Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12580211-B2
Application number	US-202217843482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2022
Priority date	Jun 24, 2021
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A fuel-cell-applied system includes a control device configured to control power generation of the fuel cell, a power conversion device configured to convert power generated by the fuel cell into power for input to a load, an isolation device configured to irreversibly disconnect electrical connection between the fuel cell and the power conversion device, a first detector configured to detect an output power state form the fuel cell, and a second detector configured to detect an input power state to the power conversion device, wherein the control device detects a disconnected state of the electrical connection caused by the isolation device on a basis of the output power state and the input power state respectively detected by the first detector and the second detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell; a control device configured to control power generation of the fuel cell; a power conversion device configured to convert power generated by the fuel cell into power for input to a load; an isolation device configured to irreversibly disconnect electrical connection between the fuel cell and the power conversion device; a first detector connected between input terminals of the isolation device and configured to detect an output power state form the fuel cell; and a second detector connected between output terminals of the isolation device and configured to detect an input power state to the power conversion device, wherein the control device sets an open circuit voltage to a predetermined value determined to cause deterioration of the fuel cell and sets a target power generation voltage to a value less than the open circuit voltage, the first detector detects, as the output power state, a power generation voltage generated between a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the fuel cell, the second detector detects, as the input power state, an input voltage between input terminals of the power conversion device, the input terminals including one input terminal electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal and another input terminal electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal, the control device is programmed to detect a disconnected state of the electrical connection caused by the isolation device on a basis of a voltage difference between the power generation voltage and the input voltage respectively detected by the first detector and the second detector, the control device is programmed to determine the disconnected state of the electrical connection on a condition that the voltage difference is equal to or greater than a threshold voltage that is set to a voltage value between the target power generation voltage and the open circuit voltage of the fuel cell,
wherein the control device is configured to stop a start-up operation of the fuel cell system in a case where the disconnected state of the electrical connection caused by the isolation device is detected during the start-up operation of the fuel cell system.

2 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising a capacitor disposed between the input terminals of the power conversion device,
wherein the first detector is formed of a first voltage sensor configured to detect the power generated voltage generated by the fuel cell and a first current sensor configured to detect a generated current generated by the fuel cell, and the second detector is formed of a second voltage sensor configured to detect the input voltage between input terminals of the power conversion device and a second current sensor configured to detect an input current to the power conversion device, and the control device is configured to detect the disconnected state of the electrical connection caused by the isolation device on a basis of a behavior of the input voltage to the power conversion device detected between terminals of the capacitor by the second voltage sensor in a case where an electric current flow is undetectable by the first current sensor and the second current sensor.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakai Ryoji

Classifications

• H01M8/04552

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04582

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04611

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title