Patent ID: 8153332

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane as a laminate of an electrolyte layer and a hydrogen permeable metal layer composed of a hydrogen permeable material; a fuel gas supply module that supplies a fuel gas containing hydrogen and a hydrocarbon compound to the anode; an oxidizing gas supply module that supplies an oxidizing gas to the cathode; and a supply unit that supplies oxygen and steam to a reformer unit, wherein the anode of the fuel cell has a first catalyst supported configured to cause an endothermic reaction of the hydrocarbon compound, a reform control unit configured to control the operation of the reformer unit to cause a partial oxidation reaction of the selected material with the supplied oxygen for production of hydrogen to proceed in parallel with steam reforming reaction of the selected material with the supplied steam for production of hydrogen, the reformer unit configured to support a second catalyst thereon; and the electrolyte membrane comprises: a vanadium base layer; a proton conductor middle layer on either side of the vanadium base layer; and a palladium coat on an opposite side of either proton conductor middle layer from the side of the proton conductor middle layer contacting the vanadium base layer.