Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10090539-B2
Application number	US-201615185527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An object is to perform a purge at an appropriate timing. There is provided a fuel cell system mounted on a vehicle. The fuel cell system comprises a gas supplier that is configured to supply a purge gas into a fuel cell; and a controller that is configured to control the gas supplier and perform a purge with the purge as at a stop time of the vehicle. The controller obtains an ambient temperature in a driving state of the vehicle a plurality of times. In a case where an ambient temperature obtained last time among the ambient temperatures obtained in the driving state is lower than a predetermined reference value, the controller performs the purge with enhancing a purging capacity, compared with a case where the ambient temperature obtained last time is higher than the predetermined reference value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell;
an ambient temperature sensor configured to obtain a temperature outside of the vehicle as an ambient temperature;
a gas supplier configured to supply a purge gas into the fuel cell; and
a controller configured to control the gas supplier and perform a purge operation to purge the fuel cell with the purge gas, wherein
the controller obtains an ambient temperature in time series from the ambient temperature sensor when the vehicle is moving,
the controller performs the purge operation after an off operation of a start switch of the vehicle, and
in a case where an ambient temperature obtained last time among only the ambient temperatures obtained in time series when the vehicle is moving is lower than a predetermined reference value, the controller performs the purge operation after the off operation of the start switch with enhancing a purging capacity, compared with a case where the ambient temperature obtained last time is higher than the predetermined reference value.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the enhancing the purging capacity comprises increasing a purge time.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the enhancing the purging capacity comprises increasing a power of purging per unit time.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the ambient temperature sensor is abnormal, the controller performs the purge with a condition that is similar to a condition in the case where the ambient temperature obtained in the driving state is lower than the predetermined reference value.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the controller reduces a water content of the fuel cell in the case where the ambient temperature obtained in the driving state is lower than the predetermined reference value, compared with the case where the ambient temperature obtained in the driving state is higher than the predetermined reference value.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the reducing the water content of the fuel cell comprises increasing a temperature of cooling medium for the fuel cell or increasing a supply amount of an oxidizing gas that is to be supplied to the fuel cell.

7. A fuel cell system mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell;
an ambient temperature sensor configured to obtain a temperature outside of the vehicle as an ambient temperature;
a gas supplier configured to supply a purge gas into the fuel cell; and
a controller configured to control the gas supplier and perform a purge operation to purge the fuel cell with the purge gas, wherein
the controller obtains an ambient temperature in time series from the ambient temperature sensor when the vehicle is moving,
the controller performs the purge operation after an off operation of a start switch of the vehicle, and
in a case where an ambient temperature obtained last time among the ambient temperatures obtained in time series is lower than a predetermined reference value, the controller requires fewer predetermined conditions to be satisfied to perform the purge operation after the off operation of the start switch, compared with a case where the ambient temperature obtained last time is higher than the predetermined reference value.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller obtains an ambient temperature from the ambient temperature sensor in a non-driving state of the vehicle where the vehicle has a zero vehicle speed,
the controller sets a timing when the purge operation is performed, based on a lower temperature between the ambient temperature obtained in the driving state and the ambient temperature obtained in the non-driving state.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 ,
wherein when the ambient temperature sensor is abnormal, the controller performs the purge with a condition that is similar to a condition in the case where the ambient temperature obtained in the driving state is lower than the predetermined reference value.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 , wherein:
the controller reduces a water content of the fuel cell in the case where the ambient temperature obtained in the driving state is lower than the predetermined reference value, compared with the case where the ambient temperature obtained in the driving state is higher than the predetermined reference value.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the reducing the water content of the fuel cell comprises increasing a temperature of cooling medium for the fuel cell or increasing a supply amount of an oxidizing gas that is to be supplied to the fuel cell.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Maruo Tsuyoshi
• Yamada Takashi
• Imanishi Hiroyuki
• Nada Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• H01M8/04067

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title

• H01M8/04664

  Failure or abnormal function · CPC title

• H01M8/0432

  Temperature; Ambient temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/04231

  Purging of the reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04253 Primary

  Means for solving freezing problems · CPC title