OPERATION METHOD OF FUEL CELL SYSTEM
A method of operating a fuel cell system ( 100 ) comprises the steps of: generating a hydrogen-containing gas from a gas containing at least one of a nitrogen gas and a nitrogen compound, by a hydrogen generator ( 2 ); removing ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas; detecting a temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas from which the ammonia has been removed; and starting supplying of the hydrogen-containing gas from the hydrogen generator ( 2 ) to the fuel cell ( 7 ), when the detected temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold.
1 . A method of operating a fuel cell system, comprising the steps of:
generating a hydrogen-containing gas from a gas containing at least one of a nitrogen gas and a nitrogen compound, by a hydrogen generator;
removing ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas by causing the hydrogen-containing gas and water to contact each other;
detecting a temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas from which the ammonia has been removed; and
starting supplying of the hydrogen-containing gas from the hydrogen generator to the fuel cell, when the detected temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold.
2 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 1 ,
wherein the step of removing the ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas is a step of causing the hydrogen-containing gas to contact water.
3 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 2 ,
wherein the step of removing the ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas is a step of flowing the water and the hydrogen-containing gas through a gap formed by a filling material and causing the hydrogen-containing gas and the water to contact each other on a surface of the filling material.
4 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 2 ,
wherein the step of removing the ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas is a step of bubbling the hydrogen-containing gas in the water stored in a water storage section.
5 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 1 ,
wherein the step of removing the ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas is a step of removing the ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas flowing through at least one of a branch portion at which a second gas passage connected to a combustor for heating the hydrogen generator branches from a first gas passage via which the hydrogen generator and the fuel cell are communicated with each other, and a portion of the first gas passage which is located between the branch portion and the hydrogen generator.
6 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 5 ,
wherein the step of detecting the temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas from which the ammonia has been removed is a step of detecting a temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas flowing through a gas passage located downstream of the ammonia removing device.
7 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 5 ,
wherein the step of detecting the temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas from which the ammonia has been removed is a step of detecting a temperature of the ammonia removing device.
8 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 1 ,
wherein the step of removing the ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas is a step of removing the ammonia from the hydrogen-containing gas flowing through a portion of the first gas passage which is located between the fuel cell and a branch portion at which a second gas passage connected to a combustor for heating the hydrogen generator branches from a first gas passage via which the hydrogen generator and the fuel cell are communicated with each other.
9 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 8 ,
wherein the step of detecting the temperature of the hydrogen-containing gas from which the ammonia has been removed is a step of detecting a temperature of the ammonia removing device.
10 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
heating the water inside of the ammonia removing device before supplying of the hydrogen-containing gas from the hydrogen generator to the fuel cell starts.
11 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 10 ,
wherein the step of heating the water inside of the ammonia removing device is a step of heating water inside of the ammonia removing device by a heater provided at the ammonia removing device.
12 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 10 ,
wherein the step of heating the water inside of the ammonia removing device includes the steps of:
heating water inside of a recovered water tank; and
supplying the heated water from the recovered water tank to the ammonia removing device.
13 . The method of operating the fuel cell system, according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
supplying water inside of the ammonia removing device to the hydrogen generator.