Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and a control apparatus that performs performance recovery processing for the catalyst layer by decreasing an output voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined voltage, wherein the control apparatus predicts a timing of an output increase request being made to the fuel cell and determines the necessity and content of the performance recovery processing based on a result of the prediction.

Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises a control apparatus which performs performance restoration processing for a catalyst layer by decreasing the output voltage of a fuel cell to a predetermined voltage. When an oxide film formed on the catalyst layer during power generation of the fuel cell contains, in addition to a first oxide film that can be removed by decreasing the output voltage of the fuel cell to a first oxide film removal voltage, a second oxide film that can be removed by decreasing the output voltage of the fuel cell to a second oxide film removal voltage which is lower than the first oxide film removal voltage, the control apparatus estimates the amount of the second oxide film and performs performance restoration processing with a set voltage being equal to or lower than the second oxide film removal voltage only when it determines that the estimated amount exceeds a predetermined amount A.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes: a membrane electrode assembly; cathode and anode-side water-repellent layers; a cathode-side separator that includes a cathode gas passage and an air exhaust manifold communicated to the cathode gas passage. The cathode gas passage includes a water exhaust inhibiting portion and a water storage portion. The water exhaust inhibiting portion is provided on a lowermost passage positioned on a lowermost side in a gravity direction. The water storage portion is provided upstream of the water exhaust inhibiting portion such that liquid water is stored in the water storage portion by the water exhaust inhibiting portion. A liquid water connection portion is provided in the water-repellent layer so as to pass through the water-repellent layer such that liquid water flows between the catalyst layer and the water storage portion.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell; and a control unit that is configured to set a target current value of the fuel cell based on an output request for the fuel cell, predict that a voltage drop of the fuel cell occurs in a high current region of the fuel cell, based on an output voltage value of the fuel cell in a low current region of the fuel cell, if an output current value of the fuel cell is in the low current region and the target current value is above a current threshold that is set in the high current region, reset the target current value to a current value that is smaller than the set target current value, if it is predicted that the voltage drop occurs, and change the output current value of the fuel cell to the reset target current value.

Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and a control apparatus which controls an output voltage of the fuel cell. If a target voltage of the fuel cell is set so as to be equal to or higher than a catalyst dissolution voltage at which a catalyst in the catalyst layer is dissolved and the amount of an oxide film formed on the catalyst layer is estimated to be less than a first predetermined amount, the control apparatus controls the output voltage of the fuel cell so as to be equal to an oxide film formation voltage, being lower than the catalyst dissolution voltage, until the amount of the oxide film is estimated to be equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount and then controls the output voltage so as to be equal to the target voltage.

Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle includes an accelerating state detector, an electric resistance value detector, a current value detector and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a target current value output from the fuel cell stack based on a requested output value of the fuel cell stack in accordance with the detected accelerating state, determine a current increase rate based on a difference between the determined target current value and the detected current value, and correct the determined target current value in such a manner as to reduce the determined target current value in a case where a value of a function that includes the determined target current value, the determined current increase rate, and the detected electric resistance value becomes larger than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Fuel cell system mounting fuel cell vehicle including: fuel cells having platinum-containing catalyst as electrode catalyst; cell voltage meter configured to measure cell voltage of fuel cells; and controller controlling fuel cell system, wherein (a) cell voltage meter obtains first cell voltage in predefined idling state of fuel cells, (b) in response to changing operation state of fuel cell vehicle from driving state to stop state, controller changes operation state of fuel cells to idling state, and cell voltage meter obtains second cell voltage of fuel cells in idling state, (c) controller uses difference between first and second cell voltages to obtain recovery process voltage for recovering catalyst of fuel cells and recovery process time duration wherein cell voltage of fuel cells is kept at recovery process voltage, and (d) controller reduces voltage of fuel cells to recovery process voltage for recovery process time duration, preforming recovery process of catalyst.

Abstract: Fuel cell system mounting fuel cell vehicle including: fuel cells having platinum-containing catalyst as electrode catalyst; cell voltage meter configured to measure cell voltage of fuel cells; and controller controlling fuel cell system, wherein (a) cell voltage meter obtains first cell voltage in predefined idling state of fuel cells, (b) in response to changing operation state of fuel cell vehicle from driving state to stop state, controller changes operation state of fuel cells to idling state, and cell voltage meter obtains second cell voltage of fuel cells in idling state, (c) controller uses difference between first and second cell voltages to obtain recovery process voltage for recovering catalyst of fuel cells and recovery process time duration wherein cell voltage of fuel cells is kept at recovery process voltage, and (d) controller reduces voltage of fuel cells to recovery process voltage for recovery process time duration, preforming recovery process of catalyst.

Abstract: The invention aims to reduce degradation of the power generation performance of a fuel cell during a prolonged high load operation with high effectiveness. A fuel cell vehicle correlates the dryness of an electrolyte membrane to the cell temperature, while performing power generation control of a fuel cell based on a power demand for a driving motor. When the cell temperature exceeds a first temperature ? that indicates the increased dryness of the electrolyte membrane, the fuel cell vehicle intermittently repeats temporary current increase control that shifts the operation state of the fuel cell to the state of an increased electric current and a decreased voltage in a time period t, in order to increase the amount of water production on a cathode.

Abstract: A fuel cell system acquires an operation state of a fuel cell and estimates an IV characteristic that indicates a relationship between a current and a voltage in the fuel cell. At least one of a resistance overvoltage, an activation overvoltage, a current-voltage hysteresis and a concentration overvoltage of the fuel cell is determined from the operation state of the fuel cell, and the IV characteristic is estimated based on the determined result.

Abstract: Fuel cell system mounting fuel cell vehicle including: fuel cells having platinum-containing catalyst as electrode catalyst; cell voltage meter configured to measure cell voltage of fuel cells; and controller controlling fuel cell system, wherein (a) cell voltage meter obtains first cell voltage in predefined idling state of fuel cells, (b) in response to changing operation state of fuel cell vehicle from driving state to stop state, controller changes operation state of fuel cells to idling state, and cell voltage meter obtains second cell voltage of fuel cells in idling state, (c) controller uses difference between first and second cell voltages to obtain recovery process voltage for recovering catalyst of fuel cells and recovery process time duration wherein cell voltage of fuel cells is kept at recovery process voltage, and (d) controller reduces voltage of fuel cells to recovery process voltage for recovery process time duration, preforming recovery process of catalyst.

Abstract: To recovers the power generation performance of a fuel cell system, a power generation performance recovery method of the fuel cell system comprises: stopping supply of an oxidant gas to the fuel cell; and after a voltage generated by the fuel cell is decreased to or below a predetermined first value and when temperature of the fuel cell is decreased to or below a predetermined second value, restarting the supply of the oxidant gas to the fuel cell and thereby restarting power generation of the fuel cell, so as to produce water and thereby recover voltage of the fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas supply/exhaust portion, an oxidant gas supply/exhaust portion, a cooling portion, and a controller. The controller performs at least one of a transient increase control process and a transient decrease control process. In the transient increase control process, the controller determines whether a temperature of a coolant is in a transient increase state. In the transient increase state, the controller performs an oxidant gas pressure increase process. In the transient decrease control process, the controller determines whether the temperature of the coolant is in a transient decrease state. In the transient decrease state, the controller performs at least one of the oxidant gas pressure increase process and an output increase process. In the output increase process, the controller controls the fuel cell to generate an output higher than a target output corresponding to a request output.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a sensor that measures temperature of a medium for cooling a fuel cell, an acquisition part that acquires frequency of load variation of a fuel cell per unit time, and an estimation part that is able to estimate a drying state of the fuel cell based on information including the temperature and the frequency of load variation.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; an oxidant gas supply unit configured to supply an oxidant gas to a cathode electrode of the fuel cell; and a gas pressure control unit configured to detect as a gas pressure sensitivity a ratio of variation in an output of the fuel cell to variation in the pressure of the oxidant gas, specify a correspondence relationship between the pressure of the oxidant gas and the output of the fuel cell on the basis of the detected gas pressure sensitivity, and control the pressure of the oxidant gas on the basis of the specified correspondence relationship.

Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and a control apparatus which controls an output voltage of the fuel cell. If a target voltage of the fuel cell is set so as to be equal to or higher than a catalyst dissolution voltage at which a catalyst in the catalyst layer is dissolved and the amount of an oxide film formed on the catalyst layer is estimated to be less than a first predetermined amount, the control apparatus controls the output voltage of the fuel cell so as to be equal to an oxide film formation voltage, being lower than the catalyst dissolution voltage, until the amount of the oxide film is estimated to be equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount and then controls the output voltage so as to be equal to the target voltage.

Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; a power storage apparatus connected to a load in parallel with the fuel cell; and a control apparatus that performs performance recovery processing for the catalyst layer by decreasing an output voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined voltage, wherein an intermittent operation in which a power generation command value for the fuel cell is set to zero and a power supply to the load is covered by power supplied from the power storage apparatus is allowed to be performed if certain conditions for performing the intermittent operation are met, and the performance recovery processing is performed during the intermittent operation, and wherein, if the performance recovery processing is necessary and if a remaining power in the power storage apparatus is equal to or lower than a pred

Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and a control apparatus that performs performance recovery processing for the catalyst layer by decreasing an output voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined voltage, wherein the control apparatus predicts a timing of an output increase request being made to the fuel cell and determines the necessity and content of the performance recovery processing based on a result of the prediction.

Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises a control apparatus which performs performance restoration processing for a catalyst layer by decreasing the output voltage of a fuel cell to a predetermined voltage. When an oxide film formed on the catalyst layer during power generation of the fuel cell contains, in addition to a first oxide film that can be removed by decreasing the output voltage of the fuel cell to a first oxide film removal voltage, a second oxide film that can be removed by decreasing the output voltage of the fuel cell to a second oxide film removal voltage which is lower than the first oxide film removal voltage, the control apparatus estimates the amount of the second oxide film and performs performance restoration processing with a set voltage being equal to or lower than the second oxide film removal voltage only when it determines that the estimated amount exceeds a predetermined amount A.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell including a cell laminate; an estimating unit for estimating a residual water content distribution in the reactant gas flow channel in a cell plane of each of the single cells and a moisture content distribution in the electrolyte membrane in consideration of water transfer through the electrolyte membrane between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; and an operation control unit for limiting an electric current drawn from the fuel cell when a residual water content in the reactant gas flow channel estimated by the estimating unit is equal to or above a predetermined threshold.