Method of detecting abnormality in pressure sensor and fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10096853-B2
Application number	US-201715440324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 25, 2016
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of detecting an abnormality in a first pressure sensor or a second pressure sensor of a fuel cell system including the upstream-side first pressure sensor and the downstream-side second pressure sensor provided in a fuel supply flow passage configured to connect a fuel cell and a fuel supply source, a pressure reducing valve, a first shutoff valve, and a second shutoff valve. The first shutoff valve is closed to shut off supply of fuel from the fuel supply source. a pressure on an upstream side and a pressure on a downstream side of the pressure reducing valve is decreased to be equal to or less than a pressure regulation lower limit value. The second shutoff valve is closed and detection pressure values of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are compared with each other.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of detecting an abnormality in a pressure sensor of a fuel cell system including a fuel supply flow passage configured to connect a fuel cell and a fuel supply source, a first pressure sensor provided in the fuel supply flow passage, a second pressure sensor provided on a downstream side of the fuel supply flow passage from the first pressure sensor, a pressure reducing valve provided between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor in the fuel supply flow passage and configured to decrease a pressure on an upstream side to a predetermined pressure regulation lower limit value, a first shutoff valve provided between the fuel supply source and the first pressure sensor in the fuel supply flow passage, and a second shutoff valve provided between the second pressure sensor and the fuel cell in the fuel supply flow passage, the method comprising:
closing the first shutoff valve to shut off supply of fuel from the fuel supply source to the first pressure sensor;
after shutting off the supply of fuel from the fuel supply source to the first pressure sensor, opening the second shutoff valve and allowing fuel in the fuel supply flow passage to be supplied to the fuel cell to decrease a pressure on an upstream side and a pressure on a downstream side of the pressure reducing valve to be equal to or less than the pressure regulation lower limit value; and
after decreasing the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the pressure reducing valve to be equal to or less than the pressure regulation lower limit value, closing the second shutoff valve and comparing detection pressure values of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor with each other to determine whether or not the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is abnormal.

2. The method of detecting the abnormality in the pressure sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein, a control determination unit of the fuel cell system shuts off the supply of fuel from the fuel supply source to the first pressure sensor ,the control determination unit of the fuel cell system decreases the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the pressure reducing valve to equal to or less than the pressure regulation lower limit value, and the control determination unit of the fuel cell system executes the determination regarding whether or not the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is abnormal.

3. The method of detecting the abnormality in the pressure sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein decreasing the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the pressure reducing valve to be equal to or less than the pressure regulation lower limit value is a state in which the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the pressure reducing valve are made equal to each other.

4. The method of detecting the abnormality in the pressure sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a case where a difference between the detection pressure values of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is abnormal.

5. The method of detecting the abnormality in the pressure sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein waveforms of the detection pressure values of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are compared with each other, and in a case where s difference between waveforms of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined reference, it is determined that the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is abnormal.

6. The method of detecting the abnormality in the pressure sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein it is determined whether or not the first pressure sensor is abnormal based on a hydrogen consumption amount estimated from an amount of generated electric power of the fuel cell.

7. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel supply flow passage configured to connect a fuel cell and a fuel supply source;
a first pressure sensor provided in the fuel supply flow passage;
a second pressure sensor provided on a downstream side of the fuel supply flow passage from the first pressure sensor;
a pressure reducing valve provided between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor in the fuel supply flow passage and configured to decrease a pressure on an upstream side to a predetermined pressure regulation lower limit value;
a first shutoff valve provided between the fuel supply source and the first pressure sensor in the fuel supply flow passage;
a second shutoff valve provided between the second pressure sensor and the fuel cell in the fuel supply flow passage; and
a control determination unit configured to control the shutoff valves and to determine whether or not the pressure sensors are abnormal,
wherein the control determination unit closes the first shutoff valve to shut off supply of fuel from the fuel supply source to the first pressure sensor,
then, opens the second shutoff valve and allows fuel in the fuel supply flow passage to be supplied to the fuel cell to decrease a pressure on an upstream side and a pressure on a downstream side of the pressure reducing valve to be equal to or less than the pressure regulation lower limit value, and
subsequently, closes the second shutoff valve and compares detection pressure values of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor with each other to determine whether or not the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is abnormal.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Saito Hiromu

Classifications

• H01M8/04992

  characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/04388

  of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04761

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title