An apparatus for heating a fuel cell stack in a cold start mode is provided. The apparatus comprises a fuel cell stack, a power converter, and a controller. The power converter may include a power switch and resistive heating element that is thermally coupled to the fuel cell stack. The controller is configured to activate the power converter, if a temperature is below a predetermined temperature value, to draw current from the fuel cell stack to cause the fuel cell stack to generate heat. Heat from the power converter is also applied to the fuel cell stack.

A high-temperature operation fuel cell system includes a cell stack; a reformer; a raw material supplier supplying a raw material to the reformer; a water supplier supplying reforming water; an air supplier supplying electric power generation air; a combustion chamber in which an off-gas from the cell stack is combusted and which heats the cell stack and the reformer; an igniter igniting the off-gas in the combustion chamber; and a controller. In a start-up sequence, the controller controls so that the raw material is supplied to the reformer, the electric power generation air is supplied to the cell stack, the off-gas is ignited by the igniter, and after the ignition, the supply of the reforming water is started, and after the supply of the reforming water is started, the controller further controls the air supplier to increase the flow rate of the electric power generation air in a stepwise manner.

A fuel cell system includes a stacked assembly, a resonance determining unit, and a controller. The stacked assembly includes a plurality of unit cells stacked together. Each of the unit cells includes an electrolyte membrane, and a pair of electrodes between which the electrolyte membrane is sandwiched. The resonance determining unit is configured to determine whether vibration of the stacked assembly which occurs during running of a vehicle is within a resonance region of the stacked assembly. The controller is configured to change a natural frequency of the stacked assembly such that the vibration of the stacked assembly falls outside the resonance region, if the resonance determining unit determines that the vibration of the stacked assembly is within the resonance region.

The present invention is directed to a fuel cell system with various features for optimal operations of an electronic device, a battery charger or a fuel refilling device. The fuel cell system includes an information storage device associated with the fuel supply, pump and/or refilling device. The information storage device can be any electronic storage device including, but not limited to, an EEPROM or a PLA. The information storage device can include encrypted information. The information storage device can include software code for confirming the identification of the cartridge before operation of the electronic device and/or refilling device. The information storage device can include instructions for a hot swap operation to shut down properly when the fuel supply is ejected while the electronic device is in operation. The present invention is also directed to system architecture for a fuel cell system that utilizes information storage devices. The system architecture may have flow regulators, which include a regulating valve.

Disclosed is a power control system and method of a fuel cell including a fuel cell that generates electricity; a load device that is electrically connected to the fuel cell; a DC/DC converter that is disposed between the fuel cell and the load device, and converts power between a low side of the DC/DC converter electrically connected to the fuel cell and a high side of the DC/DC converter electrically connected to the load device; a battery that is electrically connected to the high side of the DC/DC converter in parallel with the load device; and a controller that monitors a voltage of the high side of the DC/DC converter or a voltage of the low side of the DC/DC converter, and controls output power of the fuel cell or power consumption of the load device based on the monitored voltage of the high side or the monitored voltage of the low side.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, an electric power recovery device, and a control device that controls the fuel cell and the electric power recovery device. In a state where supplying of the liquid fuel to the fuel cell is stopped, the control device charges post-stop electric power generated by the fuel cell using the liquid fuel that has been already supplied, thereby recovering the post-stop electric power into the electric power recovery device, and thereafter stopping an electrode reaction in an electrode structure of the fuel cell.

A power supply system of a fuel cell using user authentication includes: a tagging device that receives user information of a user terminal; an identity authentication unit, which compares the user information inputted through the tagging device with previously stored authentication information and outputs a use authority signal when the user information matches the authentication information; a power module complete that produces electric power by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen; a battery that receives and is charged with electric power produced by the power module complete; an output terminal that is connected to the battery to output electric power stored in the battery; and an integrated body control unit that controls electric power to be outputted through the output terminal when the identity authentication unit outputs the use authority signal.

A fuel cell system includes a sensor. The controller decides a continuous rated electric power. The controller sets a time rated electric power as a final upper limit electric power when the time rated electric power is higher than the continuous rated electric power and is lower than an instantaneous upper limit electric power, and sets the instantaneous upper limit electric power as the final upper limit electric power when the time rated electric power is higher than the continuous rated electric power and is higher than the instantaneous upper limit electric power. When the time rated electric power is lower than the continuous rated electric power, the continuous rated electric power is set as the final upper limit electric power. The controller controls one of the boost converter and an FC such that the output of the boost converter does not exceed the final upper limit electric power.

A state determination unit determines whether a state of traveling performance of a fuel cell vehicle is a normal performance state, a limited performance state, or a low performance state. When the state determination unit determines that the fuel cell vehicle is in the normal performance state or the limited performance state, a traveling propriety determination unit determines that the fuel cell vehicle can travel. A notification control unit performs a limited state notification when the state determination unit determines that the fuel cell vehicle is in the limited performance state and the traveling propriety determination unit determines that the fuel cell vehicle can travel.

In a state in which an inlet side sealing valve and an outlet side sealing valve are driven and placed in a closed state, in the case that a fuel gas is newly supplied to an anode flow path after having completed an electrical power generation process at a time of stoppage, when an output voltage of a fuel cell is detected by a voltage sensor and the detected output voltage is greater than or equal to a threshold voltage value, it is determined that the inlet side sealing valve or the outlet side sealing valve is in an abnormal state of being in an open state.