Patent ID: 6890490

Claim:
A hydrogen absorbing tank apparatus comprising: a hydrogen absorbing tank containing a hydrogen absorbing material that allows hydrogen gas to move into the hydrogen absorbing tank from an outside thereof and to move out of the hydrogen absorbing tank; a gas compressor disposed between the hydrogen absorbing tank and a hydrogen gas consumer device, the gas compressor compressing the hydrogen gas output from the hydrogen absorbing tank at least to a predetermined reference pressure of the hydrogen gas consumer device; a bypass that opens only when a hydrogen gas generating pressure of the hydrogen absorbing tank is higher than the predetermined reference pressure, the bypass connected between the hydrogen absorbing tank and the hydrogen gas consumer device in parallel to the gas compressor; and a controller that operates the gas compressor to compress hydrogen gas output from the hydrogen absorbing tank at least to the predetermined reference pressure when the hydrogen absorbing tank has a low temperature and the hydrogen gas generating pressure of the hydrogen absorbing tank is believed to be lower than the predetermined reference pressure; wherein: the hydrogen gas consumer device includes a fuel cell from which heat is supplied to the hydrogen absorbing tank; the controller operates the gas compressor during an initial period of operation of the fuel cell; and at least one of the gas compressor and a motor that operates the gas compressor is connected to at least one of the fuel cell and the hydrogen absorbing tank by a heating medium circulating passage in which a heating medium circulates, and the at least one of the fuel cell and the hydrogen absorbing tank is heated by the heating medium heated by the at least one of the gas compressor and the motor that operates the gas compressor.