The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 25, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 19, 2008
Masashi Sato, Yokohama, JP;
Susumu Maeshima, Yokohama, JP;
Kazuo Saito, Yokohama, JP;
Ryoichi Shimoi, Yokohama, JP;
Takahiro Fujii, Kanagawa, JP;
Nobuo Matsuba, Ebina, JP;
Hitoshi Igarashi, Yokohama, JP;
Kenji Yonekura, Yokohama, JP;
Masashi Sato, Yokohama, JP;
Susumu Maeshima, Yokohama, JP;
Kazuo Saito, Yokohama, JP;
Ryoichi Shimoi, Yokohama, JP;
Takahiro Fujii, Kanagawa, JP;
Nobuo Matsuba, Ebina, JP;
Hitoshi Igarashi, Yokohama, JP;
Kenji Yonekura, Yokohama, JP;
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
A fuel cell system has a plurality of fuel cells stacked in one or more groups of fuel cells. Each fuel cell includes a fuel electrode supplied with fuel gas at a fuel gas supply pressure, an oxidizing electrode supplied with oxidizing gas at an oxidizing gas supply pressure, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the fuel electrode and the oxidizing electrode. A pressure-difference control unit generates a pressure difference across the membrane such that the fuel gas supply pressure is greater than the oxidizing gas supply pressure in each fuel cell, a cell-voltage measuring device measures a cell voltage for each fuel cell or each group of fuel cells in the fuel cell stack, and a leakage determination unit determines the presence or absence of a leaking cell based on the behavior of the cell voltage of each fuel cell while the pressure difference is increased with time.