Patent ID: 7482080

Claim:
A method for operating a fuel cell system, comprising the following steps: providing a fuel cell unit for generating electric current and/or thermal heat; providing a cooling device for cooling said fuel cell unit, said cooling device having a heat exchanger unit, at least one first flow generator and at least one second flow generator; providing a control unit; generating a first flow of a first cooling water fluid by the at least one first flow generator, the first flow circulating the first cooling fluid through the fuel cell unit and the heat exchanger unit; generating a second flow of a second cooling air fluid by the at least one second flow generator, the second flow flowing the second cooling fluid through the heat exchanger unit; performing by the control unit a parameter comparison to obtain a comparison result, wherein the parameter comparison comprises comparing changes in a volume flow of the first flow and in power of the at least one second flow generator with predetermined operating parameters of the at least one first and second flow generators; regulating, according to the comparison result, at least one of the at least one first flow generator and the at least one second flow generator.