FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND FUEL CELL DEGRADATION JUDGMENT METHOD

摘要

Provided is a fuel cell system which can measure an air blow interval and consider an exceptional condition such as a high-potential-avoiding operation, thereby enabling an accurate judgment of degradation of an electrolyte. An actual air blow time interval Td is measured while estimating a theoretical air blow time interval Tc when an increase of a hydrogen consumption amount corresponding to the cell voltage in the high-potential-avoiding operation according to an output current by using a relationship table which contains a record of the relationship between a hydrogen consumption amount consumed for maintaining the function of the fuel cell (100) and the air supply time interval changing as the hydrogen consumption amount increases. The degradation degree of the electrolyte of the fuel cell (100) is judged according to whether the measured actual air blow time interval Td is shorter than the theoretical air blow time interval Tc corresponding to the hydrogen consumption amount.