Patent ID: 8735007

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising: an alkaline fuel cell having an electrolyte, and an anode electrode and a cathode electrode that are disposed on two sides of the electrolyte; a discharge passageway that is connected to a discharge opening of the fuel cell and that discharges from the fuel cell an exhaust fuel that contains an unreacted fuel; a circulation passageway that is connected to an introduction opening for introducing the fuel into the fuel cell and that circulates and supplies the exhaust fuel to the fuel cell; and a fuel/water separation device linked to the discharge passageway and the circulation passageway and disposed between the discharge passageway and the circulation passageway, the fuel/water separation device separating and removing water from the exhaust fuel that flows in from the discharge passageway, and causing a concentrated fuel from which water has been separated and removed to flow into the circulation passageway, wherein: the fuel is a liquid, and the fuel/water separation device includes a recirculation portion that connects to the discharge passageway, and a fuel condensation portion which contacts the recirculation portion, and whose boundary with the recirculation portion is defined by a pervaporation membrane that selectively allows the fuel in the exhaust fuel to permeate through the pervaporation membrane, and into which the concentrated fuel having permeated through the pervaporation membrane is introduced, and which is connected to the circulation passageway so as to supply the concentrated fuel to the circulation passageway.