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.

Systems and methods for managing flow batteries utilize a battery management controller (BMC) coupled between a flow battery and a DC/DC converter, which is coupled to an electrical grid or a photovoltaic device via an inverter. The inverter converts an AC voltage to a first DC voltage and the DC/DC converter steps down the first DC voltage to a second DC voltage. The BMC includes a first power route, a second power route, and a current source converter coupled to the second power route. The BMC initializes the flow battery with a third DC voltage using the current source converter until a sensing circuit senses that the voltage of the flow battery has reached a predetermined voltage. The sensing circuit may include a capacitor, which has a small capacitance and is coupled across each cell of the flow battery, coupled in series between two resistors having very large resistances.

A system and method for controlling power for a fuel cell are disclosed. The system includes: a fuel cell; a load device electrically connected to the fuel cell; a stack controller configured to set a stack limit current on the basis of a current output current of the fuel cell, the stack limit current configured to limit an output current of the fuel cell on the basis of an output voltage of the fuel cell; and a load controller configured to set a consumption limit current on the basis of the set stack limit current, the consumption limit current configured to limit a consumption current of the load device, the load controller being configured to control the consumption current of the load device to a value equal to or lower than the set consumption limit current.

A method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell assembly configured to generate electrical power from a fuel flow and an oxidant flow, the method comprising a first phase and a subsequent second phase, the first phase comprising; operating the fuel cell assembly with a first stoichiometric ratio of oxidant flow to fuel flow to generate electrical power; providing said generated electrical power to a heater element for heating a coolant for supply to said fuel cell assembly; the second phase comprising; delivering coolant heated in the first phase to the fuel cell assembly; operating the fuel cell assembly with a second stoichiometric ratio of oxidant flow to fuel flow to generate electrical power, the second stoichiometric ratio lower than the first ratio.

The control device is configured so that when a temperature of the fuel cell at the time of start of power generation of the fuel cell is less than a standard temperature, it makes the fuel cell generate power so that the amount of heat generation of the fuel cell accompanying the power generation loss becomes a first amount of heat generation and so that when a cumulative value of current of a time period during which the fuel cell is made to generate power so that the amount of heat generation becomes the first amount of heat generation is equal to or greater than a predetermined cumulative value, it makes the fuel cell generate power so that the amount of heat generation becomes a second amount of heat generation larger than the first amount of heat generation.

The power controller starts imposing the current limit when a condition for the current limit is met the condition, the condition being that the fuel cell does not generate to fulfill the requested amount of power generation while the fuel cell generates power at an upper limit of the supply capability of the fuel gas supply unit, and the power controller removes the current limit at a first predetermined increase rate determined when the requested amount of power generation exceeds a predetermined threshold below a rated power generation amount of the fuel cell and at a second increase rate higher than the first increase rate when the requested amount of power generation is the threshold or less, after the condition for the limit is dissolved.

Anion exchange membrane electrode assemblies, fuel cells and electrochemical cells comprising such assemblies, which comprise an anion exchange membrane sandwiched between an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, and which are operable at a temperature of at least 100° C., are provided. Systems, devices, articles and methods that utilize such assemblies at an operating temperature of at least 100° C. are also provided.

Disclosed are a control system for a fuel cell including a fuel cell configured to receive a fuel gas and an oxidation gas and generate electric power, a current controller configured to control an output current output from the fuel cell, based on a demanded current of the fuel cell, while maintaining an output voltage output from the fuel cell at a preset voltage or more, and a restriction controller configured to estimate an output current at the preset voltage as a maximum current when the output voltage of the fuel cell drops to become equal to or smaller than the preset voltage, and restrict the output current of the fuel cell to not more than a first restriction current set based on the estimated maximum current, and a control method for a fuel cell.

An elevated target amount of electrolyte is used to initially fill a molten carbonate fuel cell that is operated under carbon capture conditions. The increased target electrolyte fill level can be achieved in part by adding additional electrolyte to the cathode collector prior to start of operation. The increased target electrolyte fill level can provide improved fuel cell performance and lifetime when operating a molten carbonate fuel cell at high current density with a low-CO.sub.2 content cathode input stream and/or when operating a molten carbonate fuel cell at high CO.sub.2 utilization.

The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus to perform an electrochemical process by manipulating the charge on an electrode involved in the primary circuit of the electrochemical reaction. The amount of charge on the electrode can be manipulated independent of the bias voltage of the primary circuit and is accomplished by coupling the electrode with various different configurations.