Method for activating solid polymer fuel cell
By using a fuel cell having a membrane electrode assembly having and electrolyte membrane 100 formed by a polymer electrolyte membrane, and an anode 101 and a cathode 102 carrying a catalytic metal and sandwiching electrolyte membrane 100 . The anode 101 and the cathode 102 are in electrical connection, and an activation treatment is carried out for opening an active site of catalytic metal of the cathode 102 . This provides an activation method of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell which is advantageous to activation and raises cell voltage.
1. An activation method for preparing a polymer electrolyte fuel cell before the fuel cell generates electricity including a membrane electrode assembly that includes an electrolyte membrane formed by a polymer electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode each carrying a respective catalytic metal and sandwiching said electrolyte membrane, wherein
said anode and said cathode are in electrical connection; and
an activation treatment opens an active site of said catalytic metal of said cathode by supplying gas containing hydrogen to said anode, supplying gas containing oxygen to said cathode, and setting said cathode in an oxygen shortage condition in which an oxygen utilization rate is over 100%,
wherein the oxygen utilization rate corresponds to a ratio of an oxygen amount actually utilized in power generation to an amount of oxygen supplied to the polymer electrolyte fuel cell.
2. The activation method according to claim 1 , wherein said activation treatment is carried out by supplying electrons forcibly to said cathode from an external environment.
3. The activation method according to claim 2 , wherein said external environment is a battery.
4. The activation method according to claim 1 , wherein said activation treatment is carried out for maintaining potential of said cathode at 0.5v or less.
5. The activation method according to claim 1 , wherein
a second conductive path whose electric resistance is relatively lower than that of a first conductive path in normal operation for generation of electricity, and
said activation treatment is carried out in the condition that said anode and said cathode are in electrical connection by way of said second conductive path.
6. The activation method according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygen utilization rate is set to 200% during the activation treatment.
7. The activation method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a normal power generation running mode that includes an oxygen utilization rate of 40%.