Fuel cell system, method of starting fuel cell system

Abstract

Problems of acceleration of drying of electrolyte membrane and local reaction, etc. can be properly coped with to attain the stabilization of performance of fuel cell. There are provided a fuel cellwhich generates electric power from a fuel gas and an oxidizing agent gas, a fuel gas feed pipeand a first switch valveas fuel gas supplying unit which supplies the said fuel gas into the said fuel cell on the anode side thereof, an oxidizing gas supplying pipeand a second cut-off valveas oxidizing agent gas supplying unit which supplies the said oxidizing agent into the said fuel cell on the cathode side thereof, a raw material gas supplying pipeand a third switch valveas raw material gas supplying unit which supplies raw material of the said fuel gas into the fuel cell and a control portionwhich controls the supply of the said fuel gas, the supply of the said oxidizing agent and the supply of the said raw material and the control portioncontrols during the starting of electricity generation of the fuel cellsuch that the said raw material gas supplying unit purges the fuel cellat least on the cathode side thereof with the said raw material gas before the oxidizing agent gas supplying unit and the fuel gas supplying unit supply the fuel gas and the said oxidizing agent gas into the fuel cell, respectively.