| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To substantially shorten the starting time at low temperature of a cell by previously converting part of fuel into a hydrogen gas by light-decomposition, and supplying the hydrogen gas having excellent activity at low temperature in starting at low temperature, and starting it. CONSTITUTION:Before starting a cell or during normal operation of a vehicle, part of fuel and water are supplied to a light-decomposition reactor 14, and methanol and water light-decomposed under transmission of sunlight to produce hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas. The gas produced is stored in a pressure tank 15. When starting the cell, if the electrolyte temperature detected by a temperature detector is below a specified temperature, a three-way valve 17 is operated to supply hydrogen gas (also containing carbon dioxide gas) from the pressure tank 15 to an electrolytic cell 7. Since a hydrogen gas has high activity even at low temperature, current generated in a fuel electrode becomes large. Therefore, even in starting at low temperature, the starting currentI=i1+ i2 immediately reaches a specified starting value by supplying the low activity of methanol alone. |
