Fuel cell

Abstract

A fuel cell has a fuel cell main body, a fuel supply unit, a voltage sensor, a supply speed determining unit, a fuel supply control unit, and a connecting unit. The voltage sensor measures the open-circuit voltage of the fuel cell main body. The supply speed determining unit determines the fuel supply speed of the fuel supply unit, on the basis of the results obtained from the measurement performed by the voltage sensor, in the case where the voltage measured by the voltage sensor is smaller than a predetermined value. The fuel supply control unit controls, on the basis of the supply speed thus determined, the fuel supply from the fuel supply unit. The connecting unit connects a load to the fuel cell main body, in the case where the voltage measured by the voltage sensor is larger than the predetermined value.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A fuel cell, comprising:
 a fuel cell main body configured to generate power by using a liquid fuel;   a fuel supply unit configured to supply the fuel to the fuel cell main body;   a fuel supply control unit configured to control the supply of the fuel supply unit by alternately repeating ON time and OFF time, the fuel supply unit supplying the fuel during the ON time, and the fuel supply unit not supplying the fuel during the OFF time;   a voltage sensor configured to measure an open-circuit voltage of the fuel cell main body;   a determining unit configured to determine duty ratio being the ratio of the ON time to the sum of the ON time and the OFF time, the determining unit increasing the duty ratio when the measured voltage is smaller than a first voltage, the determining unit decreasing the duty ratio or keeping the duty ratio constant when the measured voltage is larger than the first voltage; and   a connecting unit configured to turn on a connection between a load and the fuel cell main body when the measured voltage is larger than a second voltage larger than the first voltage.   
     
     
         11 . The fuel cell according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the determining unit increases the duty ratio by increasing the ON time.   
     
     
         12 . The fuel cell according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the determining unit decreases the duty ratio by increasing the OFF time.   
     
     
         13 . The fuel cell according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the determining unit decreases the duty ratio and then keeps the duty ratio constant when the measured voltage is larger than the first voltage.