A power generation system includes: a combustor operative to combust a fuel; a power generator operative to utilize energy obtained from the combustor when generating electric power; a fuel supplier operative to supply the fuel to the combustor; an air supplier operative to supply combustion air to the combustor; a discharged gas passage through which a discharged gas from the combustor flows; a CO detector operative to detect CO in the discharged gas; a temperature detector operative to detect a temperature of the discharged gas; and control circuitry operative to, when the discharged gas is flowing through the discharged gas passage, perform at least one of an operation of detecting a structural abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on a difference between detected temperatures of the temperature detector relative to a difference between heated amounts of the discharged gas heated by a heater and an operation of detecting the structural abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on the difference between the detected temperatures of the temperature detector relative to a difference between outputs of at least one of the fuel supplier and the air supplier.

A SOFC system having a fuel reformer for reforming a gaseous hydrocarbon stream and steam into a hydrogen rich gas, a solid oxide fuel cell stack including an anode and a cathode for electrochemically reacting the hydrogen rich gas and a cathode air stream to produce electricity, an anode exhaust stream and a cathode depleted air stream. The anode exhaust stream and the cathode depleted air stream are kept separate, a burner for combusting a mixture of the anode exhaust stream and a fresh air stream to complete combustion and produce heat for the reformer control unit and a blower are also provided. The control unit controlling the blower for controlling the mass flow rate of the fresh air stream to provide heat to the reformer to reform the gaseous hydrocarbon stream and to produce a burner exhaust stream.

A fuel cell system to be installed on a vehicle includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery, an SOC detector that detects a temperature and a state of charge of the secondary battery, an accelerator position detector that detects an accelerator depressed amount, and a controller that controls power to be generated by the fuel cell. The controller includes: a required generation power calculator that calculates required generation power based on the accelerator depressed amount and the temperature and the state of charge of the secondary battery; and a maximum required power calculator that calculates maximum required power based on the accelerator depressed amount and the temperature and the state of charge of the secondary battery. The maximum required power includes allowable charging power correlated with a maximum value of charging power. If determining that a condition for rapid reduction in consumption power of a motor is satisfied, the controller sets the allowable charging power to zero and calculates the maximum required power. If the required generation power exceeds the maximum required power, the controller makes the fuel cell generate power responsive to the maximum required power.

A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a reformer to generate a hydrogen-containing gas; an electric power generation raw material supply unit; a reforming material supply unit configured to supply at least one of reforming water and reforming air, to the reformer; an oxidizing gas supply unit to supply an oxidizing gas to a cathode of the fuel cell; a combustor to ignite an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell; and a controller. In an operation stop process of the fuel cell system, the controller causes the oxidizing gas supply unit to supply the oxidizing gas, causes the electric power generation raw material supply unit and the reforming material supply unit to intermittently supply the electric power generation raw material and at least one of the water and the air to the reformer, and causes the ignitor to perform an ignition operation.

A fuel cell system has a battery, a gas supply portion, a temperature acquisition portion configured to acquire a presumed temperature that is presumed to reach during the operation stop of the fuel cell; and a scavenaing controlling portion. When it is determined that the presumed temperature is a predetermined temperature or more at the time of the operation stop of the fuel cell, the scavenging controlling portion performs the stop-time scavenging operation with a first scavenging ability; and when it is determined that the presumed temperature is less than the predetermined temperature, the scavenging controlling portion performs the stop-time scavenging operation with a second scavenging ability higher than the first scavenging ability.

A system for supplying hydrogen using waste heat of a fuel cell includes: a fuel cell to produce electric power using hydrogen; an internal cooling line in which a cooling medium flows and configured to pass through the fuel cell while cooling the fuel cell with the cooling medium; a solid hydrogen storage provided on a downstream side of the fuel cell on the internal cooling line and configured to discharge the hydrogen through absorption of waste heat of the heated cooling medium and to supply the discharged hydrogen to the fuel cell; and a hydrogen supply line to connect the solid hydrogen storage and the fuel cell and to supply the discharged hydrogen. In particular, the internal cooling line is reconnected to the fuel cell after passing through the solid hydrogen storage and provides the cooled cooling medium to the fuel cell.

A fuel mixing apparatus for fuel cell system includes a first fluid tank, a second fluid tank, a tube assembly, a pump, and a mixing tank. The first fluid tank is for containing a first fluid. The second fluid tank is for containing a second fluid. The tube assembly connects to the first fluid tank and the second fluid tank. The pump is disposed on the tube assembly. The mixing tank is connected to the tube assembly. The pump transmits the first fluid in the first fluid tank to the mixing tank via the tube assembly, and the pump transmits the second fluid tank to the mixing tank via the tube assembly.

A data signal accurately reflecting the actual state of a storage vessel is sent to a station side. A fuel cell system (1) includes a hydrogen supply line (32) that connects a tank main body (311) and a fuel cell stack (2), and a main stop valve provided to the hydrogen supply line (32). A communicative filling system (6) generates a data signal based on the state of a hydrogen tank (31), and sends the generated data signal to a station (9). A vehicle (V) includes an FCV-ECU (11) that assumes processing related to control of the fuel cell system (1), and a communicative filling ECU (61) that assumes processing related to control of the communicative filling system (6). Then, the communicative filling ECU inhibits start of communication with the station (9) at least when determined that a main stop valve (312) is in a completely closed state.

A fuel cell system is disclosed, which includes an anode recirculation loop having a fuel cell stack for generating power, a flowmeter, a current sensor and a processor. The flowmeter is configured for measuring a fuel flow rate provided into the anode recirculation loop. The current sensor is configured for measuring a current drawn from the fuel cell stack. The processor is configured for determining a steam to carbon ratio in the anode recirculation loop based on the measured fuel flow rate and the measured current. The fuel cell system further includes a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature in the anode recirculation loop. The process is configured for determining the steam to carbon ration further based on the measured temperature. A method for operating the fuel cell system and a fuel cell power plant are also disclosed.

A rechargeable battery assembly for a vehicle has a housing and at least one metal-air rechargeable battery arranged in the housing. A filter device is arranged in the housing and conditions the inlet air of the at least one metal-air rechargeable battery such that the inlet air exhibits a predetermined air humidity.

A flow deflecting device is provided that deflects the inlet air in the housing such that the filter device can be regenerated by waste heat of the at least one metal-air rechargeable battery.