An information processing system comprises a requirement specification acquisition unit for acquiring requirement specification information indicative of a content of a requirement specification relating to a fuel cell; and a fee plan determination unit for determining a fee plan for determining a usage fee of the fuel cell, based on the requirement specification indicated by the requirement specification information. The fee plan may include information indicative of a correspondence between a degree of operation of the fuel cell and the usage fee of the fuel cell.

A method of predicting a life of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a fuel cell for electric power generation includes: deriving an operating condition for accelerated degradation, which is applicable to the fuel cell; operating the fuel cell for a specific time under the derived operating condition for accelerated degradation and under a normal operating condition, and identifying the degree of degradation of the fuel cell under each of the operating conditions; calculating an acceleration multiple based on the degree of degradation identified under the operating condition for accelerated degradation and under the normal operating condition; and predicting the life of the membrane electrode assembly based on the acceleration multiple.

An electric energy supply system having at least one cell element, which contains at least one galvanic cell, and having a measuring circuit, which is configured to ascertain at least one parameter of the at least one cell element by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The disclosure provides that the energy supply system comprises an electrochemical gas sensor and the gas sensor is connected to the measuring circuit via a toggle switch, wherein the measuring circuit is configured to apply an electric variable as the excitation variable in the gas sensor and to detect another electric variable as the measured variable at the gas sensor and to ascertain a gas concentration in the surroundings of the gas sensor.

Systems and methods for operating an electric energy storage device are described. The systems and methods may generate a state of charge estimate that is based on negative electrode plating. An overall state of charge may be determined from the state of charge estimate that is based on negative electrode plating and a state of charge estimate that is not based on negative electrode plating.

A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell, second fuel cell, first voltage detector, second voltage detector, and controller. The first voltage detector detects voltage of first unit cells of the first fuel cell for every N unit cells on average, and the second voltage detector detects voltage of the second fuel cell as a whole, or detects voltage of second unit cells of the second fuel cell for every M unit cells on average, where M is larger than N. The controller determines whether any of the second unit cells is in a fuel deficiency state, based on the detection result of the first voltage detector, when a predetermined condition under which states of the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell are regarded as being close to each other is satisfied.

Disclosed are a method and device for forecasting the service life and remaining life of a fuel cell. The method comprises: determining an end of life on the basis of the attenuation percentage of the current or power of a fuel cell at a constant voltage, completing the activation of the fuel cell, measuring a first polarization curve of the fuel cell; when the fuel cell runs for a preset time, measuring the second polarization curve of the fuel cell; acquiring the voltage attenuation rate or a current attenuation time constant of the fuel cell, and acquiring the service life and remaining life of the fuel cell via a forecasting formula.

A fuel cell system that supplies fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack and causes the fuel cell stack to generate power includes a tank that stores aqueous solution containing oxygen-containing fuel, and a reformer that reforms mixed gas obtained as the aqueous solution is vaporized, and generates the fuel gas. The fuel cell system also includes an actuator that supplies the mixed gas to the reformer, a heating device that heats the reformer, a detecting unit that estimates or detects a concentration of the oxygen-containing fuel in the mixed gas that is supplied to the reformer, and a controller programmed to control operations of the actuator and the heating device so that the fuel cell generates power. The controller is programmed to increase a thermal dose to the reformer from the heating device or reduces a supply amount of the mixed gas to the reformer by the actuator when the concentration of the oxygen-containing fuel is high, compared to when the concentration is low.

A fuel cell system is configured to generate power by supplying anode gas and cathode gas to a fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes a load connected to the fuel cell and an IV estimation unit configured to change an output current of the fuel cell with a predetermined width by adjusting power supplied to the load during the warm-up of the fuel cell. The fuel cell system is configured to estimate an IV characteristic of the fuel cell on the basis of at least two sets of an output current value and an output voltage value detected while the output current is changed. The fuel cell system includes an IV estimation stop unit configured to stop the execution of the IV estimation on the basis of an output of the fuel cell during the execution of the IV estimation.

A system for operating a fuel cell includes a controller configured to derive an output limit value of the fuel cell through an interval average value corresponding to an average of output values of the fuel cell for a designated time and a cumulative average value corresponding to an average of the output values of the fuel cell until the current point in time after starting to operate the fuel cell, and to control operation of the fuel cell based on the derived output limit value.

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) in which the anode and/or cathode half-cell comprises at least one additional electrode insulated from direct contact with the working electrode and arranged to be coupled to an external voltage or current source, wherein the additional electrode does not comprise an internal redox system, methods of operation of MFCs and methods for measuring, controlling or modulating MFC circuits are described.