OPERATION STATE DETERMINING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FUEL CELL

摘要

An operation state determining apparatus for determining an operation state of a fuel cell battery formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells each having a construction in which a wet-state solid electrolyte membrane is sandwiched between an anode that is supplied with a fuel gas and a cathode that is supplied with an oxidizing gas is characterized by comprising: voltage measuring means that measures a voltage of at least one of the unit cells or a voltage of a unit cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of un it cells; and operation state determining means which determines that the operation state is a fast operation state that is one of a low fuel gas state and a dried-up state if the voltage measured by the voltage measuring means is within a predetermined inappropriate voltage range, and is below a predetermined voltage that is pre-set at a low value that is substantially impossible during a low oxidizing gas state and during a flood ed state, and which determines that the operation state is a second operation state that i s one of the low oxidizing gas state and the flooded state if the voltage measured by the voltage measuring means is within the inappropriate voltage range, and is above the predetermined voltage. FIG. 8