Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12407011-B2
Application number	US-202217680229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

When controlling the power generation state of a fuel cell stack based on a generated current command value, a control device sets the generated current command value based on a generated power command value and a generated voltage acquired by a voltage sensor such that the following expression is satisfied, regardless of whether a bleed valve is opened or closed: generated current command value=generated power command value/generated voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate power using a fuel gas supplied to an anode through a fuel gas supply flow path and an oxygen-containing gas supplied to a cathode through an oxygen-containing gas supply flow path,
the fuel cell system further comprising:
a fuel exhaust gas flow path through which a fuel exhaust gas discharged from the anode flows;
a connection flow path configured to allow the fuel exhaust gas flow path and the oxygen-containing gas supply flow path to communicate with each other, the fuel exhaust gas flowing through the connection flow path;
an on-off valve configured to open or close the connection flow path;
a control device configured to control a state of supply of the fuel gas to the fuel cell and a state of supply of the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell, the control device comprising one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory; and
a voltage acquirer configured to acquire a generated voltage of the fuel cell, wherein
when controlling a power generation state of the fuel cell based on a generated current command value, the one or more processors execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the control device to:
close the on-off valve to perform first power generation control in which the generated current command value is set based on a generated power command value; and
open the on-off valve to perform second power generation control in which the generated current command value is set based on the generated power command value and the generated voltage during opening of the on-off valve so that the fuel exhaust gas that has flowed through the connection flow path and the oxygen-containing gas supply flow path is supplied to the cathode together with the oxygen-containing gas and an amount of the fuel gas to be supplied to the anode through the fuel gas supply flow path is increased.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising a fuel gas concentration acquiring unit configured to acquire a concentration of the fuel gas flowing through the anode, wherein
the one or more processors cause the control device to open the on-off valve when the concentration of the fuel gas acquired by the fuel gas concentration acquiring unit becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising a fuel gas concentration acquiring unit configured to acquire a concentration of the fuel gas flowing through the anode, wherein
the one or more processors cause the control device to switch from the first power generation control to the second power generation control before opening the on-off valve when the concentration of the fuel gas acquired by the fuel gas concentration acquiring unit becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakai Ryoji
• Inoue Kazuhide
• NAKAGAWA Takuto

Classifications

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• B60L58/30

  for monitoring or controlling fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04552

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04932 Primary

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title