Patent ID: 8206858
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: B60L,H01M,Y02E,Y02T,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell system connected with a load, the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell; a secondary battery electrically connected with the fuel cell; a data gathering unit to obtain data concerning electric energy stored in the secondary battery; a determination unit to determine one of a plurality of start-up modes, differing from each other in energy consumption, for the fuel cell system based on the obtained data concerning electric energy stored in the secondary battery; and a memory programmed to store at least one threshold value used to determine the one of the plurality of start-up modes of the fuel cell system, wherein the determination unit determines the one of the plurality of start-up modes of the fuel cell system based on the data concerning electric energy stored in the secondary battery and the at least one threshold value stored in the memory; wherein the at least one threshold value includes a first energy start threshold value representing energy necessary to start the fuel cell system, and the determination unit includes a start determination unit to determine whether or not to start the fuel cell system based on the data concerning electric energy stored in the secondary battery and the first energy start threshold value; and the at least one threshold value includes a second energy start threshold value representing normal-consumption energy necessary to start the fuel cell system in a normal mode, and the start determination unit determines whether to start the fuel cell system in the normal mode or in a low consumption mode based on the data concerning electric energy stored in the secondary battery and the second energy start threshold value.