FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

摘要

A fuel cell system includes a stack; an antifreezing heater; a surplus power heater; a switching unit; and an electric power conversion unit. Where a first supply path denotes a power supply path from a system power supply to the antifreezing heater, a second supply path denotes a power supply path from the stack to the antifreezing heater, and a third supply path denotes a power supply path from the stack to the surplus power heater, when a power failure happens, the switching unit disconnects the first supply path, disconnects the second supply path and connects the third supply path until an output electric power of the stack is converted to the power necessary for operating the antifreezing heater, and connects the second supply path and disconnects the third supply path after the output power of the stack is converted to the power necessary for operating the antifreezing heater.

主权项

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a stack that generates electric power using a fuel gas; an antifreezing heater that prevents freezing within a housing; a surplus power heater that consumes excess electric power out of the electric power generated by the stack; a switching unit configured to switch an electric power supply path for supplying the electric power to the antifreezing heater or the surplus power heater; and an electric power conversion unit configured to convert output electric power of the stack to electric power necessary for operating the antifreezing heater, wherein, where a first supply path denotes an electric power supply path from a system power supply to the antifreezing heater, a second supply path denotes an electric power supply path from the stack to the antifreezing heater, and a third supply path denotes an electric power supply path from the stack to the surplus power heater, when a power failure happens, the switching unit is configured to (i) disconnect the first supply path, (ii) disconnect the second supply path and connect the third supply path until the output electric power of the stack is converted to the electric power necessary for operating the antifreezing heater, and (iii) connect the second supply path and disconnect the third supply path after the output electric power of the stack is converted to the electric power necessary for operating the antifreezing heater.