A system and methods are provided for testing anode integrity during vehicle operation. In one particular example, the system and methods allow for anode leak tests during vehicle operation by temporarily reducing fuel cell power while supplementing the fuel cell power reduction with battery power to meet operating demands. In this way, an anode leak test can be performed even during highway driving when operating demands may be particularly high.

A control method of a cooling water pump of fuel cell vehicle is provided. The method includes comparing a derived temperature value, including a cooling water temperature of a fuel cell or an estimated temperature of a stack of the fuel cell, with predetermined temperature criteria and comparing a required output value of the stack of the fuel cell with predetermined output criteria. The cooling water pump is then operated in a normal mode when the derived temperature value is greater than the temperature criteria or when the required output value is greater than the output criteria. Additionally, the cooling water pump is operated in a stop mode when the derived temperature value is less than the temperature criteria and, simultaneously, when the required output value is less than the output criteria.

A controller (11a) of a DC/DC converter (10a) responsive to power output of a fuel cell power plant (13) operates under a control strategy which determines if fuel cell voltage exceeds a limit, and if so, provided neither fuel cell output current nor DC/DC converter output current is excessive, causes an increase in DC/DC converter duty cycle to thereby increase power demanded from the fuel cell stack. This eliminates the need for conventional voltage limiting to protect fuel cells from corrosion. Digital control loops and state machines are illustrated.

To provide a fuel cell system that reduces electric power purchased from a system even when load changes, disclosed is a method of controlling a fuel cell system including an electric generator and an electric power control device that controls the electric generator. The electric power control device performs a procedure including: the monitoring step of monitoring a power consumption of a load apparatus to which the fuel cell system supplies electric power; the temperature acquisition step of acquiring a temperature in the electric generator; the gas fill amount acquisition step of acquiring an amount of gas filled in the electric generator; and the control step of controlling a change rate of an output voltage of the electric generator based on the temperature in the electric generator and the amount of gas filled in the electric generator in response to an increase in the power consumption.

A method for operating a fuel cell system includes electrically coupling a fuel cell stack to an energy storage device and an electrical demand by a load device. A controller is coupled to the fuel cell stack, the energy storage device, and the load device via a communications connection. The controller obtains information relative to an operation of at least one of the fuel cell stack and the energy storage device and the controller controls an operation of the load device based on the information.

The present disclosure includes a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack with multiple fuel cells and a control system in communication with the stack. The control system features a cell voltage monitoring system that measures the voltage of each fuel cell in the stack. If the measured voltage of a fuel cell drops below a predetermined threshold, the monitoring system triggers a shutdown procedure. The voltage bleed down time measured during the shutdown procedure, in comparison to a predetermined and calibrated threshold, can be used to indicate a membrane failure that requires a replacement of fuel cell stack.

A system includes a fuel cell stack (FCS) and a controller. The controller adjusts a stack current of the FCS to a desired amount to cause the FCS to provide a power commensurate with a power request. The controller employs a stack power model of the FCS in adjusting the stack current.

Provided is a power management system of an aircraft ground support vehicle. The power management system includes a power production control module in communication with a fuel cell system of the aircraft ground support vehicle to control production of electrical power by the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system may be configured as a sole source of power to directly power a traction system of the aircraft ground support vehicle and to provide electrical power to an auxiliary power output of the aircraft ground support vehicle. The power management system further includes a power distribution control module in communication with the fuel cell system to control distribution of the electrical power between the traction system and the auxiliary power output. The aircraft ground support vehicle may include a chassis, the traction system, the auxiliary power output, the fuel cell system, and the power management system.

In order to provide means to improve an operating ratio and the like of a fuel cell while keeping using a gas meter and a gas leakage detection system popularly used by a general household, a fuel cell system of the disclosure herein including a fuel cell module configured to generate power by using gas supplied via a gas meter and a controller configured to control the power generation of the fuel cell module, wherein the controller, when detecting for a first predetermined period of time that the gas is not supplied to anything else other than the fuel cell module, controls to stop the power generation of the fuel cell module for a second predetermined period of time.

A solid oxide fuel cell system includes at least a solid oxide fuel cell that generates, through an electrochemical reaction, electric power from anode gas and cathode gas containing oxygen, a combustor that burns anode off-gas and cathode off-gas both discharged from the solid oxide fuel cell, and that produces exhaust gas, a purifier that is heated by heat of the exhaust gas produced by the combustor, and that includes a purification catalyst to remove substances to be cleaned up, those substances being contained in the exhaust gas, and a controller. The controller raises the temperature of the purifier to 300 C. or higher for a predetermined time.