Patent ID: 8382864

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: a hydrogen-generating apparatus including at least two distinct and separate reforming reactors that are not in direct contact with one another, each of the at least two reforming reactors containing a catalyst, at least one of the at least two reforming reactors being configured to carry out a fuel-reforming reaction that utilizes stored heat, and at least one of the at least two reforming reactors being configured to carry out a regeneration reaction that recovers a quantity of the stored heat lowered due to the fuel-reforming reaction, wherein: the fuel-reforming reaction and the regeneration reaction are alternately switched between the at least two reforming reactors, a reactant to be reformed is subjected to the reforming reaction on a heated catalyst when the reactant to be reformed is supplied, and a combustion fuel is subjected to a combustion reaction to heat the catalyst when the combustion fuel is supplied; a supplying unit comprising a valve connected to a cathode discharge pipe and a first end of each of at least two supply pipes, the at least two supply pipes each being connected to one of the at least two reforming reactors by a second end, wherein the valve switches the supply such that the oxygen-containing gas is supplied to at least one of the at least two reforming reactors in which the reforming reaction is performed; and a fuel cell containing an electrolyte having an electrolyte layer formed on at least one face of a hydrogen-permeable metal layer and having an operating temperature of from 300° C. to 600° C., the fuel cell being configured to generate electricity by supplying the reformed hydrogen-containing gas generated in the hydrogen-generating apparatus, wherein the supplying unit is configured to supply the oxygen-containing gas by being configured to supply cathode offgas discharged from the fuel cell directly to the at least one reforming reactor in which the fuel-reforming reaction is performed.