Fuel cell system, method of controlling fuel cell system, and fuel cell system-mounted vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11380913-B2
Application number	US-202017109674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell system FCS includes a fuel cell 10, a high voltage circuit 21 for driving an electromotor 42, and a relay 41 for electrically connecting or blocking the fuel cell 10 to or from the high voltage circuit 21. A control unit 50 obtains insulation decrease information in accordance with a request for starting the fuel cell, and performs, when a specified insulation decrease occurred region is not a fuel cell region SE1 including the fuel cell and the cooling circuit, conductivity reduction process on cooling liquid using a conductivity reduction unit 113 before having a relay 41 connect, and has the relay 41 connect after completing the conductivity reduction process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a fuel cell system with a fuel cell, comprising:
receiving a request for starting the fuel cell;
obtaining insulation decrease information specifying an insulation decrease occurred region in the fuel cell system; and
performing, based on the insulation decrease information specifying that the insulation decrease occurred region is not a fuel cell region including the fuel cell and a cooling circuit with circulating cooling liquid, a conductivity reduction process on the cooling liquid before having a relay connect, the relay being arranged between a high voltage circuit for driving an electromotor and the fuel cell, and performing a start process including having the relay connect after completing the conductivity reduction process.

2. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the start process has the relay connect without performing the conductivity reduction process when a stop period of the fuel cell system is shorter than a predetermined period, or performs the conductivity reduction process and has the relay connect after completing the conductivity reduction process when the stop period of the fuel cell system is equal to or longer than the predetermined period.

3. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the start process includes having the relay connect without performing the conductivity reduction process based on the insulation decrease information specifying that the insulation decrease occurred region is the fuel cell region.

4. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the start process further includes driving, when the conductivity reduction process is performed, the electromotor using a secondary battery connected to the high voltage circuit before completing the conductivity reduction process, and having the relay connect after completing the conductivity reduction process to drive the electromotor using the fuel cell.

5. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the conductivity reduction process is performed by driving a cooling liquid pump using power of the secondary battery and letting the cooling liquid flow to the conductivity reduction unit.

6. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the insulation decrease information further includes information of whether insulation decrease has occurred, and
the start process includes performing, when the insulation decrease information indicates occurrence of insulation decrease, the conductivity reduction process in accordance with the insulation decrease occurred region, or connecting the relay without performing the conductivity reduction process when the insulation decrease information does not indicate occurrence of insulation decrease.

7. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
specifying whether the insulation decrease occurred region detected by an insulation detection device is a fuel cell region or a region other than the fuel cell region, generating the insulation decrease information, and storing the insulation decrease information in a storage unit.

8. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein specifying the insulation decrease occurred region, generating the insulation decrease information, and storing the insulation decrease information in the storage unit are performed when the fuel cell system is stopped.

9. The method of controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the insulation decrease information indicates occurrence of insulation decrease between a vehicle body of a vehicle and the fuel cell system.

10. A method of controlling a fuel cell system with a fuel cell, comprising:
receiving a request for starting the fuel cell;
obtaining insulation decrease information specifying that an insulation decrease occurred region in the fuel cell system is either a fuel cell region including the fuel cell and a cooling circuit with circulating cooling liquid or a no fuel cell region; and
performing, based on the insulation decrease information specifying that the specified insulation decrease occurred region is the no fuel cell region, a conductivity reduction process on the cooling liquid before having a relay connect, the relay being arranged between a high voltage circuit for driving an electromotor and the fuel cell, and performing a start process including having the relay connect after completing the conductivity reduction process.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oya Ryosuke

Classifications

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04225

  during start-up · CPC title

• B60L58/33

  by cooling · CPC title

• H01M8/04813

  of the coolant · CPC title