Patent ID: 8268497
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: H01M,H02J,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell stack that is configured to include a plurality of fuel cells which are connected in series; a fuel supply portion that is configured to supply a fuel to each of the fuel cells; a current regulation portion that is configured to regulate an electric current flowing from the cell stack in such a way that an output voltage of the fuel stack is a predetermined set voltage; a voltage detection portion that is configured to detect output voltages of each of the fuel cells; a fuel-supply control portion that is configured to regulate a fuel supply to each fuel cell by the fuel supply portion so as to decrease a difference between the output voltages of each of the fuel cells detected by the voltage detection portion; a fuel-stoichiometric ratio detection portion that is configured to detect a fuel stoichiometric ratio of the fuel cell stack, the fuel stoichiometric ratio equaling supplied-fuel consuming rate/power-generating fuel consuming rate; and a fuel-stoichiometric ratio control portion that is configured to regulate the set voltage in such a way that the fuel stoichiometric ratio detected by the fuel-stoichiometric ratio detection portion is target fuel stoichiometric ratio set in advance, wherein the fuel-stoichiometric ratio control portion is configured to lower the set voltage if a fuel stoichiometric ratio detected by the fuel-stoichiometric ratio detection portion is above the target fuel stoichiometric ratio and is configured to heighten the set voltage if a fuel stoichiometric ratio detected by the fuel-stoichiometric ratio detection portion is below the target fuel stoichiometric ratio.