A metal component for electrochemical stack in an embodiment includes: a metal base material having a first surface exposed to an atmosphere containing hydrogen and a second surface exposed to an atmosphere containing oxygen; and a hydrogen permeation inhibition and protection coating provided on the first surface of the metal base material. The metal component for electrochemical stack in the embodiment can suppress metallic corrosion also in the case where one side is in contact with air and the other side is in contact with an atmosphere containing hydrogen.

A fuel cell system includes: a supply flow path configured to supply reactant gas; a first branch flow path branching off from an outlet end of the supply flow path and configured to guide the reactant gas to a first fuel cell stack; a second branch flow path branching off from the outlet end of the supply flow path and configured to communicate with the first branch flow path and guide the reactant gas to a second fuel cell stack; and an inlet area change part disposed in a boundary zone between the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path and configured to selectively change inlet areas of the first and second branch flow paths. Efficiency in discharging condensate water is increased and performance and operational efficiency are improved.

A fuel supply control system and method for a fuel cell are disclosed. The system includes: a fuel cell configured to receive a fuel gas and an oxidation gas and generate electric power; a recirculation line configured to circulate gas containing the fuel gas and connected to a fuel electrode of the fuel cell; a discharge valve provided in the recirculation line and configured to allow the gas to be discharged to the outside when open; a discharge amount estimator configured to estimate a discharge amount of the discharged gas based on a supply amount of the fuel gas supplied to the recirculation line, a consumption amount of the fuel gas consumed in the fuel cell, and a change in the amount of the gas in the recirculation line; an offset calculator configured to calculate the discharge amount of the gas estimated by the discharge amount estimator with the discharge valve closed, as a discharge offset; and a controller configured to control opening/closing of the discharge valve.

Disclosed are a deterioration estimation system for the fuel cell, a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell including the same, and a hydrogen supply method for a fuel cell, the deterioration estimation system including a fuel cell which receives hydrogen gas and oxidizing gas respectively supplied to an anode side and a cathode side thereof to generate electrical power, a hydrogen supply line which is connected to the anode side of the fuel cell and supplies gas containing hydrogen gas to the fuel cell, a hydrogen supply valve which is located between the hydrogen supply line and a hydrogen tank, supplies, when opened, hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank to the hydrogen supply line, and blocks the supply of the hydrogen gas when closed, and a deterioration estimating unit which estimates the deterioration state of the fuel cell, based on the opening and closing control of the hydrogen supply valve or a change in the pressure in the hydrogen supply line.

A fuel cell system capable of improving the chemical durability of a membrane electrode assembly by compensating for the amount of an antioxidant lost within the electrolyte membrane or electrode of the fuel cell stack in such a manner that the antioxidant is provided from an antioxidant supply device, provided in a fuel processing system and/or an air processing system, to a fuel cell stack, in preparation for a case where the antioxidant within the electrolyte membrane or electrode is lost due to the dissolution or migration characteristic of the antioxidant.

The invention relates to a method for operating a fuel cell system, in which method a supply of air to a fuel cell stack (20) is interrupted intermittently, in particular in the event of a standstill of the system, by means of a pressure-controlled shutoff valve (1), which comprises a valve element (4), which valve element can be moved back and forth between two end positions and is preloaded toward a sealing seat (3) by means of the spring force of a closing spring (2). According to the invention, in at least one of the two end positions, the valve element is held in the end position in question additionally by means of the magnetic force of an electromagnet (5) and/or of a permanent magnet (6), the electromagnet (5) and/or the permanent magnet (6) interacting with a magnetic or magnetizable part (7) of the valve element (4). The invention further relates to a shutoff valve (1) suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention and to a fuel cell stack (20) having at least one shutoff valve (1) according to the invention.

A fuel battery system includes: a plurality of fuel tanks configured to store fuel; a fuel battery stack configured to generate electricity using the fuel supplied from each of the plurality of fuel tanks; a filling unit configured to fill each of the plurality of fuel tanks with the fuel; and a control device configured to control the fuel battery stack to maintain generating of electricity by continuously supplying fuel from at least any one of the plurality of fuel tanks other than the fuel tank filled with the fuel from the filling unit to the fuel battery stack when at least one of the plurality of fuel tanks is filled with the fuel from the filling unit.

In order to improve estimation accuracy of a purging amount, a fuel cell system comprises a supply valve that controls a supply of an anode gas into an anode system, a purge valve that discharges an off-gas from the anode system, a pressure detecting unit configured to estimate or measures a pressure inside the anode system, and a purging amount estimating unit configured to estimate a purging amount of the off-gas discharged from the anode system through the purge valve based on a pressure change inside the anode system during a purge valve close duration in a supply valve open state and a pressure change inside the anode system during a purge valve close duration in a supply valve close state.

The embodiments described and claimed herein are apparatus, systems, and methods for charging an electric vehicle at a stationary service station. In one embodiment, the service station includes a power generation component including at least one fuel cell, a fuel supply component for supplying fuel to the power generation component, a charging component including at least one customer charging station, and a control component for controlling and monitoring the other components and for providing accounting and billing functions.

An externally-controllable electrical power generating system for providing auxiliary or backup power to a load bus or device. The system may be used indoors, and generally includes a power source comprising a first DC output, an electrical storage unit comprising a DC input coupled to the first DC output of the power source, the electrical storage unit further comprising a second DC output. An inverter coupled to the second DC output receives power, the inverter having a first AC output that can be synchronized with an AC load bus or AC grid. The system includes a contactor connected between the first AC output and an AC load bus, and is controllable with an external controller operated by a utility or a managing entity, such that the external controller can enable the controller to connect or disconnect the contactor.