Fuel cell system and control method of fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11101478-B2
Application number	US-201616321890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

The fuel cell system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the solid oxide fuel cell configured to generate power by receiving the supply of the cathode gas and the anode gas. The fuel cell system includes a discharging passage configured to discharge the cathode off-gas and the anode off-gas discharged by the fuel cell as discharged gas to the outside, a discharged-gas temperature detection unit configured to detect or estimate the temperature of the discharged gas discharged from the discharging passage, an air supplying unit configured to supply air to the discharging passage, and the control unit configured to control the air supply to be executed by an air supplying unit on the basis of the detected or estimated temperature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising a solid oxide fuel cell configured to generate power by receiving supply of fuel gas and oxidant gas, the fuel cell system further comprising:
a discharging passage configured to allow fuel off-gas and oxidant off-gas discharged by the fuel cell to be discharged as discharged gas to outside;
a discharged-gas temperature detector configured to detect or estimate a temperature of the discharged gas to be discharged from the discharging passage;
an air compressor configured to supply air to the discharging passage; and
an air control computer configured to control air supply to be executed by the air compressor on a basis of the detected or estimated temperature, wherein:
the air control computer is configured to control the air compressor so that the discharged gas to be discharged from the discharging passage becomes a predetermined temperature or lower,
the fuel cell system is configured to be used in a vehicle,
the predetermined temperature is set according to a vehicle speed, such that the predetermined temperature is higher as the vehicle speed is faster,
the air compressor is configured so as to supply the air to the discharging passage and also to supply the air as the oxidant gas to the fuel cell, and
when a sum of an air supply rate to be supplied to the discharging passage and an air supply rate to be supplied to the fuel cell is greater than a maximum air supply rate of the air compressor, the air control computer is configured to control the air compressor so as to reduce the air supply rate to be supplied to the fuel cell.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature is set according to a temperature of outside air, such that the predetermined temperature is higher as the temperature of outside air is lower.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the discharging passage has a discharged-gas diluting portion having a larger cross-sectional area than other portions in the discharging passage, and
the air compressor is configured to supply the air to the discharged-gas diluting portion.

4. A fuel cell system comprising a solid oxide fuel cell configured to generate power by receiving supply of fuel gas and oxidant gas, the fuel cell system further comprising:
a discharging passage configured to allow fuel off-gas and oxidant off-gas discharged by the fuel cell to be discharged as discharged gas to outside;
a discharged-gas temperature detector configured to detect or estimate a temperature of the discharged gas to be discharged from the discharging passage;
an air compressor configured to supply air to the discharging passage; and
an air control computer configured to control air supply to be executed by the compressor on a basis of the detected or estimated temperature, wherein:
the air control computer is configured to control the air compressor so that the discharged gas to be discharged from the discharging passage becomes a predetermined temperature or lower,
the fuel cell system is configured to be used in a vehicle,
the predetermined temperature is set according to a vehicle speed, such that the predetermined temperature is higher as the vehicle speed is faster,
a power generation computer configured to control a power generation condition of the fuel cell, wherein
when a sum of an air supply rate to be supplied to the discharging passage and an air supply rate to be supplied to the fuel cell is greater than a maximum air supply rate of the air compressor, the power generation computer is configured to reduce a power generation amount of the fuel cell.

5. A method of controlling a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising:
a discharging passage configured to allow fuel off-gas and oxidant off-gas discharged by a solid oxide fuel cell to be discharged as discharged gas to atmosphere; and
an air compressor configured to supply air,
the method comprising:
acquiring a temperature of the discharged gas to be discharged from the discharging passage;
lowering the temperature of the discharged gas to a predetermined temperature or lower by using the air supplied by the air compressor according to the temperature of the discharged gas acquired,
the fuel cell system is used in a vehicle, and
the predetermined temperature is set according to a vehicle speed, such that the predetermined temperature is higher as the vehicle speed is faster,
the air compressor is configured so as to supply the air to the discharging passage and also to supply the air as oxidant gas to the fuel cell, and
when a sum of an air supply rate to be supplied to the discharging passage and an air supply rate to be supplied to the fuel cell is greater than a maximum air supply rate of the air compressor, reducing the air supply rate to be supplied to the fuel cell.

6. A method of controlling a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising:
a discharging passage configured to allow fuel off-gas and oxidant off-gas discharged by a solid oxide fuel cell to be discharged as discharged gas to atmosphere; and
an air compressor configured to supply air,
the method comprising:
acquiring a temperature of the discharged gas to be discharged from the discharging passage;
lowering the temperature of the discharged gas to a predetermined temperature or lower by using the air supplied by the air compressor according to the temperature of the discharged gas acquired,
the fuel cell system is used in a vehicle, and
the predetermined temperature is set according to a vehicle speed, such that the predetermined temperature is higher as the vehicle speed is faster,
when a sum of an air supply rate to be supplied to the discharging passage and an air supply rate to be supplied to the fuel cell is greater than a maximum air supply rate of the air compressor, reducing a power generation amount of the fuel cell.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Kaneko Youhei

Classifications

• H01M8/04425

  at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01M8/04701 Primary

  Temperature · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• B60L58/32

  for controlling the temperature of fuel cells, e.g. by controlling the electric load · CPC title