IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0137264
(2008-06-11)
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등록번호 |
US-8124291
(2012-02-28)
|
우선권정보 |
JP-2007-155615 (2007-06-12) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Yagi, Ryosuke
- Suzuki, Takahiro
- Sato, Yuusuke
- Sakaue, Eiichi
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
2 |
초록
▼
In a fuel cell system, mixture fuel having a certain fuel concentration is supplied to an anode, electric power is output from between the anode and the cathode due to electrochemical reaction when the cathode makes contact with air, and unreacted fuel containing unreacted fuel is discharged from th
In a fuel cell system, mixture fuel having a certain fuel concentration is supplied to an anode, electric power is output from between the anode and the cathode due to electrochemical reaction when the cathode makes contact with air, and unreacted fuel containing unreacted fuel is discharged from the anode. A fuel circulating path for circulating the unreacted fuel to the anode is connected to the power generating unit and fuel is supplied from the fuel supplying unit to the fuel circulating path depending on a reduction in pressure of the mixture fuel. The temperature of the power generating unit is controlled according to the concentration of the mixture fuel supplied to the anode. Consequently, a fuel cell system, which can achieve reduction of the size thereof without dropping fuel usage efficiency, can be provided.
대표청구항
▼
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a power generating unit which generates an electric power and includes an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte membrane provided between the anode and the cathode, wherein mixture fuel having a fuel concentration is supplied to the anode, the cathode is made into con
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a power generating unit which generates an electric power and includes an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte membrane provided between the anode and the cathode, wherein mixture fuel having a fuel concentration is supplied to the anode, the cathode is made into contact with air, the electric power is output from between the anode and the cathode by electrochemical reaction, and unreacted fuel is discharged from the anode;a fuel circulating path which circulates the unreacted fuel from the power generating unit to the anode;a fuel supplying unit which supplies high concentration fuel having a concentration not lower than 10M to the fuel circulating path so as to add the high concentration fuel to the unreacted fuel to produce the mixture fuel, the high concentration fuel being supplied depending on a reduction of pressure of the mixture fuel;a fuel circulating unit which circulates the mixture fuel in the anode; anda control unit which controls a temperature of the power generating unit according to the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel supplied to the anode. 2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a concentration sensor which detects the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel supplied to the anode to generate a concentration signal,wherein the control unit controls the temperature of the power generating unit depending on the concentration signal. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit estimates the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel supplied to the anode based on the electric power output from the power generating unit to control the temperature of the power generating unit. 4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein when the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel is within a predetermined range, the control unit maintains the temperature of the power generating unit. 5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein when the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel is dropped, the temperature of the power generating unit is increased. 6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, further comprising: a power adjusting unit which adjusts the electric power output from the power generating unit,wherein the control unit controls the power adjusting unit to increase an external load connected to the power generating unit, thereby increasing the temperature of the power generating unit. 7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein when the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel is increased from a predetermined range, the control unit decreases the temperature of the power generating unit. 8. The fuel cell system according to claim 7, further comprising: a power adjusting unit which adjusts electric power output from the power generating unit,wherein the control unit controls the power adjusting unit to decrease an external load connected to the power generating unit, thereby decreasing the temperature of the power generating unit. 9. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the high concentration fuel is methanol. 10. A fuel cell system comprising: a power generating unit which generates an electric power and includes an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte membrane provided between the anode and the cathode, wherein mixture fuel having a fuel concentration is supplied to the anode, the cathode is made into contact with air, the electric power is output from between the anode and the cathode by electrochemical reaction, and unreacted fuel is discharged from the anode;a fuel supplying unit which supplies high concentration fuel having a concentration not lower than 10M;a tank which is provided in a fuel circulating path for circulating unreacted fuel from the power generating unit to the anode and stores the mixture fuel obtained by mixing the high concentration fuel supplied from the fuel supplying unit with the unreacted fuel;a fuel circulating unit which circulates the mixture fuel from the tank to the anode; anda control unit which controls a temperature of the power generating unit according to an amount of the mixture fuel in the tank. 11. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, further comprising: a liquid amount sensor which detects the amount of the mixture fuel stored in the tank to generate a liquid amount detection signal. 12. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit maintains the temperature of the power generating unit when the amount of the mixture fuel is within a predetermined range. 13. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein when the amount of the mixture fuel is dropped from a predetermined range, the control unit lowers the temperature of the power generating unit. 14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, further comprising: a power adjusting unit which adjusts the electric power output from the power generating unit,wherein the control unit controls the power adjusting unit to decrease an external load connected to the power generating unit, thereby decreasing the temperature of the power generating unit. 15. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein, when the amount of the mixture fuel is increased from a predetermined range, the control unit raises the temperature of the power generating unit. 16. The fuel cell system according to claim 15, further comprising: a power adjusting unit which adjusts the electric power output from the power generating unit,wherein the control unit controls the power adjusting unit to increase an external load connected to the power generating unit, thereby increasing the temperature of the power generating unit. 17. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, further comprising: a fan which supplies air for cooling the power generating unit to the power generating unit,wherein the control unit controls the fan to control the temperature of the power generating unit and to supply air to the cathode. 18. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein the power generating unit includes a heater which heats the power generating unit, and the control unit controls the heater to control the temperature of the power generating unit. 19. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit estimates the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel supplied to the anode based on the electric power output from the power generating unit so as to control the temperature of the power generating unit. 20. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein when the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel is within a predetermined range, the control unit maintains the temperature of the power generating unit. 21. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein when the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel is dropped from a predetermined range, the control unit increases the temperature of the power generating unit. 22. The fuel cell system according to claim 21, further comprising: a power adjusting unit which adjusts the electric power output from the power generating unit,wherein the control unit controls the power adjusting unit so as to increase an external load connected to the power generating unit, thereby increasing the temperature of the power generating unit. 23. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein when the fuel concentration of the mixture fuel is increased from a predetermined range, the control unit decreases the temperature of the power generating unit. 24. The fuel cell system according to claim 23, further comprising: a power adjusting unit which adjusts the electric power output from the power generating unit,wherein the control unit controls the power adjusting unit so as to decrease an external load connected to the power generating unit, thereby decreasing the temperature of the power generating unit. 25. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein the high concentration fuel is methanol. 26. The fuel cell system according to claim 23, wherein the high concentration fuel is methanol.
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