Patent ID: 8293421

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising: fuel cell having a cell laminate formed by laminating a plurality of single cells, each of the single cells having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, an electrolyte membrane between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, and a reactant gas flow channel; an estimating unit programmed to estimate a residual water content distribution in the reactant gas flow channel in a cell plane of each single cell, wherein the estimating unit is programmed to consider water transfer that occurs between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode via the electrolyte membrane; and an operation control unit programmed to control intermittent operation of the fuel cell and to change the intermittent operation when the residual water content in the reactant gas flow channel estimated by the estimating unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, wherein during the intermittent operation, operations of auxiliaries which supply reactant gas to the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are suspended.