Power supply system, power supply method and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11804614-B2
Application number	US-202117469911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2021
Priority date	Oct 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

The power supply system includes: a fuel cell, capable of generating power; a power storage device, storing power generated by the fuel cell; and a control device, controlling at least the fuel cell. The control device, under a tendency that power consumption of a load at least connected with the fuel cell and the power storage device decreases, determines a first lower limit power based on power generated by the fuel cell before a predetermined time, causes the fuel cell to generate second power equal to or greater than the first lower limit power when first power generated by the fuel cell determined based on a power supplied to the load drops below the first lower limit power, and determines the first lower limit power with a tendency that the greater the generated power, the greater a difference between the generated power and the first lower limit power is increased.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power supply system, comprising:
a fuel cell, capable of generating power;
a power storage device, storing power generated by the fuel cell; and
a control device, controlling at least the fuel cell,
wherein the control device is configured to:
in a case that power consumption of a load at least connected with the fuel cell and the power storage device decreases,
determine a first lower limit power based on generated power generated by the fuel cell before a predetermined time;
cause the fuel cell to generate a second power equal to or greater than the first lower limit power in a case where a first power generated by the fuel cell, which is determined based on a power supplied to the load, drops below the first lower limit power; and
wherein the first lower limit power is determined such that the greater the generated power, the greater an increased difference between the generated power and the first lower limit power.

2. The power supply system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to: in a case where the first power drops below the first lower limit power and the first lower limit power exceeds a limit value set based on a power which the power storage device is able to store, cause the fuel cell to generate a third power, in place of the second power, based on the limit value.

3. The power supply system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to determine the first lower limit power,
wherein the first lower limit power is derived from a map in which the generated power generated by the fuel cell is associated with time; or
the first lower limit power is derived from a table in which the second power is associate with the first lower limit power; or
the first lower limit power is derived from a function based on the generated power generated by the fuel cell.

4. The power supply system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the control device is configured to determine the first lower limit power,
wherein the first lower limit power is derived from a map in which the generated power generated by the fuel cell is associated with time; or
the first lower limit power is derived from a table in which the second power is associate with the first lower limit power; or
the first lower limit power is derived from a function based on the generated power generated by the fuel cell.

5. The power supply system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first lower limit power is further determined such that the lower a temperature of the fuel cell or near the fuel cell, the greater the increased difference.

6. The power supply system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first lower limit power is further determined such that the lower a temperature of the fuel cell or near the fuel cell, the greater the increased difference.

7. The power supply system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first lower limit power is further determined such that the lower a temperature of the fuel cell or near the fuel cell, the greater the increased difference.

8. The power supply system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first lower limit is further determined such that the lower a humidity of the fuel cell or near the fuel cell, the greater the increased difference.

9. The power supply system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first lower limit is further determined such that the lower a humidity of the fuel cell or near the fuel cell, the greater the increased difference.

10. The power supply system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first lower limit is further determined such that the lower a humidity of the fuel cell or near the fuel cell, the greater the increased difference.

11. The power supply system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first lower limit is further determined such that the lower a humidity of the fuel cell or near the fuel cell, the greater the increased difference.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium, storing a program causing a control device which controls at least a fuel cell capable of generating power, in a case that power consumption of a load at least connected with the fuel cell and a power storage device storing power generated by the fuel cell decreases, to perform:
a process of determining a first lower limit power based on generated power generated by the fuel cell before a predetermined time;
a process of causing the fuel cell to generate a second power equal to or greater than the first lower limit power in a case where a first power generated by the fuel cell, which is determined based on a power supplied to the load, drops below the first lower limit power; and
wherein the first lower limit power is determined such that the greater the generated power, the greater an increased difference between the generated power and the first lower limit power.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakai Ryoji
• NAKAGAWA Takuto

Classifications

• H01M8/04947 Primary

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B60L58/30 Primary

  for monitoring or controlling fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L58/40

  for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L50/75

  using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries · CPC title