Abstract: The present application provides a technique prevents a regulator arranged on a gas supplying path that supplies gas to a fuel cell installed in a fuel cell system from functioning erroneously, by controlling the pressure increase within the upper stream side of the regulator. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, an oxide gas supplying path to supply oxide gas to the fuel cell, a fuel gas supplying path to supply fuel gas to the fuel cell, a secondary regulator arranged on the fuel supplying path, a bypass path communicating the upper stream side path of the secondary regulator with the lower stream side path of the secondary regulator, and a pressure controlling valve that is closed in a case where the pressure difference between the upper stream side path and the lower stream side path is less than a predetermined amount, and opened in a case where the pressure difference between the upper stream side path and the lower stream side path exceeds the predetermined amount.

Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell, a reactant gas pipe for supplying a reactant gas to the fuel cell, and an injector for controlling the state of the gas on the upstream side in the reactant gas pipe and supplying the reactant gas to the downstream side by driving a valve element with an electromagnetic drive force at a predetermined drive cycle to separate the valve element from a valve seat. The injector is provided integrally in the fuel cell, and hence the vibration and noise of the injector can be absorbed and suppressed by the fuel cell as a heavy article.

Abstract: A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having stacked cells for generating electricity by an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas and held between a pair of end plates arranged at both ends in the stacking direction of the cells, and also including a gas-liquid separator for separating a gas and a liquid of an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell stack, wherein the gas-liquid separator is fixed to the end plate. Exhaust heat of the fuel cell stack is effectively used to heat the gas-liquid separator.

Abstract: A fuel cell system according to one aspect of the invention is operated in an ordinary mode and in a gas leakage detection mode. The fuel cell system includes fuel cells, a fuel gas supplier configured to supply a fuel gas to the fuel cells, a shutoff valve provided in a flow path for leading a flow of the fuel gas supply from the fuel gas supplier to the fuel cells and configured to shut off the fuel gas supply, and a variable pressure regulator provided in the flow path between the shutoff valve and the fuel cells to regulate a pressure of the fuel gas in a downstream in a flow direction of the fuel gas supply to a variable pressure value. In the ordinary mode, the fuel cell system sets the pressure value of the variable pressure regulator to an ordinary power generation pressure value for ordinary power generation.

Abstract: A gas-liquid separation device is used in a fuel cell system including fuel cells. The gas-liquid separation device includes: a separator configured to separate a fuel gas after an electrochemical reaction performed in the fuel cells from liquid water flowing with the fuel gas; and a reservoir configured to allow accumulation of the liquid water discharged from the fuel cells. The gas-liquid separation device also has a fluid outflow path arranged to connect with a connection object member and have a fluid outlet formed to be open in a vertical direction. The fluid outflow path is configured to flow out a fluid from inside of the gas-liquid separation device to the connection object member via the fluid outlet. The fluid outlet is provided to differ in position in a direction perpendicular to a vertical direction from the separator and the reservoir.

Abstract: A fuel cell system having a cooling water pump provided in cooling water piping that sends cooling water to a fuel cell and sending the cooling water under pressure, fuel gas supply piping connected to the fuel cell and supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell, fuel gas circulation piping connected to both the fuel cell and the fuel gas supply piping and circulating fuel gas, discharged from the fuel cell, in the fuel gas supply piping, and a fuel gas pump provided in the fuel gas circulation piping and sending under pressure the fuel gas, discharged from the fuel cell, to the fuel gas supply piping. After operation of the fuel cell is stopped, the fuel gas, discharged from the fuel cell, is sent under pressure by the fuel gas pump, and cooling water is send under pressure by the cooling water pump to cool the fuel cell to thereby reduce the temperature of the fuel cell to a level lower than the temperature of the fuel gas pump.

Abstract: A fuel cell system having a hydrogen supply path for supplying a hydrogen gas to a fuel cell, an injector which is provided in the hydrogen supply path and which regulates the pressure of the gas on the upstream side of the hydrogen supply path to inject the pressure-regulated hydrogen gas to the downstream side of the hydrogen supply path, and a surge tank 81 which is provided in the hydrogen supply path on the upstream side from the injector and which suppresses the fluctuation of the pressure of the gas in the hydrogen supply path.

Abstract: A fuel cell system having a fuel cell, a reactant gas pipe for supplying a reactant gas to the fuel cell, and an injector for driving a valve body at a predetermined drive cycle by an electromagnetic driving force to separate the valve body from a valve seat, regulating conditions of the gas on the upstream side in the reactant gas pipe and supplying the gas to the downstream side. A gas element component responding to the physical quantity of the reactant gas circulating through the reactant gas pipe is integrally provided in the injector so as to come close to the injector.

Abstract: A compact fuel cell system capable of preventing water from remaining in a pipe is provided. The fuel cell system 1 includes a fuel cell 2, a fuel gas flow control device 3 for controlling the amount of fuel gas flowing from a fuel gas supply system, a gas-liquid separator 4 for separating water contained in an anode off gas discharged from the fuel cell 2, and a circulation device 5 which mixes an anode off gas discharged from the gas-liquid separator 4 and a fuel gas newly supplied by a fuel gas supply system, and supplies the mixed gas to the fuel cell 2. The gas-liquid separator 4 and the circulation device 5 are attached to an end plate 6 of the fuel cell 2 and the circulation device 5 is positioned higher than the gas-liquid separator 3.

Abstract: Deterioration of an electrolyte and a sealing member is suppressed taking account of the durable temperature characteristics thereof, while enhancing the starting performance of a fuel cell. For this realization, in a system comprising a gas piping system for supplying a reactant gas to a fuel cell, and a gas supply controller for altering the supply state of the reactant gas in response to a power generation request, a gas supply quantity is altered in accordance with the temperature of the fuel cell. Preferably, the gas supply quantity is altered in accordance with the durable temperature characteristics of a passage member forming a gas passage of the reactant gas. Furthermore, the differential pressure of the gas supply state between the anode side and the cathode side of the fuel cell is preferably taken into account and the differential pressure between both poles is suppressed by altering the gas supply quantity on the cathode side as the case may be.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, a hydrogen gas pipe system for supplying a fuel gas to the fuel cell, and an injector for adjusting a pressure of the upstream side of the hydrogen gas pipe system to supply the hydrogen gas to the downstream side, wherein the injector includes an internal channel for communicating the upstream side of the injector with the downstream side of the injector, and a valve body movably arranged in the internal channel for switching a channel opening area in multiple stages corresponding to a movement position of the valve body, and wherein water at least around the valve body of the injector is reduced when the system stops.

Abstract: The present invention includes a mounting structure for mounting a component between a first member and a second member. According to the mounting structure, the component is first placed on a surface of the first member. Then, the second member is fitted with the component by a fitting device, so that the component is positioned relative to the second member. Thereafter, the component is fixed in position relative to the first member by a joint device.

Abstract: To provide a technique to suppress an excessive rise of pressure between two pressure reducing valves if the amount of fuel gas consumed by a fuel cell stack decreases. A fuel gas supply apparatus comprises: a gas passage in which fuel gas to be supplied to a fuel cell stack flows; a first pressure reducing valve provided to the gas passage; a second pressure reducing valve provided to the gas passage and disposed at a downstream side of the first pressure reducing valve; a setting module that sets a value of target pressure at a downstream side of the second pressure reducing valve, to a value depending on a consumed amount of fuel gas consumed by the fuel cell stack; and a modifying module that, if the consumed amount decreases by a prescribed amount or more, modifies the value of target pressure of the second pressure reducing valve to a value greater than a corresponding value that corresponds to the consumed amount subsequent to the decrease.

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 is a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, an injector which is provided in a hydrogen supply channel of the fuel cell and which adjusts a gas state of an upstream side of the hydrogen supply channel to supply a gas toward a downstream side, and a control device which drives and controls the injector. The control device controls an operation of the injector based on a driving state of an associated device including the fuel cell system 1.

Abstract: A diaphragm is clamped between a solenoid unit disposed in a casing and a second valve body in which hydrogen is introduced. A filter comprising a bottomed cylindrical mesh member is mounted in a first passage defined in the first valve body. A restriction having an orifice for restricting the flow rate of hydrogen supplied to first and second communication chambers is mounted in a first port that is disposed upstream of the filter. The restriction and the filter are disposed coaxially in line with each other.

Abstract: A fuel cell system including a fuel cell body; a first portion continuously supplied with heat following start up of the fuel cell body; a second portion continuously supplied with heat following start up of the fuel cell body; and a hydrogen exhaust valve. The first portion and the second portion are directly fixed to each other with the hydrogen exhaust valve disposed therebetween. The first portion is, for example, a gas-liquid separation unit supplied with heat from exhaust gas from the fuel cell body, and the second portion is, for example, a hydrogen processing unit supplied with heat from exhaust gas from the fuel cell body.

Abstract: A fuel cell system (50) includes pressure obtaining means (4) for obtaining the pressure in a hydrogen system (anode (1b)) of a fuel cell (1), pressure estimation means (10) for estimating the hydrogen partial pressure in the hydrogen system. Further, the fuel cell system (50) includes impurity concentration estimation means (10) for estimating the impurity concentration in the hydrogen system. That is, the impurity concentration estimation means (10) estimates the impurity concentration taking the present state of the hydrogen system into consideration. Thus, the impurity concentration estimation means (10) accurately estimates the impurity concentration in the hydrogen system of the fuel cell (1).

Abstract: A control apparatus for a fuel cell, including oxidizing gas supplying means for supplying oxidizing gas to a cathode via an oxidizing gas supply line; cathode-side gas pressure detecting means for detecting a gas pressure within the oxidizing gas supply line or the cathode; hydrogen supplying means for supplying hydrogen to an anode via a hydrogen supply line; target hydrogen partial pressure determining means for determining a hydrogen pressure among a gas pressure within the hydrogen supply line or the anode; hydrogen supply pressure calculating means for calculating a hydrogen supply pressure of hydrogen to be supplied to the fuel cell, based upon the target hydrogen partial pressure and the gas pressure detected by the cathode-side gas pressure detecting means; and hydrogen supply control means for supplying hydrogen from the hydrogen supplying means to the fuel cell at the hydrogen supply pressure, and the method thereof.

Abstract: A fuel cell system (100) includes two supply passages (30, 32) for supplying the hydrogen to the anode (14). Valves (22, 23) which control flow amounts of the hydrogen passing through the two supply passages (30, 32) are provided. An exhaust passage (34) which outputs exhaust gas from the anode (14) is provided on the supply passage, and a valve (24) is also provided. When the valve (24) on the exhaust passage (34) is closed, the flow amount ratios of the hydrogen passing through the two supply passages (30, 32) are varied in time. Therefore, impurities such as nitrogen can be diffused. Thereby, a hydrogen purge amount can be reduced.