Fuel cell power-supply management device and fuel cell power-supply management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535268-B2
Application number	US-202118553859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2021
Priority date	Apr 9, 2021
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A fuel cell power-supply management device and a fuel cell power-supply management method enabling efficient recovery and utilization of boil-off gas. The fuel cell power-supply management device includes: a boil-off gas accumulation amount recognition unit that recognizes an accumulation amount of the boil-off gas in a boil-off gas accumulation unit; a demand status recognition unit that recognizes a demand status for each use of the boil-off gas; a boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit that determines a recovery timing of the boil-off gas accumulated in the boil-off gas accumulation unit, based on an accumulation amount of the boil-off gas recognized by the boil-off gas accumulation amount recognition unit or a demand status of the boil-off gas recognized by the demand status recognition unit; and a boil-off gas utilization processing arrangement unit that arranges utilization processing of the boil-off gas recovered from the boil-off gas accumulation unit at the recovery timing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell power-supply management device that manages a fuel cell power-supply having a liquid hydrogen tank and a boil-off gas accumulation unit for accumulating boil-off gas generated in the liquid hydrogen tank, the fuel cell power-supply management device comprising:
a boil-off gas accumulation amount recognition unit that recognizes an accumulation amount of boil-off gas in the boil-off gas accumulation unit; a demand status recognition unit that recognizes a demand status for each use of the boil-off gas; a boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit that determines a recovery timing of the boil-off gas accumulated in the boil-off gas accumulation unit, based on an accumulation amount of the boil-off gas or a demand status of the boil-off gas, the accumulation amount being recognized by the boil-off gas accumulation amount recognition unit, the demand status being recognized by the demand status recognition unit; and a boil-off gas utilization processing arrangement unit that arranges utilization processing of the boil-off gas recovered from the boil-off gas accumulation unit at the recovery timing.

2 . The fuel cell power-supply management device according to claim 1 , further comprising a periodic inspection arrangement unit that arranges periodic inspection of the fuel cell power-supply in synchronization with the recovery timing,
wherein the boil-off gas utilization processing arrangement unit arranges, as the utilization processing, the periodic inspection in which the power generated by utilizing boil-off gas recovered from the boil-off gas accumulation unit is used.

3 . The fuel cell power-supply management device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information for an area where the fuel cell power-supply is installed; a power outage occurrence probability estimation unit that estimates power outage occurrence probability in the area for a predetermined period ahead based on the weather information; and a boil-off gas recovery condition change unit that relaxes a condition for determining the recovery timing when the power outage occurrence probability is lower than a predetermined value, relative to when the power outage occurrence probability is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the condition being determined by the boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit for the predetermined period.

4 . The fuel cell power-supply management device according to claim 3 , wherein the boil-off gas recovery condition change unit prohibits the boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit from determining the recovery timing for the predetermined period when the power outage occurrence probability is equal to or higher than a second predetermined value higher than the predetermined value.

5 . The fuel cell power-supply management device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information for an area where the fuel cell power-supply is set; a power outage occurrence probability estimation unit that estimates power outage occurrence probability in the area for a predetermined period ahead based on the weather information; and a boil-off gas recovery condition change unit that prohibits the boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit from determining the recovery timing for the predetermined period when the power outage occurrence probability is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

6 . The fuel cell power-supply management device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information for an area where the fuel cell power-supply is installed; a power outage occurrence probability estimation unit that estimates power outage occurrence probability in the area for a predetermined period ahead based on the weather information; and a boil-off gas recovery condition change unit that relaxes a condition for determining the recovery timing when the power outage occurrence probability is lower than a predetermined value, relative to when the power outage occurrence probability is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the condition being determined by the boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit for the predetermined period.

7 . The fuel cell power-supply management device according to claim 6 , wherein the boil-off gas recovery condition change unit prohibits the boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit from determining the recovery timing for the predetermined period when the power outage occurrence probability is equal to or higher than a second predetermined value higher than the predetermined value.

8 . The fuel cell power-supply management device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information for an area where the fuel cell power-supply is set; a power outage occurrence probability estimation unit that estimates power outage occurrence probability in the area for a predetermined period ahead based on the weather information; and a boil-off gas recovery condition change unit that prohibits the boil-off gas recovery timing determination unit from determining the recovery timing for the predetermined period when the power outage occurrence probability is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

9 . A fuel cell power-supply management method executed by a computer for managing a fuel cell power-supply having a liquid hydrogen tank and a boil-off gas accumulation unit for accumulating boil-off gas generated in the liquid hydrogen tank, the fuel cell power-supply management method comprising:
a boil-off gas accumulation amount recognition step that recognizes an accumulation amount of boil-off gas in the boil-off gas accumulation unit; a demand status recognition step that recognizes a demand status for each use of the boil-off gas; a boil-off gas recovery timing determination step that determines a recovery timing of the boil-off gas accumulated in the boil-off gas accumulation unit, based on an accumulation amount of the boil-off gas or a demand status of the boil-off gas, the accumulation amount being recognized by the boil-off gas accumulation amount recognition step, the demand status being recognized by the demand status recognition step; and a boil-off gas utilization processing arrangement step that arranges utilization processing of the boil-off gas recovered from the boil-off gas accumulation unit at the recovery timing.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Minagawa Tatsuya
• Yamano Naoki
• Sato Akihisa
• ITO Ayato

Classifications

• F25J2210/90

  Boil-off gas from storage · CPC title

• F25J1/0252

  Control strategy, e.g. advanced process control or dynamic modeling · CPC title

• F25J1/001

  Hydrogen · CPC title

• F25J1/0275 Primary

  adapted for special use of the liquefaction unit, e.g. portable or transportable devices · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title