A method is provided for controlling an ion-exchange-membrane type fuel-cell stack installed in a system that includes a cooling circuit and a cooling pump for circulating coolant liquid in the cooling circuit. The method includes, in a start-up phase of starting up the fuel-cell stack, determining an internal temperature of the fuel-cell stack; measuring a temperature in the cooling circuit; applying a start-up current to the fuel-cell stack; and, in parallel: controlling the cooling pump to operate in a pulsed mode when the internal temperature of the fuel-cell stack is above a first predetermined threshold and the temperature of the cooling circuit is below a second predetermined threshold, and controlling the cooling pump to operate in a continuous mode when the temperature in the cooling circuit rises above the second predetermined threshold.

A method for stopping a fuel cell system includes supplying a fuel gas containing a fuel to an anode of a fuel cell which is to generate electric power. An oxidant gas containing an oxidant is supplied to a cathode of the fuel cell. A concentration of the oxidant gas in the cathode is reduced. An output voltage of the fuel cell is lowered while a slope of a change in the output voltage with respect to elapsed time is controlled such that an output current of the fuel cell has a predetermined relationship with a predetermined current reference value.

Systems and methods are provided for operating molten carbonate fuel cells to allow for periodic regeneration of the fuel cells while performing elevated CO.sub.2 capture. In some aspects, periodic regeneration can be achieved by shifting the location within the fuel cells where the highest density of alternative ion transport is occurring. Such a shift can result in a new location having a highest density of alternative ion transport, while the previous location can primarily transport carbonate ions. Additionally or alternately, periodic regeneration can be performed by modifying the input flows to the fuel cell and/or relaxing the operating conditions of the fuel cell to reduce or minimize the amount of alternative ion transport.

The low efficiency power generation part of a control device is provided with an operating point setting part setting a target current and a target voltage defining an operating point of the fuel cell at the time of low efficiency power generation and a generated electric power control part making the generated electric power of the fuel cell increase and decrease at the time of low efficiency power generation by controlling the current of the fuel cell to the target current while making the flow rate of feed of oxidizing agent gas supplied to the fuel cell fluctuate so that the voltage of the fuel cell increases and decreases above and below the target voltage within a range where the charged and discharged electric powers of the rechargeable battery do not become larger than the allowable charged and discharged electric powers.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell a temperature acquisition unit that acquires a temperature of the fuel cell, a cell unit voltage sensor that detects a voltage of each of fuel cell units, and a controller that controls the fuel cell system. The controller restricts an output current of the fuel cell when the voltage of the individual fuel cell unit becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value in a warm-up operation, execute the warm-up operation when the temperature of the fuel cell is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, after the fuel cell system receives a start-up request, and stop an operation of the fuel cell system when a stop condition including that the voltage of the fuel cell unit is continuously equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage value for a predetermined time is satisfied after start of the warm-up operation.

A hydrogen injector disclosed herein may include a solenoid valve connected to a hydrogen tank and a controller configured to supply a current to a coil of the solenoid valve. The controller may monitor a rate of change of the current while supplying the current equal to or greater than a first current value. The controller may decrease the current to a second current value which is lower than the first current value upon when the rate of change increases.

A power net system of a fuel cell and a method for controlling the same are provided. The power net system includes: a fuel cell to generate electric power through a reaction of a fuel gas and an oxidation gas; batteries to be charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell or discharged to supply electric power; main lines electrically connecting the fuel cell and the batteries; main relays provided in the main lines to open or allow electrical connections between the fuel cell and the batteries; COD lines branched from the main lines between the fuel cell and the main relays and provided with a COD device to consume input electric power; COD relays provided in the COD lines to open or allow electrical connections to the COD device through the COD lines; and a controller to control the main relays or the COD relays to supply electric power charged in the batteries to the fuel cell.

A method of controlling a hydrogen/oxygen producing system is a method of controlling a hydrogen/oxygen producing system including a water electrolysis apparatus that electrolyzes liquid water by applying current to an anode and a cathode, and a hydrogen gas pressurizing part that pressurizes hydrogen at downstream of the water electrolysis apparatus by applying current to a pressurizing part anode and a pressurizing part cathode. A controller controls current applied to the water electrolysis apparatus and current applied to the hydrogen gas pressurizing part. When the hydrogen/oxygen producing system is stopped, the controller performs first decompression processing such that a decompression speed of the pressurizing part cathode of the hydrogen gas pressurizing part does not exceed a basic decompression speed and performs second decompression processing such that a decompression speed of the anode of the water electrolysis apparatus does not exceed the decompression speed of the pressurizing part cathode.

A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a first valve device provided at an oxidation gas supply channel; a second valve device provided at an oxidation off-gas discharge channel; a third valve device provided at a bypass channel; an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality; and a control unit. The control unit causes the fuel cell to initiate fail-safe power generation if (i) a different abnormality from a valve opening abnormality is detected in the first valve device, (ii) the different abnormality is detected in the second valve device, or (iii) any abnormality is detected in the third valve device. During the fail-safe power generation, if any abnormality is additionally detected in any valve device different from the valve device in which an abnormality is already detected, the control unit stops power generation by the fuel cell.

A controller of a fuel cell system detects catalytic layer deterioration and drainage malfunction by the following inspection process. The controller may: execute drainage of water from a fuel cell, and acquire first/second output voltages of the fuel cell when an output current density of the fuel cell is a first reference current density A1/A2 (A2>A1). When the first output voltage is lower than a first threshold voltage and the second output voltage is higher than a second threshold voltage, the controller may output a first determination signal indicating that the catalytic layer is deteriorated and the drainage is executed without malfunction. When the first output voltage is higher than the first threshold voltage and the second output voltage is lower than the second threshold voltage, the controller may output a second determination signal indicating that the catalytic layer is not deteriorated and the drainage is executed with malfunction.