Control device for fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11158873-B2
Application number	US-201816030096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A control device for a fuel cell system comprises a hydrogen deficiency judging part configured to judge if a hydrogen deficiency which is a state in which an amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell is insufficient compared with an amount of hydrogen required for power generation has occurred, a hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part configured to judge if the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated after the hydrogen deficiency judging part judges that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred and a breakage control part configured to make the circuit breaker temporarily break an electrical connection of the fuel cell and the electrical load part when the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part judges that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device for a fuel cell system for controlling the fuel cell system,
the fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell with a cathode electrode and an anode electrode containing a water electrolysis catalyst;
an electrical load part electrically connected to the fuel cell; and
a circuit breaker configured to physically break both an electrical connection between the cathode electrode side of the fuel cell and the electrical load part and an electrical connection between the anode electrode side of the fuel cell and the electrical load part, wherein

the control device for a fuel cell system comprising a microprocessor, the microprocessor programmed to:
judge if a hydrogen deficiency which is a state in which an amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell is insufficient compared with an amount of hydrogen required for power generation has occurred;
judge if the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated after judging that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred;
open the circuit breaker to physically temporarily break both the electrical connection between the cathode electrode side of the fuel cell and the electrical load part and the electrical connection between the anode electrode side of the fuel cell and the electrical load part for a predetermined breaking time when the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated; and
during the predetermined breaking time, stop a hydrogen oxidation reaction at the anode electrode, place the anode electrode in a hydrogen atmosphere, and reduce by hydrogen an oxide film formed on a surface of a hydrogen oxidation reaction promotion catalyst in the anode electrode.

2. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the microprocessor is programmed to judge the hydrogen deficiency has occurred when a representative temperature of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined freezing judging temperature where water inside the fuel cell is liable to freeze.

3. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the microprocessor is programmed to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when the representative temperature becomes a predetermined freezing elimination judgment temperature higher than the freezing judging temperature or has become more than the predetermined freezing elimination judgment temperature.

4. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the microprocessor is programmed to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when an elapsed time from when the hydrogen deficiency was judged has become a freezing elimination judging time or more set based on the representative temperature when the hydrogen deficiency was judged.

5. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein
the microprocessor is programmed to lengthen the freezing elimination judging time when the representative temperature when the hydrogen deficiency was judged is low compared to when it is high.

6. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the microprocessor is programmed to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when a moisture degree of an electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell has become a predetermined moisture degree or less.

7. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein
the microprocessor is programmed to judge that the moisture degree of the electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell has become the predetermined moisture degree or less when a differential value of an internal impedance of the fuel cell has become a predetermined value or more.

8. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the microprocessor is programmed:
judge that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred due to freezing of water when a representative temperature of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined freezing judging temperature where freezing of water is liable to occur inside the fuel cell;
judge that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred due to flooding of water when a differential value of an internal impedance of the fuel cell becomes a predetermined value or more, in a case where the representative temperature is the freezing judging temperature or more and the representative temperature is less than a predetermined flooding judging temperature where flooding is liable to occur in a hydrogen channel in the fuel cell; and
judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when performing a flooding elimination operation for a predetermined time for temporarily increasing the amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell to eliminate flooding when it has been judged that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred due to flooding.

9. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined breaking time during which the circuit breaker physically temporarily breaks both the electrical connection between the cathode electrode side of the fuel cell and the electrical load part and the electrical connection between the anode electrode side of the fuel cell and the electrical load part is 1 millisecond to 30 minutes.

10. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 9 , wherein
the predetermined breaking time is 1 millisecond to 1 minute.

11. The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein
the predetermined breaking time is 1 millisecond to 3 seconds.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitao Noriyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/04649

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04723

  of the coolant · CPC title

• H01M4/8652 Primary

  as mixture · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04302

  applied during start-up · CPC title