An illustrative example method of controlling operation of a fuel cell power plant includes opening a pneumatic valve using pneumatic pressure of pressurized fuel cell reactant, allowing the pressurized fuel cell reactant to flow through the pneumatic valve to a cell stack assembly, determining that shutdown of the cell stack assembly is desired, and control a rate that the pneumatic valve closes by controlling a rate of release of the pneumatic pressure.

A fuel cell system and a method for controlling the same may adjust generation of condensate water in a fuel cell by setting relative humidities and temperature and pressure conditions of the fuel cell so as to maintain a constant current density, and may alleviate performance deterioration of the fuel cell during operation by removing an excessive amount of the generated condensate water by injecting a cathode pressure impulse into the fuel cell.

A controller of a FC system disclosed herein may be configured to: (1) start both of first and second FC stacks when a measured value of a gas sensor is lower than a first concentration: (2) maintain both of the first and second FC stacks stopped when the measured value is higher than a second concentration which is higher than the first concentration; and (3) when the measured value is from the first concentration to the second concentration, supply the fuel gas to the first FC stack while maintaining supply of the fuel gas to the second FC stack stopped, thereafter stop supply of the fuel gas to the first FC stack when a pressure in the first FC stack reaches a pressure threshold, and thereafter start the first FC stack when the pressure in the first FC stack after a predetermined time is higher than a pressure lower limit.

A cell for water electrolysis/fuel cell power generation which includes a flow path configured to supply or discharge water in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a stacking direction of the cell; an oxygen-containing gas flow path configured to discharge or supply an oxygen-containing gas in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the stacking direction of the cell; and a hydrogen-containing gas flow path configured to discharge or supply the hydrogen-containing gas in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the stacking direction of the cell. Each of the oxygen-side electrode layer and the hydrogen-side electrode layer is an electrode layer having water repellency.

A direct alcohol fuel cell having an inner housing, and a proton exchange membrane separating an anode section from a cathode section. The anode section contains an anode collection element electrically connected to an anode catalyst that is in diffusive communication with a fuel supply. The cathode section contains a cathode collection element having one or more ventilation holes is electrically connected to a cathode catalyst. An oleophobic filter and/or an anion-exchange membrane is provided, which cathode catalyst via the one or more ventilation holes and the oleophobic filter and/or the anion-exchange membrane is in diffusive communication with a gaseous oxidant. The inner housing has a bottom and walls extending from the bottom to contain the anode section, the PEM and the cathode section, the bottom and/or the walls having holes allowing fluid communication from a fuel supply to the anode section. The fuel cell is suited for microelectronic devices.

A combined cooling and humidifying system for a fuel cell system includes a first line strand, second line strand, gas separator, and water feed device. The first line strand has a supply line for feeding water to a heat exchanger of the fuel cell system and a return line for receiving a water-steam mixture from the fuel cell system. The gas separator is in the return line to at least partially separate the steam from the water-steam mixture and provide it at a steam connection. The second line strand has a fluid inlet for feeding a gaseous fluid to the fuel cell system. The steam connection is coupled to the second line strand downstream of the fluid inlet to admix steam with the fluid. The water feed device is coupled to the supply line to compensate for a separating mass flow of steam in the first line strand.

An incorporated air supplying apparatus for a fuel cell stack and a method for controlling an air flow using the same are described. The apparatus includes an air supply part supplying air to a plurality of fuel cell stacks, a plurality of pipes configured to transmit the air supplied from the air supply part to each of the fuel cell stacks, a flowmeter and a valve installed at each pipe, and a controller controlling an opening degree of each of the valves, based on information on the measured flow. The controller controls the opening degree of the valve installed at each pipe, thus enabling the air flow for each pipe to be controlled.

The invention relates to a method for fueling fuel cell systems (Sys A, Sys B) which are operated in an assembly (10) of a plurality of fuel cell systems (Sys A, Sys B), and to a fuel cell system assembly (10). According to the invention, a method is provided by means of which a load (100) operated by the assembly (10) can continue to be operated while a fueling process is carried out by a fueling device 20 assigned to the fuel cells (FC 1, FC 2) of the fuel cell system (Sys A, Sys B).

a fuel cell system without a high pressure line of a hydrogen supplying system, including a gas charging line formed between a gas charging station and a high pressure vessel charged with gas by the gas charging station, and a gas supplying line formed between the high pressure vessel and a stack, includes: a regulator provided in the gas supplying line; a solenoid valve provided in the gas supplying line between the regulator and the high pressure vessel; and a check valve provided in a bypass line connecting one point of the gas supplying line between the regulator and the solenoid valve and one point of the gas charging line.

A hydrogen supply control method of a fuel cell system is provided. The method includes measuring the pressure of a front line of a supply line having relatively low humidity and the pressure of a front end of an ejector, without a pressure sensor of an anode. The amount of supplied hydrogen is then adjusted using the measured pressure and the pressure of the anode is estimated more accurately.