit and the anode off gas supplied from the gas circulator and supplies the mixed gas to the anode.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller increases the anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure to the target operating pressures, then opens the purge valve with the anode operating pressure and cathode operating pressure maintained at the target operating pressures to adjust the cathode operating pressure and anode operating pressure according to a load requirement.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 12, wherein

the controller adjusts a period the purge valve is open according to operating temperature.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 12, wherein

the controller limits an output of the fuel cell stack according to the target operating pressures during the period when the purge valve is open.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 14, wherein

the controller limits output of the fuel cell stack according to the target operating pressures and the operating temperature during the period when the purge valve is open.

16. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller increases cathode operating pressure to target operating pressure after the predetermined condition is satisfied.