A fuel cell system and the method of controlling the fuel cell system improve next-time startability in the following manner. Hydrogen, air, generation water, and the like that remain inside a large-sized fuel cell system needs to be removed after finishing operation of the large-sized fuel cell system, such as a fuel cell system for generating electric power. To the present end, when an air compressor needs to be operated, one fuel cell module is selected as a power supply module, and an air compressor is operated by the power supply module. Thus, durability of a fuel cell stack is improved, and at the same time, a constant amount of generated electricity necessary to restart the large-sized fuel cell system is ensured.

A fuel cell system ensures estimation on a cooling capacity by produced water in an intercooler when water is provided. A control device in a fuel cell system includes a freeze determination unit, a required pressure calculator, a discharge pressure setting unit, a power supplying unit, and a melting estimation unit. The freeze determination unit determines a freezing of produced water in an intercooler. The required pressure calculator calculates a pressure of air discharged from an air compressor. The discharge pressure unit sets the discharge air compressor to a melt pressure when the required pressure is the melt pressure or more. The power supplying unit performs power generation with the melt pressure for a melting period set to melt the frozen produced water, and supplies the generated power to the motor. The unit estimates the melting of the frozen water in the intercooler has completed after the melting period.

The invention relates to a method for removing water from a fuel cell system (1) comprising a fuel cell stack (2) having an anode portion (3) and a cathode portion (4), a purge valve (5) downstream of the anode portion (3) for controlling a purge pressure in the anode portion (3), and a back pressure valve (6) downstream of the cathode portion (4) for controlling a back pressure in the cathode portion (4), comprising the steps: increasing the purge pressure in the anode portion (3) to a predefined purge pressure setpoint (AP1) with the purge valve (5) closed, increasing the back pressure in the cathode portion (4) to a predefined back pressure setpoint (KP1) with the back pressure valve (6) closed, and subsequently reducing the increased purge pressure as well as the increased back pressure in pulses by opening the purge valve (5) and the back pressure valve (6). Furthermore, the invention relates to a fuel cell system (1) and a computer program product (10) for carrying out a method according to the invention, as well as a storage means comprising a computer program product (10) stored thereon.

A fuel cell system includes a controller that controls actions of the fuel cell system. The controller includes a freezing presence-absence determination unit that performs freezing presence-absence determination, a temperature raising execution unit that performs temperature raising processing for raising a temperature of an exhaust and drain valve, and a thawing presence-absence determination unit. In the freezing presence-absence determination, freezing determination is made when the exhaust flow rate of gas is equal to or lower than a first threshold. In the thawing presence-absence determination, thawing determination indicating that the exhaust and drain valve is thawed is made when the exhaust flow rate of gas is higher than a second threshold. The second threshold shows a flow rate higher than the first threshold.

A fuel cell system installed in a vehicle, the system comprising: a fuel cell, a secondary cell, a system temperature acquirer for acquiring a temperature of an inside of the fuel cell system, and a controller, wherein, when the system temperature is a predetermined first temperature or less, the controller charges the secondary cell until a state-of-charge value of the secondary cell reaches a predetermined first threshold value, and the controller carries out a first pattern purge on the fuel cell, and wherein, when the system temperature exceeds the predetermined first temperature, the controller charges the secondary cell until the state-of-charge value of the secondary cell reaches a predetermined second threshold value that is larger than the predetermined first threshold value, and the controller carries out a second pattern purge having a shorter purge time than the first pattern purge on the fuel cell.

A device supports a refueling process of a vehicle having a fuel cell, wherein the vehicle is configured to carry out a switch-off process of the fuel cell prior to the refueling process. The device includes a control unit that determines that a refueling process shall be carried out. The control unit also, in response to the determination, performs one or more measures that reduce a delay time period for starting the refueling process caused by the switch-off process of the fuel cell.

A fuel cell system wherein, at the time of activating the fuel cell system, the controller determines whether or not the temperature of the fuel cell detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or less than a temperature corresponding to activation at sub-zero temperatures, and wherein, when the controller determines that the temperature of the fuel cell detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or less than the temperature corresponding to the activation at sub-zero temperatures, the controller sends a command to the fuel gas supplier to supply the fuel gas to the fuel cell, and the controller controls rotation of the circulation pump to stop a flow of the fuel off-gas in the circulation flow path.

The invention relates to a fuel cell system (2) with at least one fuel cell stack (19), which comprises an anode chamber (20) and a cathode chamber (21), with at least one air conveying device (3) for the supply of the cathode chamber (21) with air via a feed air line (22), with an outlet air line (23) from the cathode chamber (21), with at least one fuel supply device (26) for the supply of the anode chamber (20) with fuel, with at least one anode circuit (28) for the recirculation of unused fuel around the anode chamber (20), furthermore with a cathode bypass (37). The fuel cell system according to the invention is characterized in that the cathode bypass line (37) branches off from the feed air line (22) upstream of or in the region of a valve device (35) in said feed air line (22), and opens into the outlet air line downstream of or in the region of a further valve device (36) in said outlet air line (23), wherein a gas jet pump (38) which can be driven by the air which flows around the cathode chamber (21) is arranged in the cathode bypass (37), which gas jet pump (38) is connected switchably on the suction side to the anode chamber (20) and/or the cathode chamber (21).

A fuel cell system for supplying anode gas and cathode gas to a fuel cell and causing the fuel cell to generate power according to a load includes a component that circulates discharged gas of either the anode gas or the cathode gas discharged from the fuel cell to the fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes a power generation control unit that controls a power generation state of the fuel cell on the basis of the load, a freezing prediction unit that predicts the freezing of the component on the basis of a temperature of the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes an operation execution unit that executes a warm-up operation without stopping the fuel cell system or after the stop of the fuel cell system in the case of receiving a stop command of the fuel cell system when the freezing of the component is predicted.

A method for starting a fuel cell in a fuel cell system, at temperatures below the freezing point of water, includes, in a first step, that the hydrogen concentration in the anode is increased; after which, in a second step, an anode pressure is increased for a fixed period of time, and while air is supplied to the cathode, the maximum possible current is drawn from the fuel cell, and after which, in a third step, the fuel cell is switched in a load-free manner and the anode pressure is reduced. After the third step, the second step and the third step are repeated successively until a sufficient performance of the fuel cell for its normal operation is reached.