A method for purging the hydrogen feed anode circuit of a fuel cell, whereby hydrogen is fed at a nominal pressure to the inlet of the cell, characterized in that at predetermined periodicity the following steps are repeated: instruction is given to open the hydrogen purge valve arranged on the outlet of the anode circuit; the pressure of hydrogen is measured at the inlet to the anode circuit of the cell, and the measured value is compared with a predetermined threshold pressure value; and the purge valve is closed when the measured pressure is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold pressure value.

A fuel cell system 1 is provided with a fuel cell 10 provided with an air passage 10a, an air inflow path 21, an air outflow path 23, a compressor 22, a pressure regulating valve 24, a bypass passage 27, and a bypass valve 28. A first threshold value is calculated based on an FC inlet pressure-lower limit value. When it is judged that an FC inlet pressure-command value is lower than the first threshold value, feedback control of the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve is suspended without suspending feedback control of the opening degree of the bypass valve if it is judged that the FC pressure loss-lower limit value is larger than the bypass pressure loss-lower limit value, and feedback control of the opening degree of the bypass valve is suspended without suspending feedback control of the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve if it is judged that the bypass pressure loss-lower limit value is larger than the FC pressure loss-lower limit value.

The invention provides a method of inspection for erroneous assembly of a fuel cell stack which allows for determination of whether the fuel cell stack has been properly assembled without depending on the appearance of the fuel cell stack. The erroneous assembly inspection method inspects for erroneous assembly of a fuel cell stack that is produced by stacking power generation cells and dummy cells in proper power generation positions and proper dummy positions. The erroneous assembly inspection method measures a pressure difference in anode gas passages and cathode gas passages when gas is supplied at different pressures respectively to an anode gas inlet and a cathode gas inlet of the workpiece to determine whether or not the workpiece is in a third erroneous assembly state including a first abnormal cell in which a dummy MEA and a power generation separator are assembled.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a porous device, comprising a porous material, and a hierarchical network of flow channels defined in the porous material, wherein at least one flow channel in the hierarchical network of flow channels has a shape that at least partially approximates a cube-root profile or a quartic-root profile. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

A fuel cell system (200) for providing electrical energy. The system (200) comprises a fuel cell stack (201), an anode subsystem (203) with a proportional valve (205) for dosing a volume of gas to be fed to the fuel cell stack (201), a purge valve (207) for discharging gas from the anode subsystem (203) into an exhaust-gas path (209) of the fuel cell system (200), and a control unit (211) for controlling the proportional valve (205) and the purge valve (207). The control unit (211) is configured to use an electrical control current that is fed to the proportional valve (205) to readjust for a purging operation to draw conclusions regarding a hydrogen concentration in a gas that is fed to the purge valve (207), wherein the control unit (211) is furthermore configured to adjust the fuel cell system (200) in a manner dependent on the determined hydrogen concentration.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell. The fuel cell includes an anode having an anode inlet configured to receive anode feed gas, and an anode outlet configured to output anode exhaust. The fuel cell further includes a cathode having a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet. The fuel cell system further includes an anode blower configured to receive the anode exhaust and output a higher-pressure anode exhaust. The fuel cell system further includes an anode blower recycle line configured to receive a portion of the higher-pressure anode exhaust downstream from the anode blower and to output the portion of the higher-pressure anode exhaust upstream from the anode blower. The fuel cell system further includes a first valve disposed in the blower recycle line, the first valve configured to open when the anode of the fuel cell is under-pressurized.

A testing device for a fuel cell stack has multiple fuel cells which are stacked along a stack axis with each having media openings in the form of through-holes. Corresponding media openings align to form media lines when in the stacked state. The testing device has a rod which can be introduced into a media line, and at least one sealing element which is arranged on the rod to seal off the media line and to isolate at least one fuel cell of the fuel cell stack from the other fuel cells, and/or at least one contact element which can be introduced with the rod to make electrical contact with an individual fuel cell inside the media line.

A redox flow battery includes a redox flow cell, a supply/storage system external of the redox flow cell, and a controller. The supply/storage system includes first and second electrolytes for circulation through the redox flow cell. The first electrolyte is a liquid electrolyte having electrochemically active species with multiple, reversible oxidation states. The electrochemically active species can form a solid precipitate blockage in the redox flow cell. The controller is configured to identify whether there is the solid precipitate blockage in the redox flow cell and, if so, initiate a regeneration mode that reduces the oxidation state of the electrochemically active species in the liquid electrolyte to dissolve, in situ, the solid precipitate blockage.

A fuel cell system that comprises an SOFC that generates power as a result of an oxide gas being supplied to an air electrode and a fuel gas being supplied to a fuel electrode, a plurality of exhaust fuel gas discharge lines that discharge, into the atmosphere, exhaust fuel gas that has been discharged from the fuel electrode, exhaust fuel gas discharge valves that are respectively provided to the plurality of exhaust fuel gas discharge lines, a plurality of exhaust oxide gas discharge lines that discharge, into the atmosphere, exhaust oxide gas that has been discharged from the air electrode, exhaust oxide gas discharge valves that are respectively provided to the plurality of exhaust oxide gas discharge lines, and a control device that, when stopping the SOFC, closes the exhaust oxide gas discharge valves before the exhaust fuel gas discharge valves.

An apparatus for controlling driving of a fuel cell vehicle and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus includes a fuel cell stack that generates electricity using a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen and a pressure sensor that measures a pressure of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell stack. A controller determines whether a current limit is caused by a failure of the fuel cell stack or a measurement error of the pressure sensor when the current limit occurs in the fuel cell stack.