Vehicle and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11458947-B2
Application number	US-201916676924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2019
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle includes a control device. The control device stops an operation of a flow path switching valve simultaneously with limiting output of a fuel cell when an authentication of a mobile device is performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell;
a cooling device configured to cool the fuel cell by exchanging heat with a coolant;
a smart key system configured to communicate with a mobile device and performs authentication of the mobile device; and
a control device configured to control the fuel cell and the cooling device,

wherein the cooling device includes:
a circulation flow path configured to connect the fuel cell and a radiator;
a pump configured to circulate the coolant in the circulation flow path;
a bypass flow path configured to connect an upstream side and a downstream side of the radiator in the circulation flow path;
a flow path switching valve configured to switch a destination of the coolant that passes through the fuel cell to circulate to a radiator side and a bypass flow path side; and
a motor configured to drive the flow path switching valve, and
wherein the control device is configured to, when the smart key system performs the authentication of the mobile device, stop an operation of the flow path switching valve simultaneously with limiting output of the fuel cell.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to, when the authentication of the mobile device is completed or when a predetermined time elapses after the operation of the flow path switching valve is stopped, release a stopped state of the operation of the flow path switching valve simultaneously with canceling a limit of the output of the fuel cell.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the flow path switching valve is configured to adjust a distribution ratio of a flow rate of the coolant flowing on the radiator to a flow rate of the coolant flowing on the bypass flow path; and
the control device is configured to:
when the smart key system performs the authentication, stop the operation of the flow path switching valve;
set a maximum output of the fuel cell based on a position at which the flow path switching valve is stopped; and
control the fuel cell such that the output of the fuel cell does not exceed the maximum output.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the control device is configured to set the maximum output such that a larger output from the fuel cell is allowed when the position at which the flow path switching valve is stopped is on the radiator side than when the position at which the flow path switching valve is stopped is on the bypass flow path side.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the motor is a stepping motor; and
the control device is configured to, when the smart key system performs the authentication, fix a position of the flow path switching valve by maintaining electrical excitation to a coil of the motor.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the flow path switching valve is configured to adjust a distribution ratio of a flow rate of the coolant flowing on the radiator to a flow rate of the coolant flowing on the bypass flow path; and
the control device is configured to:
set a maximum output of the fuel cell based on the distribution ratio; and
when the smart key system performs the authentication, control the fuel cell such that the output of the fuel cell does not exceed the maximum output.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the control device is configured to set the maximum output such that the larger the flow rate of the coolant flowing on the radiator is in the distribution ratio, the larger the maximum output becomes.

8. A control method, the control method controlling a cooling device of a fuel cell mounted on a vehicle, the control method comprising:
stopping an operation of a flow path switching valve and limiting output of the fuel cell when a smart key system mounted on the vehicle performs authentication of a mobile device, wherein:
the fuel cell is connected to a radiator via a circulation flow path in which a coolant circulates;
an upstream side and a downstream side of the radiator in the circulation flow path are connected to each other via a bypass flow path; and
the flow path switching valve is configured to switch a destination of the coolant that passes through the fuel cell to circulate to a radiator side and a bypass flow path side.

9. The control method according to claim 8 further comprising canceling a limit of the output of the fuel cell by resuming the operation of the flow path switching valve when the authentication of the mobile device is completed or when a predetermined time elapses after the operation of the flow path switching valve is stopped.

10. The control method according to claim 8 further comprising:
setting a maximum output of the fuel cell based on a distribution ratio of a flow rate of the coolant flowing on the radiator to a flow rate of the coolant flowing on the bypass flow path in the flow path switching valve; and
controlling the fuel cell such that the output of the fuel cell does not exceed the maximum output when the authentication is performed.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanoue Hidetaka
• Nonaka Masato

Classifications

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01M8/04768

  of the coolant · CPC title

• B60L58/33 Primary

  by cooling · CPC title

• E05B49/00

  Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor {; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor (arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00)} · CPC title

• E05B2047/0095

  Mechanical aspects of locks controlled by telephone signals, e.g. by mobile phones · CPC title