Patent ID: 8546032

Claim:
A fuel cell system for generating power by using fuel reformed by a reformer, said fuel cell system comprising: a fuel supply device that supplies fuel to the reformer; a reforming air supply device that supplies reforming air to the reformer; a water supply device that produces pure water and supplies the pure water to the reformer; a fuel supply flow rate detection sensor that detects a flow rate of the fuel supplied by the fuel supply device; a reforming air supply flow rate detection sensor that detects a flow rate of the reforming air supplied by the reforming air supply device; a water supply flow rate detection sensor that detects a flow rate of the water supplied by the water supply device; and a control device programed to control, when the fuel cell system is started, the flow rate of the fuel supplied by the fuel supply device, the flow rate of the reforming air supplied by the reforming air supply device, and the flow rate of the water supplied by the water supply device to supply the fuel, the reforming air, and the water into the reformer to conduct an auto-thermal reforming reaction (ATR) operation, then to supply the fuel and the water into the reformer to conduct a steam reforming reaction (SR) operation; wherein the water supply device comprises a pump operated to intermittently supply the water to the reformer, the control device is further programed to control the fuel supply device, the reforming air supply device, and the water supply device, respectively, to supply the fuel, the reforming air and the water at target supply flow rates, respectively, based on respective outputs of the fuel supply flow rate detection sensor, the reforming air supply flow rate detection sensor, and the water supply flow rate detection sensor, and the control device further programed to substantially suppress, during the ATR operation, changes in the flow rate of the fuel supplied by the fuel supply device during at least a predetermined interval following a start of water supply by the pump.