Abstract: The degree of dryness in a fuel cell can be judged more accurately. A system has: an impedance calculation part that calculates an impedance of a fuel cell extracts from the calculated impedance a high-frequency impedance which is an impedance in a high frequency range and a low-frequency impedance which is an impedance in a low frequency range, and subtracts the high-frequency impedance from the low-frequency impedance to calculate a differential impedance; a water content calculation part that calculates the water content of an electrolyte membrane using the high-frequency impedance and calculates the water content of a catalyst layer using the differential impedance; and a water content control part that performs water content recovery processing to increase the water content of the catalyst layer if the water content of the catalyst layer is smaller than a predetermined water content.

Abstract: A cooling system is provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuel cell system that is capable of running a detailed diagnostic check on the internal dryness of a fuel cell. The fuel cell system measures the distribution of electrical current density on a power generation plane of the fuel cell, and diagnoses the internal dryness of the fuel cell in accordance with changes in the peak position of electrical current density on the power generation plane. If the fuel cell is configured to let a reactant gas (hydrogen) on the anode side and a reactant gas (air) on the cathode side flow in opposing directions with the power generation plane positioned in between, the fuel cell system judges whether the peak position of electrical current density is displaced toward the outlet of an anode or the outlet of a cathode. In accordance with the result of judgment, the fuel cell system can determine whether dry-up has occurred on the anode side or cathode side.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technology related to a fuel cell system capable of adjusting a discharge amount of an odorant discharged to an outside of a moving body according to a state of the moving body. The fuel cell system mounted to a moving body includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by electrochemically reacting a hydrogen gas with an oxidation gas; and a adjusting portion which adjusts an amount of an odorant to be discharged to an outside of the moving body according to a state of the moving body, the odorant being included in an anode off-gas discharged from an anode side of the fuel cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technology related to a fuel cell system capable of adjusting a discharge amount of an odorant discharged to an outside of a moving body according to a state of the moving body. The fuel cell system mounted to a moving body includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by electrochemically reacting a hydrogen gas with an oxidation gas; and a adjusting portion which adjusts an amount of an odorant to be discharged to an outside of the moving body according to a state of the moving body, the odorant being included in an anode off-gas discharged from an anode side of the fuel cell.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system that is capable of sensing unintended gas leakage from a discharge control means based on odor. A fuel cell system is provided with a bypass passage 32 connecting a fuel offgas passage 30 at inlet of a odorant removal unit 40 to the fuel offgas passage 30 in the vicinity of outlet of the odorant removal unit 40, and the fuel cell system facilitates the removal of odor from the discharged fuel offgas, by closing a bypass valve 33 in conjunction with opening a purge valve 31, and suppresses the removal of odor, by opening the bypass valve 33 in conjunction with stop of discharge of fuel offgas caused by closing the purge valve 31.

Abstract: An exhaust state control device for a fuel cell for a mobile unit includes an exhaust gas temperature sensor (17) that measures the temperature of exhaust gas in a discharge passage that discharges the exhaust gas from the main body of the fuel cell, and an ambient temperature sensor (19A) that measures the temperature of ambient air to which exhaust gas is to be discharged. If, based on the difference between the exhaust gas temperature and the ambient temperature, it is determined that white smoke is generated, it is determined whether a condition to reduce white smoke is satisfied. When a first condition is satisfied, a process to reduce white smoke is activated. When a second condition, which requires further reduction of white smoke than under the first condition, is satisfied, a process to suppress the generation of white smoke is activated.

Abstract: An odorant addition device for adding odorant to fuel gas in a gas system that consumes the fuel gas, the device including: an addition unit for adding the odorant to fuel gas to be consumed by the gas system; an environmental condition detection unit for detecting in the gas system an environmental condition regarding diffusion of odorant in fuel gas; and an addition adjustment unit for adjusting mode of odorant addition by the addition unit based on the environmental condition detected by the environmental condition detection unit. In this way, it is possible to detect leakage of fuel gas more reliably and improve safety dramatically, in a gas system that consumes the fuel gas as fuel.

Abstract: A gas-supply passage (6) via which anode gas is supplied to a fuel cell unit (2) and a gas-discharge passage (12) via which anode gas is discharged from the fuel cell unit (2) are connected via a communication passage (30). Circulation pump (32) switches the communication state of the communication passage between a closed state and an opened state. Circulation pump (32) causes a gas flow from the gas-discharge passage to the gas-supply passage when the communication passage (30) is in the opened state. The communication passage (30) is normally closed, and it is opened when a predetermined condition related to the operation state of the fuel cell unit (2) is satisfied.

Abstract: In a fuel cell system (100), the amount of fuel gas supplied through an fuel gas supply passage (24) and the amount of fuel gas consumed by a fuel cell (10) are detected. A difference between the amount of supplied fuel gas and the amount of consumed fuel gas is calculated by subtracting the amount of consumed fuel gas from the amount of supplied fuel gas. The pressure of the fuel gas in a leak detection passage (Cx), the change in the pressure of the detected fuel gas can be detected, and the change in the amount of fuel gas in the gas leak detection passage (Cx) due to the change in the pressure of the fuel gas can thus be detected. The difference is corrected by subtracting the change in the amount of fuel gas in the gas leak detection passage from the difference. When the corrected difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a fuel gas leak is detected in the leak detection passage (Cx).

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hydrogen path for supplying odorant-added hydrogen to the fuel cell, an estimating unit to estimate the depositing of the odorant in the fuel cell, and control unit to heat the fuel cell up to a temperature at which at least part of the odorant deposited in the fuel cell evaporates when-the depositing of the odorant is estimated.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system that is capable of sensing unintended gas leakage from a discharge control means based on odor. A fuel cell system is provided with a bypass passage 32 connecting a fuel offgas passage 30 at inlet of a odorant removal unit 40 to the fuel offgas passage 30 in the vicinity of outlet of the odorant removal unit 40, and the fuel cell system facilitates the removal of odor from the discharged fuel offgas, by closing a bypass valve 33 in conjunction with opening a purge valve 31, and suppresses the removal of odor, by opening the bypass valve 33 in conjunction with stop of discharge of fuel offgas caused by closing the purge valve 31.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hydrogen supply apparatus which can mix an odorant with hydrogen gas even at a low temperature and can detect the leakage of the hydrogen gas. The apparatus comprises a gas storage portion which stores hydrogen gas therein, an odorant-addition portion which adds an odorant to the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage portion, and a temperature control portion which controls the temperature of at least one of the hydrogen gas stored in the gas storage portion, the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage portion and the odorant.

Abstract: In a fuel cell system of the invention, a hydrogen leakage detection process closes a shutoff valve, which shuts off a supply of hydrogen from a hydrogen supply unit into a hydrogen supply flow path, and opens a pressure regulator, which reduces a pressure of hydrogen in the hydrogen supply flow path, so as to keep the hydrogen supply flow path in a state with no pressure regulation and make the fuel cell system in a leakage detectable state. In this leakage detectable state, the hydrogen leakage detection process measures at least one of a pressure and a flow rate as a state quantity of hydrogen in the hydrogen supply flow path that feeds the supply of hydrogen to fuel cells. The hydrogen leakage detection process analyzes a detected behavior of the state quantity in the leakage detectable process and specifies the occurrence of a hydrogen leakage in the downstream of the hydrogen supply unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technology related to a fuel cell system capable of adjusting a discharge amount of an odorant discharged to an outside of a moving body according to a state of the moving body. The fuel cell system mounted to a moving body includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by electrochemically reacting a hydrogen gas with an oxidation gas; and a adjusting portion which adjusts an amount of an odorant to be discharged to an outside of the moving body according to a state of the moving body, the odorant being included in an anode off-gas discharged from an anode side of the fuel cell.

Abstract: In a fuel cell system (100), the amount of fuel gas supplied through an fuel gas supply passage (24) and the amount of fuel gas consumed by a fuel cell (10) are detected. A difference between the amount of supplied fuel gas and the amount of consumed fuel gas is calculated by subtracting the amount of consumed fuel gas from the amount of supplied fuel gas. The pressure of the fuel gas in a leak detection passage (Cx), the change in the pressure of the detected fuel gas can be detected, and the change in the amount of fuel gas in the gas leak detection passage (Cx) due to the change in the pressure of the fuel gas can thus be detected. The difference is corrected by subtracting the change in the amount of fuel gas in the gas leak detection passage from the difference. When the corrected difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a fuel gas leak is detected in the leak detection passage (Cx).