Fuel cell system, method of controlling fuel cell system, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11424464-B2
Application number	US-202017024832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2020
Priority date	Sep 27, 2019
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes fuel cell, electrical storage device that stores electric power generated by the fuel cell, and control device of the fuel cell, the control device performs first control which causes the fuel cell to generate power and increases charging rate of the electrical storage device and second control which restricts output of the fuel cell to be smaller than that in the first control and decreases charging rate of the electrical storage device, and when switching condition, in which electric power demand from the external devices becomes greater than predetermined electric power or state in which electric power demand from the external devices is greater than the predetermined electric power continues for predetermined time, is satisfied, the control device increases power output by the fuel cell during the first control being performed to be larger than that before the switching condition was satisfied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell;
an electrical storage device configured to store electric power generated by the fuel cell; and
a control device configured to perform power generation control for at least the fuel cell,
wherein the control device acquires a charging rate of the electrical storage device,
when the electric power stored in the electrical storage device is supplied to external devices, the control device performs a first control which causes the fuel cell to generate power and increases a charging rate of the electrical storage device and a second control which restricts a power generation output of the fuel cell to be smaller than that in the first control and decreases a charging rate of the electrical storage device, and
when a switching condition, in which an electric power demand from the external devices becomes greater than a predetermined electric power or a state in which an electric power demand from the external devices is greater than the predetermined electric power continues for a predetermined time, is satisfied, the control device increases a power generation output generated by the fuel cell during the first control being performed to be larger than that before the switching condition was satisfied.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein, before the switching condition is satisfied, the control device causes the fuel cell to generate power which has a maximum power generation efficiency.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein, after the switching condition is satisfied, the control device causes the fuel cell to generate power that is an upper limit specified by regulations.

4. A method of controlling a fuel cell system, which is performed by a control device of a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell and an electrical storage device configured to store electric power generated by the fuel cell,
the method comprising:
performing power generation control for at least the fuel cell;
acquiring a charging rate of the electrical storage device;
when the electric power stored in the electrical storage device is supplied to external devices, performing a first control which causes the fuel cell to generate power and increases a charging rate of the electrical storage device and a second control which restricts a power generation output of the fuel cell to be smaller than that in the first control and decreases a charging rate of the electrical storage device; and
when a switching condition, in which an electric power demand from the external devices becomes greater than a predetermined electric power or a state in which an electric power demand from the external devices is greater than the predetermined electric power continues for a predetermined time, is satisfied, increasing a power generation output generated by the fuel cell during the first control being performed to be larger than that before the switching condition was satisfied.

5. A computer-readable storage medium, on which a program is stored, the program configured to cause a control computer of a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell; and an electrical storage device configured to store electric power generated by the fuel cell, to perform:
processing of performing power generation control for at least the fuel cell;
processing of acquiring a charging rate of the electrical storage device;
when the electric power stored in the electrical storage device is supplied to external devices, processing of performing a first control which causes the fuel cell to generate power and increases a charging rate of the electrical storage device and a second control which restricts a power generation output of the fuel cell to be smaller than that in the first control and decreases a charging rate of the electrical storage device; and
when a switching condition, in which an electric power demand from the external devices becomes greater than a predetermined electric power or a state in which an electric power demand from the external devices is greater than the predetermined electric power continues for a predetermined time, is satisfied, processing of increasing a power generation output generated by the fuel cell during the first control being performed to be larger than that before the switching condition was satisfied.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakai Ryoji
• Matsui Akihiro

Classifications

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J2101/30

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M12/08 Primary

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• H01M8/04634

  Other electric variables, e.g. resistance or impedance · CPC title