Patent ID: 8435691
Filing Date: 2013-05-07
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. An operation method at the time of increase in a load of a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell module for generating electricity by electrochemical reactions of a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas; a fuel gas supply apparatus for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel cell module; an oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus for supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell module; a water supply apparatus for supplying water to the fuel cell module; a power converter for converting direct current electrical energy generated in the fuel cell module to electrical energy according to requirements specification; and a control device for controlling a power generation amount of the fuel cell module, the operation method comprising: a first step of determining a target power generation amount of the fuel cell module; a second step of increasing the flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas supplied to the fuel cell module; a third step of increasing the flow rate of the water supplied to the fuel cell module after the second step is started; a fourth step of increasing the flow rate of the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell module after the third step is started and after the flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas has increased a predetermined amount; a fifth step of increasing the power generation amount of the fuel cell module after the fourth step is started; and a sixth step of detecting whether the power generation amount of the fuel cell module reaches the target power generation amount or more after the fifth step is started, wherein, in the fifth step, the power generation amount of the fuel cell module is increased when it is determined that the fuel utilization ratio of the fuel cell module is within a predetermined range based on at least one of the flow rate of the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell module and electrical current of the fuel cell module.