Fuel cell system and method for controlling fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10020553-B2
Application number	US-201415027107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2014
Priority date	Oct 8, 2013
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a battery, auxiliary machines including an actuator and a heater that heats cooling water circulating in the fuel cell. The actuator is driven to cause gas to be supplied to a fuel cell configured to generate electric power using the gas. Furthermore, the fuel cell system includes a warming-up operation unit that adjusting operations of the auxiliary machines so as to realize output of fuel cell such that a predetermined electric power is extracted, a discharge control unit that supplies the electric power from the battery to the auxiliary machines when electric power generated by the fuel cell is lower than electric power consumed by the auxiliary machines. Furthermore, the fuel cell system includes an auxiliary machine restriction unit that restricts electric power consumed by the actuator when the discharge control unit supplies the electric power from the battery to the auxiliary machines in a case where the fuel cell is warmed up using the heater.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a battery configured to reserve electric power;
auxiliary machines including an actuator and a heater, the actuator being driven to cause at least one gas of anode gas and cathode gas to be supplied to a fuel cell configured to generate electric power using the gas, the heater being configured to heat cooling water circulating in the fuel cell;
a warming-up operation unit configured to adjust operations of the auxiliary machines so as to realize output of the fuel cell such that a predetermined electric power is extracted;
a discharge control unit configured to supply the electric power from the battery to the auxiliary machines when electric power generated by the fuel cell is lower than electric power consumed by the auxiliary machines; and
an auxiliary machine restriction unit configured to reduce electric power consumed by the actuator, before reducing electric power consumed by the heater, when the discharge control unit supplies the electric power from the battery to the auxiliary machines in a case where the fuel cell is warmed up using the heater.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising
a normal control unit configured to control electric power supplied to the actuator in accordance with a state of electric power generation by the fuel cell, wherein
when the generated electric power is lower than the electric power consumed by the auxiliary machines while warming up the fuel cell, the auxiliary machine restriction unit reduces the electric power consumed by the actuator to the supplied electric power controlled by the normal control unit.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
when the discharge control unit supplies the electric power of the battery to the auxiliary machines, the auxiliary machine restriction unit reduces electric power supplied to the actuator as an amount of the electric power discharged from the battery to the auxiliary machines increases.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
while restricting the electric power consumed by the actuator, the auxiliary machine restriction unit reduces electric power supplied to the heater when the electric power supplied from the battery to the auxiliary machines is higher than electric power dischargeable from the battery.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
while reducing the electric power consumed by the actuator, the auxiliary machine restriction unit does not reduce electric power discharged from the battery to the heater under the discharge control unit when the generated electric power is lower than the electric power consumed by the auxiliary machines.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
in order to reduce electric power consumed by a gas supply unit configured to supply cathode gas by driving the actuator, the auxiliary machine restriction unit reduces pressure of cathode gas supplied to the fuel cell and then reduces a flow rate of the cathode gas.

7. A method of controlling a fuel cell system including auxiliary machines and a battery, the auxiliary machines including an actuator and a heater, the actuator being driven to cause at least one gas of anode gas and cathode gas to be supplied to a fuel cell configured to generate electric power using the gas, the heater being configured to heat cooling water circulating in the fuel cell, and the battery reserving electric power, the method comprising:
adjusting operations of the auxiliary machines so as to realize output of the fuel cell such that a predetermined electric power is extracted;
supplying the electric power from the battery to the auxiliary machines when electric power generated by the fuel cell is lower than electric power consumed by the auxiliary machines; and
reducing electric power consumed by the actuator, before reducing electric power consumed by the heater, when the electric power is supplied from the battery to the auxiliary machines in a case where the fuel cell is warmed up using the heater.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Hoshi Kiyoshi

Classifications

• H01M8/04947

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M8/04298

  Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems · CPC title

• H01M8/04619

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M16/006 Primary

  of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title