Patent ID: 8012638

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell; a fuel feeder that supplies the fuel cell with fuel; a plurality of sets of an electric storage device, a bidirectional DC/DC converter, each bidirectional DC/DC converter selectively performing an operation of converting an output voltage of the electric storage device into a predetermined voltage and then outputting the predetermined voltage, or an operation of charging the electric storage device using an electric power outputted from the fuel cell, and a switch; and a controller, wherein in each of the sets, the switch comprises a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, in each of the sets, the electric storage device is connected to one end of the bidirectional DC/DC converter, the first terminal is connected to another end of the bidirectional DC/DC converter, the second terminal is connected to the fuel cell, the third terminal is connected to an external load, and through selection operation by the switch, the first terminal is connected to either the second terminal or the third terminal, the second terminal being connectable only to the first terminal, the third terminal being connectable only to the first terminal, and the controller controls the bidirectional DC/DC converter and switch in each of the set so that when the first terminal is connected to the second terminal, the bidirectional DC/DC converter located between the electric storage device and the fuel cell performs the operation of charging the electric storage device using the electric power outputted from the fuel cell, and when the first terminal is connected to the third terminal, the bidirectional DC/DC converter located between the electric storage device and the external load performs the operation of converting the output voltage of the electric storage device into the predetermined voltage and then outputting the predetermined voltage.