A fuel cell may include a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction, first and second end plates disposed at corresponding first and second end portions of the cell stack, at least one clamping member coupled to the first and second end plates to clamp the plurality of unit cells in the first direction and configured to generate heat in a response to a control signal, and a controller configured to generate the control signal based on the temperature of the cell stack.

A method of producing an MEA includes a first joining step of joining an anode to one surface of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane to thereby form a joint body and a second joining step of joining a cathode to another surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. In the first joining step, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is attracted by suction and heated through the anode placed on a suction/heating surface of a suction/heating plate. In the second joining step, a stack body of the joint body and the cathode is pressed and heated in a stacking direction, between the suction/heating surface and a heating plate.

The invention relates to a bipolar plate (10) for a fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate (10) respectively has two profiled separator plates (12, 14) respectively having an active area (16) and two distribution areas (18, 20) for supplying and discharging reaction gases and coolant to or from the active area (16), wherein the separator plates (12, 14) are designed and arranged on top of each other such that the respective bipolar plate (10) has separate channels (28, 30, 32) for the reaction gases and the coolant, which channels connect ports (22, 24, 26) for reaction gases and coolant of both distribution areas (18, 20) to each other. In the mounted fuel cell stack, the channels (28, 30) for the reaction gases are respectively bordered by a surface of a separator plate (12, 14) and a surface of a gas diffusion layer (58). It is provided that the bipolar plate (10) have an impermeable first dividing plate (38), which respectively divides the channels (28) for a reaction gas in an inlet area (40) of the active area (16) into two volume areas and extends in the flow direction (42) of the reaction gas, wherein only one volume area of the channel (28) is adjacent to the gas diffusion layer (58). The subject matter of the invention is also a fuel cell stack with such bipolar plates (10), as well as a fuel cell system with a fuel cell stack according to the invention.

Provided are a fuel cell capable of favorably generating power while suppressing leakage of gas and preventing the solenoid valve from being frozen with a simple configuration; a control method for the fuel cell; and a non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording a computer program. The fuel cell includes a stack configured to generate electricity by reacting hydrogen and oxygen, an exhaust valve (or a drain valve) which is a solenoid valve discharging gas (or water) discharged from the stack to the outside, and a control unit configured to control energization of the exhaust valve (or drain valve). The exhaust valves are aligned in a gas discharging direction whereas the drain valves are aligned in a water discharging direction. If there is a risk of any solenoid valve being frozen, the control unit performs energization processing of energizing other solenoid valves in the state where at least one of the aligned solenoid valves is closed.

A fuel cell includes a fuel cell stack, a casing, an application part, and a facilitating mechanism. The facilitating mechanism has a space that is provided between the casing and an upper current collector. The upper current collector and the casing are connected at inclined surfaces.

A fuel cell system includes a plurality of electrical components that are supplied with electric power generated by a fuel cell, a refrigerant circuit that cools the fuel cell using a refrigerant, a tank that is connected to the refrigerant circuit, stores the refrigerant, and is replenished with the refrigerant, a detecting unit that detects an insulation resistance value of the fuel cell system, and an identification unit that identifies at what position of the fuel cell system the insulation resistance value has decreased when it is detected that the insulation resistance value has decreased. The detecting unit performs a process of determining whether the decrease in insulation resistance value is temporary when the identified position is the fuel cell and determines that there is no failure requiring repair when the decrease in insulation resistance value is temporary.

A fuel cell system comprising: a first line configured to pass through a fuel cell stack and allow a coolant to circulate therein; a pump provided in the first line; a second line having one end connected to the first line at a first point positioned between an outlet of the pump and the fuel cell stack, and the other end connected to the first line at a second point positioned between an inlet of the pump and the fuel cell stack; a heater provided in the second line to heat the coolant flowing along the second line; and a third line configured to pass through an air conditioning unit, connected to the first line between the first point and an outlet of the fuel cell stack, and configured to allow a part of the coolant to circulate therein.

A fuel reformer module (8005) for initiating catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) to reform a hydrocarbon fuel oxidant mixture (2025, 3025) to output a syngas reformate (2027) to solid oxide fuel cell stack (2080, 5040). A solid non-porous ceramic catalyzing body (3030) includes a plurality of catalyst coated fuel passages (3085). A thermally conductive element (9005, 10005, 11005, 13005), with a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 50 W/m K or greater is thermally conductively coupled with the catalyzing body. A first thermal sensor (8030) is thermally conductively coupled with the thermally conductive element. A second thermal sensor is thermally conductively coupled with a surface of the fuel cell stack. A control method independently modulates an oxidant input flow rate, based on first thermal sensor signal values, a hydrocarbon fuel input flow rate, based on second thermal sensor signal values.

A fuel cell device may be realized by including a fuel cell module including a container and a fuel cell housed in the container; a plurality of auxiliary machines for operating the fuel cell module; and an exterior case that houses the fuel cell module and the auxiliary machines, wherein at least one auxiliary machine of the plurality of auxiliary machines may be an upper auxiliary machine which is located on an upper side of the fuel cell module, and the fuel cell device may further include a fan located on the upper side of the fuel cell module.

An air-cooled fuel-cell freeze-protection system for a rotorcraft using a controller to vary a heating system for an air-cooled fuel cell. The heating system heats supply air for the air-cooled fuel cell, and a butterfly valve varies a pressure of the supply air to the air-cooled fuel cell. The heating system can be an electric heater, a heat exchanger, or a combination of heater and heat exchanger.