Patent ID: 7175933

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell that generates electric power through electrochemical reactions of oxygen included in an oxidizing gas, which passes through an oxidizing gas conduit provided on a cathode side of an electrolyte membrane in a wet state, and hydrogen included in a gaseous fuel, which passes through a gaseous fuel conduit provided on an anode side of the electrolyte membrane in the wet state, said fuel cell system further comprising: an outer-conduit water absorbing member that is disposed outside said oxidizing gas conduit and is capable of absorbing moisture; and a changeover module that changes over status of said outer-conduit water absorbing member between an absorption state, which brings said outer-conduit water absorbing member into direct contact with an outlet of said oxidizing gas conduit to make said outer-conduit water absorbing member absorb the moisture in said oxidizing gas conduit, and a non-absorption state, which physically separates said outer-conduit water absorbing member from the outlet of said oxidizing gas conduit to prevent said outer-conduit water absorbing member from absorbing the moisture in said oxidizing conduit.