| US 7,402,352 B2 | ||
| Fuel cell system and related startup method | ||
| Tetsuya Kamihara, Yokohama (Japan); and Nobutaka Takahashi, Yokohama (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama-shi (Japan) | ||
| Appl. No. 10/491,589 PCT Filed Apr. 23, 2003, PCT No. PCT/JP03/05179 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Apr. 02, 2004, PCT Pub. No. WO03/009640, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 20, 2003. |
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| Claims priority of application No. 2002-138905 (JP), filed on May 14, 2002; and application No. 2002-138919 (JP), filed on May 14, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0241511 A1, Dec. 02, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. H01M 8/04 (2006.01); H01M 8/02 (2006.01); H01M 8/10 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 429—13 [429/22; 429/25] | 24 Claims |
| 20. A method of substituting fuel gas in a fuel cell system which includes a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer
electrode, disposed in opposition thereto, between which an electrolyte membrane is sandwiched, the method comprising:
supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell through a fuel gas supply passage;
discharging the fuel gas, discharged from the fuel cell, to an outside of the fuel cell system via a fuel gas discharge section;
and
executing fuel gas substituting treatment such that, during startup of the fuel cell system, the fuel gas is discharged outside
the fuel cell system while supplying the fuel gas so as to cause a state quantity of the fuel gas, to be supplied to the fuel
cell, to be constant for thereby allowing the fuel gas supply passage and the fuel electrode to be substituted with the fuel
gas, wherein
at least a portion of the fuel gas, discharged from the fuel cell, is discharged outside the fuel cell during operation of
the fuel cell system via a purge section, and
the fuel gas discharge section has a larger opening area than the purge section.
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