Patent ID: 8343673
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell to generate electric power through the reaction of fuel gas with oxidizing gas to supply the generated electric power to internal loads and external loads which are arranged respectively inside and outside the fuel cell system, the internal loads including at least one resistance; a system power source to supply electric power to the internal loads and the external loads; an inverter system coupled between the fuel cell and the system power source, and having a first function of converting direct current voltage outputted from the fuel cell into predetermined alternating current voltage to output the alternating current voltage to power lines connected to the system power source, a second function of converting alternating current voltage from the power lines into predetermined direct current voltage to output the direct current voltage to the internal loads, and a third function of converting the direct current voltage from the fuel cell into predetermined direct current voltage to output the direct current voltage to the internal loads; a fuel gas supply device to supply the fuel cell with fuel gas of a regulated quantity; a power failure breaker relay between the inverter system and the system power source; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the resistance; a switch that connects the resistance to an electrical output of the fuel cell; and a controller programmed to increase power use by the internal loads in dependence on a power output state of the fuel cell detected from an output power from the fuel cell or the power use by the external loads when the system power source falls in a power failure during power use by the external loads, wherein the controller increases the power use by opening the power failure breaker relay and by operating the switch so an amount of power used by the external loads prior to the power failure breaker relay being opened is used by the resistance, the switch being operated for a predetermined time if the temperature of the resistance does not exceed a predetermined temperature.