Fuel cell system and method of controlling fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11011767-B2
Application number	US-201816192893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Nov 22, 2017
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

In a fuel cell system and a method of controlling the fuel cell system, correlation temperature correlated to temperature of a fuel cell stack is obtained. Further, temperature of a heating unit provided at the bottom of a water storage area of a gas liquid separator is estimated. The presence/absence of water in the gas liquid separator is determined based on the correlation temperature of the fuel cell stack and the temperature of the heating unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell stack;
a fuel gas supply pipe configured to supply a fuel gas to the fuel cell stack;
an oxygen-containing gas supply pipe configured to supply an oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack;
a gas liquid separator provided at least in one of the fuel gas supply pipe and the oxygen-containing gas supply pipe;
a temperature sensor configured to obtain a correlation temperature correlated to a temperature of the fuel cell stack;
a heater provided at a bottom of a water storage area of the gas liquid separator; and
one or more processors,
wherein the one or more processors
estimate a temperature of the heater and
determine presence/absence of water in the gas liquid separator based on the correlation temperature of the fuel cell stack and the temperature of the heater.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors perform heating control using the heater at time of starting operation at a low temperature, and control heating quantity of the heater based on a determination result regarding the presence/absence of the water.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the gas liquid separator comprises a drain valve configured to discharge water stored in the water storage area; and
the one or more processors perform water discharge control by driving the drain valve based on a determination result regarding the presence/absence of the water.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors determine whether water discharge has been performed normally based on temperature change of the heater during the water discharge control.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors determine that water discharge has been performed normally when the temperature of the heater is changed by a predetermined value or more, relative to the correlation temperature of the fuel cell stack.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein after the one or more processors determines that water discharge has been performed normally, the one or more processors determine that remaining water is present in the gas liquid separator when temperature of the heater is changed by less than a predetermined value, relative to the correlation temperature of the fuel cell stack, and perform water discharge control again.

7. A method of controlling a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell stack;
a fuel gas supply pipe configured to supply a fuel gas to the fuel cell stack;
an oxygen-containing gas supply pipe configured to supply an oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack;
a gas liquid separator provided at least in one of the fuel gas supply pipe and the oxygen-containing gas supply pipe;
a temperature sensor configured to obtain a correlation temperature correlated to a temperature of the fuel cell stack;
a heater provided at a bottom of a water storage area of the gas liquid separator; and
one or more processors configured to estimate a temperature of the heater,
the method comprising the step of determining presence/absence of water in the gas liquid separator based on the correlation temperature of the fuel cell stack and the temperature of the heater.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okamura Yuji
• Fukuda Tetsuya

Classifications

• H01M8/04164 Primary

  by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters · CPC title

• H01M8/04007

  related to heat exchange · CPC title

• H01M8/0432

  Temperature; Ambient temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/04731

  of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04067

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