Patent ID: 9406949
Filing Date: 2016-08-02
CPC Classification: H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell including a solid electrolyte cell with an anode and a cathode, the fuel cell being configured to generate power by reacting a hydrogen-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas; a first combustor arranged and configured to produce a high-temperature heating gas by burning a mixture of the hydrogen-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas, and to selectively supply the heating gas to the cathode of the fuel cell; a first heating gas return channel arranged to mix at least some exhaust gas discharged from the cathode with the heating gas of the first combustor such that a mixed heating gas of the exhaust gas of the cathode and the heating gas of the first combustor is supplied to the cathode; an anode discharge side combustor arranged on a discharge side of the anode, the anode discharge side combustor being configured to selectively produce a heating gas by burning a gas mixture that includes exhaust gas from the anode; a gas supplier connected to the first heating gas return channel for supplying the exhaust gas from the cathode to mix with the heating gas of the first combustor; a reformer arranged on an intake side of the anode to reform fuel gas supplied to the anode; a heat exchanger disposed adjacent to the reformer to exchange heat with respect to the reformer; an anode discharge side heating gas return channel arranged to supply heating gas from the anode discharge side combustor to the heat exchanger; a controller programmed to operate the fuel cell in a temperature-raising mode in which the heating gas from the first combustor is circulated through the cathode until the fuel cell reaches an operable temperature, the controller executing control such that the reformer, the heat exchanger, and the anode discharge side combustor are not operated and fuel is not supplied to the anode during the temperature-raising mode.