A fuel cell system having a fuel cell control module (FCU) and a method of controlling the same are provided. The method includes selecting one of at least one control parameter and learning system efficiency at each of at least one configurable candidate value of the selected control parameter based on supplied current by driving the fuel cell system. Additionally, the method includes determining a value of the selected control parameter by comparing the system efficiency at each of the at least one configurable candidate value of the selected control parameter with system efficiency corresponding to an initial performance index, at each of at least one predetermined representative current point. Thereby, efficiency of the fuel cell system is improved.

Provided is a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system comprises: a reformer that reforms fuel; a reformed fuel storage unit that receives the reformed fuel from the reformer and stores same; a fuel cell stack that generates electric power and heat by using the reformed fuel; a boiler unit that provides heating by using heating water, a battery unit that stores the electric power generated in the fuel cell stack; and a control unit that controls the operations of the reformer, the reformed fuel storage unit, the fuel cell stack, the boiler unit, and the battery unit, wherein the control unit controls the reformer to operate using the heating water of the boiler unit when the temperature of the heating water of the boiler unit is higher than a first baseline and the stored amount of the reformed fuel stored in the reformed fuel storage unit is equal to or less than a second baseline.

A system and method for operating a fuel-cell system, which is attached to at least one further component via a cooling and/or lubricating circuit. A water-based, oil-free coolant and lubricant is used, and a flushing procedure for the fuel cell is initiated when a contamination of the fuel cell by the water-based, oil-free coolant and lubricant is detected.

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.

An electrical system includes a stack (3) of electrochemical cells (5), a power converter (9) electrically connected to the stack (3), a voltage comparator (7) for comparing the voltage at the terminals of at least one group of at least one electrochemical cell (5) of the stack (3) to a threshold voltage, and a control module (11) for controlling the converter (9). The control module (11) includes a generator (74) for generating a control instruction for controlling the converter (9) and a transmission member (76) for transmitting the control instruction to the converter (9). The voltage comparator (7) is suitable for transmitting a signal to the transmission member (76). The signal consists of a first instruction from an instruction for transmitting and an instruction for blocking the control instruction when the compared voltage is higher than the threshold voltage, and a second instruction from the instructions for transmitting and blocking the control instruction when the compared voltage is lower than or equal to the threshold voltage.

The invention relates to a system for cooling a fuel cell (10) of a transport vehicle such as an aircraft, comprising: a cooling heat exchanger (30) configured to be able to exchange heat between a loop (20) for cooling the cell and a channel for circulating dynamic air; a device (22, 23) for recovering water produced by said fuel cell; a tank (25) for storing recovered water; a device (50) for spraying water into said dynamic air channel (40) upstream of said heat exchanger (30); and a computer (28) for controlling the amount of sprayed water on the basis of a measurement representing the temperature of said fuel cell (10).

A power controlling apparatus includes a secondary battery (2) connected to an electrical device (4), and a fuel cell (3) connected to the electrical device (4) and the secondary battery (2). The fuel cell (3) has two non-generating modes including an idling mode and a halt mode, the fuel cell (3) suspending generation of power while being supplied with fuel in the idling mode, the fuel cell (3) stopping generation of power without fuel supply in the halt mode. The power controlling apparatus further includes a remainder estimator (11) to calculate the remaining number of starts representing the remaining number of available starts of the fuel cell (3), and a controller (16) to control the fuel cell (3) to be one of the two non-generating modes during a non-charging mode of the secondary battery (2), based on the remaining number of starts calculated by the remainder estimator (11).

A fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell, an oxidant conveyor, a humidifier and at least one water sink. The oxidant conveyor conveys an oxidant through a supply line to the fuel cell. The humidifier introduces water into the oxidant flow. The humidifier is arranged in and/or downstream of the oxidant conveyor and upstream of the fuel cell. The water sink is arranged between the fuel cell and the oxidant conveyor. The water sink is formed and arranged in the supply line in such a way that it prevents liquid water located in the supply line from flowing to the oxidant conveyor.

A direct isopropanol fuel cell adapted for use in ambient conditions and utilizing as fuel isopropanol and water preferably with isopropanol at relatively high concentrations representing 30% to 90% isopropanol.

A direct isopropanol fuel cell adapted for use in ambient conditions and utilizing as fuel isopropanol and water preferably with isopropanol at relatively high concentrations representing 30% to 90% isopropanol.