Power system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12466275-B2
Application number	US-202117447059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2021
Priority date	Sep 11, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

The power system includes a fuel cell stack, a system accessory, a battery, and a control device. The control device executes, based on a state of a vehicle and the battery, one of the following processes: a normal power generation process during which the control device makes a net output greater than 0; a first idling stop process during which the control device makes the net output equal to or less than 0 while continuing operation of the system accessory and power generation by the stack; a second idling stop process during which the control device makes the net output less than 0 by stopping the power generation while continuing the operation of the system accessory; and a third idling atop process during which the control device makes the net output equal to 0, by stopping both the operation of the system accessory and the power generation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power system comprising:
a fuel cell stack that generates power by way of an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas; a system accessory that supplies the fuel gas and the oxidant gas by consuming power; a battery that stores power outputted from the fuel cell stack; a load that consumes power outputted from the fuel cell stack or power outputted from the battery; and a control device that controls a fuel cell system including the fuel cell stack and the system accessory, wherein the control device executes, based on a state of the power system and a state of the battery, one of following processes: a normal power generation process during which the control device causes the fuel cell stack to generate power, and makes a net output greater than 0, the net output being output power of the fuel cell system; and an idling stop process during which the control device makes the net output equal to 0 by stopping both the operation of the system accessory and the power generation by the fuel cell stack, and wherein the control device executes the idling stop process while a shift position of a vehicle is in a parking position or while a vehicle speed is 0 and a parking brake of the vehicle is in operation.

2 . The power system according to claim 1 ,
wherein during the idling stop process, the control device executes an anti-deterioration process by filling an oxidant gas flow path of the fuel cell stack with an inert gas, and thereafter, stops the operation of the system accessory and the power generation by the fuel cell stack.

3 . The power system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the load includes a traction motor for causing the vehicle to travel, and wherein the control device selectively executes one of the normal power generation process and the idling stop processes, based on a state of the vehicle and a state of the battery.

4 . The power system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control device executes the idling stop process when the charge rate of the battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined value and the vehicle is at a standstill.

5 . The power system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the power system comprises a plurality of fuel cell systems, and wherein the control device selects, at least one of the plurality of fuel cell systems as an idling stop target based on a degree of deterioration of each of the plurality of fuel cell systems, and reduces the net output of the idling stop target.

6 . The power system according to claim 5 ,
wherein when the idling stop process is to be executed, the control device selects, as the idling stop target, one fuel system that has the highest degree of deterioration from the plurality of fuel cell systems.

7 . The power system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the load includes a traction motor for causing the vehicle, and wherein the control device selectively executes one of the normal power generation process and the idling stop processes, based on a state of the vehicle and a state of the battery.

8 . The power system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control device executes the idling stop process when a charge rate of the battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and the vehicle is at a standstill.

9 . The power system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the power system comprises a plurality of fuel cell systems, and wherein the control device selects from at least one of the plurality of fuel cell systems as an idling stop target based on a degree of deterioration of each of the plurality of fuel cell systems, and reduces the net output of the idling stop target.

10 . The power system according to claim 9 ,
wherein when the idling stop process is to be executed, the control device selects, as the idling stop target, one fuel system that has the highest degree of deterioration from the plurality of fuel cell systems.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Taruya Kenji
• Igarashi Daishi

Classifications

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

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

• B60L50/51 Primary

  characterised by AC-motors · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• H01M10/46

  Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title