Patent ID: 8445151

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode and producing electric power, an anode gas being supplied to the anode, a cathode gas being supplied to the cathode; an anode gas supply unit for supplying the anode gas to the anode of the fuel cell; an operation condition determining means for determining whether a last operation of the fuel cell system is performed in a low-temperature and short-time operation mode when receiving a start-up request signal which requests to start up the fuel cell; and replacing means for replacing a gas remaining in the anode of the fuel cell with the anode gas supplied directly by the anode gas supply unit when starting up the fuel cell, wherein if the operation condition determining means determines that the last operation is performed in the low-temperature and short-time operation mode, the operation condition determining means sets an amount of the anode gas, which is to replace the gas remaining in the anode of the fuel cell, to be lower than an amount of the anode gas, which is to replace the gas remaining in the anode of the fuel cell if the last operation is not performed in the low-temperature and short-time operation mode, wherein the amount of the anode gas is at a lowest level for the low-temperature and short-time operation mode.