Fuel Cell System

Abstract

A fuel cell system ( 100 ) comprising: a fuel cell ( 1 ) for generating electric power using a fuel gas; a fuel gas generator section ( 2 ) for generating the fuel gas using a raw material gas; a combustor section ( 2 a ) for generating heat energy to be used for generating the fuel gas; an air feeder section ( 2 b ) for feeding air when the heat energy is generated; and a controller section ( 101 ); wherein the fuel cell is filled with the raw material gas before the fuel gas is fed, and wherein the controller section ( 101 ) performs a control operation such that the feed rate of air supplied from the air feeder section ( 2 b ) to the combustor section ( 2 a ) increases when the fuel gas generated in the fuel gas generator section ( 2 ) is supplied to the fuel cell ( 1 ).

1 . A fuel cell system comprising:
 a fuel cell for generating electric power using a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas;   a fuel gas generator section for generating the fuel gas to be fed to said fuel cell by reforming a raw material gas through a reforming reaction;   a combustor section for generating heat energy used for promoting the reforming reaction within said fuel gas generator section by combusting at least either the fuel gas or the raw material gas;   an air feeder section for feeding air for the combustion to said combustor section;   a fuel gas passage for supplying the fuel gas from said fuel gas generator section to said fuel cell;   an off gas passage for supplying redundant fuel gas, which has not been used for power generation, from said fuel cell to said combustor section;   a bypass passage for connecting said fuel gas passage to said off gas passage so as to change the destination of the fuel gas generated in said fuel gas generator section from said fuel cell to said combustor section;   a selector switching valve for switching the destination of the fuel gas generated in said fuel gas generator section between said fuel cell and said bypass passage; and   a controller section;   wherein said fuel cell is filled with the raw material gas before said controller section controls said selector switching valve so as to switch the destination of the fuel gas generated in said fuel gas generator section from said bypass passage to said fuel cell to supply it to said fuel cell, and   wherein said controller section performs a control function such that the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section increases when said selector switching valve is controlled so as to switch the destination of the fuel gas generated in said fuel gas generator section from said bypass passage to said fuel cell to supply it to said fuel cell.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel cell system according to  claim 1 , wherein said raw material gas is hydrocarbon gas. 
     
     
         3 . The fuel cell system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a raw material feeder section capable of supplying the raw material gas to said fuel cell; and
 wherein said controller section performs a control function such that during a stop operation or start-up operation, the raw material gas is supplied from said raw material feeder section to said fuel cell, thereby making said fuel cell filled with the raw material gas.   
     
     
         4 . The fuel cell system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said controller section performs a control function such that said selector switching valve allows the fuel gas generated in said fuel gas generator section to be supplied to said combustor section through said bypass passage until said fuel gas generator section meets a specified operating condition; and   wherein if said specified operating condition is met, said controller section performs a control function such that said selector switching valve switches the destination of the fuel gas generated in said fuel gas generating section from said bypass passage to said fuel cell and the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section increases.   
     
     
         5 . The fuel cell system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said controller section performs a control function such that the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section increases before said selector switching valve shuts said bypass passage off, thereby allowing the fuel gas to be supplied from said fuel gas generator section to said fuel cell.   
     
     
         6 . The fuel cell system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said controller section performs a control function such that the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section is reduced after an elapse of a specified period of time after the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section is increased.   
     
     
         7 . The fuel cell system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a CO detector section for detecting carbon monoxide contained in exhaust gas discharged from said combustor section,
 wherein said controller section performs a control function such that if the output value of said CO detector section drops to a predetermined value or less or alternatively, the concentration of carbon monoxide obtained based on the output value of said CO detector section drops to a predetermined concentration or less after the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section is increased, the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section is reduced.   
     
     
         8 . The fuel cell system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said controller section controls the feed rate of air supplied from said air feeder section to said combustor section so as to increase in a single step or steps or in a continuous manner.