Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11855319-B2
Application number	US-202217680222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

When leakage of fuel gas is detected by detection signals or disruption of the detection signals is detected, a FCECU limits a supply amount of the fuel gas from a fuel gas supply device, and shuts off the supply of the fuel gas by the fuel gas supply device when determining, after limiting the supply amount of the fuel gas, that the leakage of the fuel gas or the disruption of the detection signals has occurred.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate power by an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas;
a fuel gas supply device configured to supply the fuel gas to the fuel cell;
an oxygen-containing gas supply device configured to supply the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell;
a gas sensor configured to detect leakage of the fuel gas from the fuel cell;
a timer; and
a control device configured to control a state of supply of the fuel gas by the fuel gas supply device, based on a detection signal from the gas sensor, the control device comprising one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory, wherein
the one or more processors execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the control device to:
limit a supply amount of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply device and set a determination time in the timer, while supply of the fuel gas to the fuel cell continues, when leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the detection signal or when disruption of the detection signal is detected;
determine that the leakage of the fuel gas or the disruption of the detection signal has occurred, in a case where the leakage of the fuel gas continues to be detected by the detection signal or the disruption of the detection signal continues to be detected after the determination time set in the timer has elapsed; and
shut off the supply of the fuel gas by the fuel gas supply device when determining, after limiting the supply amount of the fuel gas, that the leakage of the fuel gas or the disruption of the detection signal has occurred.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more processors cause the control device to:
cancel limitation on the supply amount of the fuel gas in a case where the leakage of the fuel gas is not detected any more by the detection signal before the determination time set in the timer elapses.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more processors cause the control device to:
cancel limitation on the supply amount of the fuel gas in a case where the disruption of the detection signal is resolved before the determination time set in the timer elapses.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the fuel gas supplied from the fuel gas supply device to the fuel cell, wherein
the one or more processors cause the control device to:
control the pressure detected by the pressure sensor to be a target pressure; and
limit the supply amount of the fuel gas supplied from the fuel gas supply device to the fuel cell by reducing the target pressure.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the gas sensors are provided, and
the one or more processors cause the control device to:
immediately shut off the supply of the fuel gas without limiting the supply amount of the fuel gas, when the leakage of the fuel gas is detected by at least one of the plurality of gas sensors or when the disruption of all detection signals from the plurality of gas sensors is detected.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishio jin
• Hattori Tomonari
• Kato Koichi
• Yoshimura Yusai
• Inoue Kazuhide
• Takaku Koichi
• Ojima Kuniaki

Classifications

• H01M8/04679 Primary

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04126

  Humidifying · CPC title

• H01M8/04228

  during shut-down · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title