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 seal inspection device includes: a first holder including a port surrounded by an inspection target, and a through hole connected to an outside-leak detection flow path; a second holder holding the inspection target between the first and second holders; an inspection-place sealing portion forming, into a closed space, a space where the inspection target is arranged, in cooperation with the first and second holders; a pressurization valve connecting the port to both a supply source of an inspection gas and an exhaust system; a detector for the inspection gas; a first measurement valve connecting the detector to the port; and a second measurement valve connecting the outside-leak detection flow path to the detector.

Disclosed is a method and a device configured to control deterioration avoidance operation of a fuel cell system. In one aspect, the method may include starting the deterioration avoidance operation when an operation of a fuel cell is restarted in a state where an energy storage device is operating, and the fuel cell is stopped; controlling anode hydrogen pressure based on a predetermined condition, the condition indicating that the anode hydrogen pressure needs to be increased; determining hydrogen recirculation and supplying hydrogen including a process to determine whether to recirculate hydrogen based on a predetermined condition, the condition indicating that hydrogen needs to be recirculated, before supplying hydrogen; determining air recirculation and supplying air including a process to determine whether to recirculate air based on a predetermined condition, the condition indicating that air needs to be recirculated, before supplying air; and terminating the deterioration avoidance operation and starting operation of the fuel cell.

A method of analyzing a functional layer of an electrochemical cell or an electrochemical sensor application includes conveying a predefined amount of test gas to a first surface of the functional layer, and quantitatively determining an amount of test gas that has passed through the functional layer using a detection unit located on a second surface of the functional layer, which second surface is opposite the first surface of the functional layer, wherein the test gas conveyed to the first surface of the functional layer is provided in a test gas chamber arranged on the first surface of the functional layer, characterized in that the test gas chamber is open towards the first surface of the functional layer and has an opening which has a defined length in the longitudinal direction (X) of the functional layer and a variably adjustable width in the transverse direction (Z).

A system and method for controlling operation of a fuel cell system, includes determining whether there is a risk of flooding by confirming whether the fuel cell system satisfies a predetermined flooding risk condition, and performing air supercharging by supplying air at a flow rate increased compared to an air supply demand to fuel cells of the fuel cell system, when the controller confirms that the fuel cell system satisfies the flooding risk condition.

The present invention relates to a fuel cell stack (10) and to a method for producing such a fuel cell stack (10). The fuel cell stack (10) comprises at least two fuel cell modules (58) with in each case at least two individual cells (5), each fuel cell module (58) having module end plates (70) on both cell stack outer sides (66), and fuel cell stack compression means (82), via which the fuel cell modules (58) stacked one on top of the other are braced to form a fuel cell stack (10).

A module for an HTE reactor or an SOFC fuel cell, the module including a circuit for the circulation of a gas, in addition to the reactive gases required for the electrolysis reaction or the reverse reaction in an SOFC cell, the circuit enabling, during the operation under pressure, the additional gas to equalise, on one side of the glass- and/or vitroceramic-based seals, the pressure of the reactive gases generated on the other side.

A fuel cell unit has a structure that enables the maximum use of a cell monitor in the height direction (vertical direction). In order to achieve this, the fuel cell unit comprises a fuel cell stack (3) including a cell stack body in which unit cells are stacked; and a cell monitor (6) for monitoring a voltage of the unit cells, wherein the cell monitor (6) is arranged so as to be inclined relative to a vertical direction. The cell monitor is inclined by providing a part of the cell monitor in the vicinity of a heat-generating part in a fuel cell on an opposite side of the heat-generating part relative to a central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor and providing a part of the cell monitor in an area other than the heat-generating part in the fuel cell on a heat-generating part side relative to the central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor.

A method of shutting down a fuel cell system includes a fuel cell includes generating power via an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas. A shutdown command is output to the fuel cell to stop generating power. The fuel cell is controlled to continue generating power during an oxygen consumption process to consume oxygen in the oxidant gas remaining in a cathode system of the fuel cell even when the shutdown command is output to the fuel cell. At least one of voltage, current, and power output from the fuel cell is detected during the oxygen consumption process. Whether an abnormality occurs during the oxygen consumption process is determined based on at least one of the voltage, the current, and the power. The fuel cell is controlled to stop generating power during the oxygen consumption process when it is determined that abnormality occurs.

A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell having first unit cells stacked together, a second fuel cell having second unit cells stacked together, a first voltage detector, a second voltage detector, and a controller. The first voltage detector detects voltage of the first unit cells for every “N” unit cells on average, and the second voltage detector detects voltage of the whole second fuel cell, or detects voltage of the second unit cells for every “M” unit cells on average. The controller determines whether any of the first unit cells is in a fuel deficiency state, by referring to a detection result of the first voltage detector, and performs a cancellation process to cancel the fuel deficiency state, on the first fuel cell that is in a power generating state, while stopping power generation of the second fuel cell, when an affirmative decision is obtained.