1. A method of load following operation of a fuel cell system comprising a reformer having a reforming catalyst layer, for reforming a hydrocarbon-based fuel to produce a reformed gas containing hydrogen, and a high temperature fuel cell for generating electric power using the reformed gas, the method comprises determining before start of the load following operation
functions F=f(P) and P=f\u22121(F), where P is an electrical output of the fuel cell, and F is a flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel required to be supplied to the reforming catalyst layer in order to output the electrical output P from the fuel cell, P=f\u22121(F) is an inverse function of F=f(P), wherein flow rate F is uniquely determined for each value P in the range 0 to PM, where in PM represents maximum electrical output of the fuel cell, and wherein for at least one value of F there are plurality of corresponding P values;
a minimum value of flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel represented as Fmin, said Fmin being a minimum value that is given by the function F=f(P) when P ranges in the range 0 to PM,
a plurality of temperatures Tj of the reforming catalyst layer, the temperatures Tj representing a one dimensional array having two or more array elements indexed by a subscript \u2018j\u2019, and a plurality of flow rates Gj of the hydrocarbon-based fuel, each Gj corresponding to each Tj, where each Gj is a flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel capable of being reformed in the reforming catalyst layer at a corresponding reforming catalyst layer temperature Tj, each Gj is larger than 0, and Gj is the same value or increases with an increase of j,
the load following method comprising:
A) measuring a temperature T of the reforming catalyst layer;
B) adopting one of the flow rates from the plurality of flow rates Gj corresponding to the largest temperature from the plurality of temperatures Tj that is equal to or less than the measured temperature T as a reformable flow rate FR that is a flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel capable of being reformed in the reforming catalyst layer at the temperature T;
C) when the reformable flow rate FR is smaller than the minimum value Fmin, stopping electric power generation in the fuel cell; and
D) when the reformable flow rate FR is equal to or more than the minimum value Fmin,
performing step d1 if a fuel cell output demand value PD is equal to or less than the maximum electrical output PM, and performing step d2 if the fuel cell output demand value PD exceeds the maximum electrical output PM,
d1) calculating a flow rate f(PD) of the hydrocarbon-based fuel required to be supplied to the reforming catalyst layer in order to output the fuel cell output demand value PD from the fuel cell, using the function F=f(P), and
if f(PD) is equal to or less than the reformable flow rate FR, then setting an electrical output of the fuel cell to PD, and setting a flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel supplied to the reforming catalyst layer to f(PD), and
if f(PD) exceeds the reformable flow rate FR, then setting the electrical output of the fuel cell to a value that is less than PD and the maximum among one or more P values calculated from P=f\u22121(FR), and setting the flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel supplied to the reforming catalyst layer to FR,
d2) calculating a flow rate f(PM) of the hydrocarbon-based fuel supplied to the reforming catalyst layer required to be supplied to the reforming catalyst layer in order to output the maximum electrical output PM from the fuel cell, using the function F=f(P), and
if f(PM) is equal to or less than the reformable flow rate FR, then setting the electrical output of the fuel cell to PM, and setting the flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel supplied to the reforming catalyst layer to f(PM), and
if f(PM) exceeds the reformable flow rate FR, then setting the electrical output of the fuel cell to a value that is the maximum among one or more P values calculated from P=f\u22121(FR), and setting the flow rate of the hydrocarbon-based fuel supplied to the reforming catalyst layer to FR,
wherein the output demand value PD fluctuates in the load following operation.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein steps A to D are repeatedly performed during the load following operation.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-based fuel comprises a hydrocarbon-based fuel with a carbon number of two or more.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the concentration of a compound with a carbon number of two or more in the reformed gas is 50 ppb or less on a mass basis.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electronic device detachably connected to a mobile device, the electronic device comprising:
a power supply configured to supply power to the mobile device when the mobile device is connected to the electronic device;
a detector configured to detect whether a user is within the detector’s range; and
a controller configured to stop supplying power to the mobile device, when the detector detects a user while the mobile device is connected to the electronic device and to subsequently resume supplying power.
2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a function of turning a screen of the mobile device on and of displaying information, when supplying power is resumed.
3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the controller executes the control at regular intervals of a predetermined time while the detector detects a user.
4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the mobile device connected to the electronic device comprises a function of turning the screen off when a time set in the mobile device has passed after the screen of the mobile terminal is turned on, and the predetermined time is based on the time set in the mobile device.
5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller maintains supplying power to the mobile device while the detector detects no one.
6. A method executed by an electronic device detachably connected to a mobile device, the method comprising:
supplying power to the mobile device when the mobile device is connected to the electronic device;
detecting whether a user is within the detector’s range; and
executing control to stop supplying power to the mobile device and to subsequently resume supplying power, when a user is detected while the mobile device is connected to the electronic device.