Patent · US Active

Fuel cell system and shutoff method

US8048574B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
0References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 13, 2006
Grant dateNov 1, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 29, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, an operation controller, a checking unit, a scavenging unit, an instructing unit, a temperature sensor, a humidifier and a humidification controller. The operation controller selects one of a normal operation mode and a low-temperature operation mode. The checking unit determines whether the fuel cell has been started up in the low-temperature operation mode. The instructing unit provides an instruction for a shutoff of electricity generation. When the scavenging unit conducts scavenging based on the checking unit determining that the fuel cell has been started in the low-temperature operation mode in response to an instruction for a shutoff of electricity generation and an actual temperature of the fuel cell is higher than a predetermined temperature, the humidification controller controls an amount of humidification according to the actual temperature.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.