Patent ID: 8067127
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell which generates electricity by a chemical reaction between a fuel gas supplied to an anode side of the fuel cell and an oxidization gas supplied to a cathode side of the fuel cell; a controller programmed to determine whether there is a possibility that a chemical short is occurring in the fuel cell when supply of the fuel gas and the oxidization gas to the fuel cell is stopped; and scavenging means for supplying a scavenging gas to the cathode side when it has been determined that there is a possibility that the chemical short is occurring, wherein the controller communicates with: wherein the controller determines that there is a possibility that the chemical short is occurring when the concentration of the oxidization gas is less than a first reference value, wherein, when it has been determined that there is a possibility that the chemical short is occurring, the controller determines again whether there is a possibility that the chemical short is occurring by determining the concentration of the oxidization gas on the cathode side and determining whether the concentration of the oxidization gas on the cathode side is less than a second reference value that is set to a value larger than the first reference value; and wherein the scavenging means supplies the scavenging gas to the cathode side when the concentration of the oxidization gas on the cathode side is less than the second reference value.