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Fuel cell system and fuel cell status detection method

  • US 9,337,504 B2
  • Filed: 08/19/2009
  • Issued: 05/10/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A fuel cell system comprising:

  • a voltage detection device configured to detect a cell voltage of a cell group containing a plurality of cells;

    a current density detection device configured to detect a generated current density of the cell group and to obtain a generated current density of the cell group by dividing the detected generated current by a surface area of a power generation region of each cell in the cell group; and

    an electronic control unit including a determination portion,wherein the determination portion is configured to determine a presence or absence of an inflection point of a change in the cell voltage relative to the generated current density based on detection results of the voltage detection device and the current density detection device,wherein the determination portion is configured to determine that there is a cell abnormality caused by depletion of reaction gas when the presence of the inflection point is determined,wherein the determination portion is configured to determine whether a difference between a primary regression voltage of the cell voltage of the cell group and the cell voltage detected by the voltage detection device under prescribed conditions is greater than 0, andwherein the determination portion is configured to determine, when the difference is greater than 0, that the inflection point is at a lower current density side with respect to a current density at which the difference is determined as greater than 0,the electronic control unit further including a control portion configured to control supply of a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to the cell group according to a result of the determination portion determining the presence of a cell abnormality.

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