Fuel cell system and control method of fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016133970-A1
Application number	US-201514931190-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 12, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In order to provide a fuel cell system that inhibits the occurrence of degradation of an MEA while also inhibiting an increase in the CPU load. A fuel cell system is equipped with a hydrogen supply unit that supplies hydrogen to a fuel cell, a pressure detection unit that detects the internal pressure of hydrogen supply piping, a current detection unit that detects the current value of the fuel cell, and a control unit that calculates the necessary hydrogen supply volume for the fuel cell based on the detected current value and pressure value, and controls the hydrogen supply unit to supply hydrogen corresponding to the calculated hydrogen supply unit to the fuel cell, wherein the control unit calculates the hydrogen supply volume based on the pressure value and the current value for each of a first cycle, and acquires the pressure value and supplies hydrogen corresponding to the immediately prior calculated hydrogen supply volume to the fuel cell when the control unit is determined that supply of hydrogen is necessary based on the acquired pressure value, for each of a second cycle which shorter than the first cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell, a hydrogen supply unit that supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell via hydrogen supply piping, a pressure detection unit that detects a pressure value of the internal pressure of the hydrogen supply piping, a current detection unit that detects the current value of the power generation current of the fuel cell, and a control unit that calculates the necessary hydrogen supply volume for the fuel cell based on the detected current value and the pressure value, and controls the hydrogen supply unit to supply hydrogen corresponding to the calculated hydrogen supply volume to the fuel cell, wherein the control unit calculates the hydrogen supply volume based on the pressure value and the current value for each of a first cycle, and acquires the pressure value and supplies hydrogen corresponding to the immediately prior calculated hydrogen supply volume to the fuel cell when the control unit is determined that supply of hydrogen is necessary based on the acquired pressure value, for each of a second cycle which shorter than the first cycle.

2 . A fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell, a hydrogen supply unit that supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell via hydrogen supply piping, a pressure detection unit that detects a pressure value of the internal pressure of the hydrogen supply piping, a current detection unit that detects the current value of the power generation current of the fuel cell, and a control unit that: executes a first routine for each of a first cycle, wherein the first routine acquires the current value and the pressure value, calculates the necessary hydrogen supply volume by the hydrogen supply unit from the acquired current value and pressure value, and updates the hydrogen supply volume stored in the storage unit using the calculated hydrogen supply volume, and executes a second routine for each of a second cycle which shorter than the first cycle, wherein the second routine acquires the pressure value, judges whether or not hydrogen supply by the hydrogen supply unit is necessary from the acquired pressure value, and when the control unit is judged that supply of hydrogen is necessary, acquires the hydrogen supply volume from the storage unit, and has the hydrogen supply unit start the supply of hydrogen corresponding to the acquired hydrogen supply volume.

3 . The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit: with the first routine, calculates a target pressure value for the internal pressure of the hydrogen supply piping from the acquired current value, and updates the target pressure value stored in the storage unit using the calculated target pressure value, for each of the first cycle, and with the second routine, acquires the target pressure value from the storage unit, and judges whether or not hydrogen supply by the hydrogen supply unit is necessary based on whether or not the pressure value acquired from the pressure detection unit has gone below the acquired target pressure value, for each of the second cycle.

4 . The fuel cell system according to claim 3 ,
wherein with the second routine, when the pressure value acquired from the pressure detection unit goes below the acquired target pressure value, the control unit again acquires the pressure value and the target pressure value, and when the pressure value acquired again goes below the target pressure value acquired again, judges that hydrogen supply by the hydrogen supply unit is necessary.

5 . The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein when the control unit has the hydrogen supply unit execute supplying of hydrogen corresponding to a first hydrogen supply volume acquired from the storage unit, the control unit executes a third routine for each of a third cycle which is shorter than the first cycle, wherein with the third routine, the control unit acquires the hydrogen supply volume from the storage unit, judges whether or not a second hydrogen supply volume which is the acquired hydrogen supply volume has changed by a preset threshold value or greater in relation to the first hydrogen supply volume, and when the control unit is judged that the second hydrogen supply volume has changed by the threshold value or greater, even if the supply of hydrogen corresponding to the first hydrogen supply volume by the hydrogen supply unit is not completed, the control unit has the hydrogen supply unit start supply of hydrogen corresponding to the second hydrogen supply volume.

6 . A control method of a fuel cell system including a hydrogen supply unit that supplies hydrogen to a fuel cell via hydrogen supply piping, comprising:
(a) a step of acquiring a current value of the power generation current of the fuel cell and a pressure value of the internal pressure of the hydrogen supply piping, calculating the necessary hydrogen supply volume by the hydrogen supply unit from the acquired current value and pressure value, and updating the hydrogen supply volume stored in the storage unit using the calculated hydrogen supply volume, for each of a first cycle, and (b) a step of acquiring the pressure value, judging whether or not hydrogen supply by the hydrogen supply unit is necessary from the acquired pressure value, and when it is judged that the hydrogen supply is necessary, acquires the hydrogen supply volume from the storage unit, and has the hydrogen supply unit start supplying hydrogen corresponding to the acquired hydrogen supply volume, for each of a second cycle which shorter than the first cycle.

7 . The control method according to claim 6 ,
wherein with the step (a), calculates a target pressure value for the internal pressure of the hydrogen supply piping from the acquired current value, and updates the target pressure value stored in the storage unit using the calculated target pressure value, for each of the first cycle, and with the step (b), acquires the target pressure value from the storage unit, and judges whether or not hydrogen supply by the hydrogen supply unit is necessary based on whether or not the acquired pressure value has gone below the acquired target pressure value, for each of the second cycle.

8 . The control method according to claim 7 ,
wherein with the step (b), when the acquired pressure value goes below the acquired target pressure value, the pressure value and the target pressure value are acquired again, and when the pressure value acquired again goes below the target pressure value acquired again, judges that hydrogen supply by the hydrogen supply unit is necessary.

9 . The control method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
(c) a step whereby when supplying of hydrogen corresponding to a first hydrogen supply volume acquired from the storage unit is executed by the hydrogen supply unit, the hydrogen supply volume from the storage unit is acquired, a judgment is made of whether a second hydrogen supply volume which is the acquired hydrogen supply volume has changed by a preset threshold volume or greater in relation to the first hydrogen supply volume, and when it is judge to have changed by the threshold value or greater, even if the supply of hydrogen corresponding to the first hydrogen supply volume by the hydrogen supply unit is not completed, supply of hydrogen corresponding to the second hydrogen supply volume is started by the hydrogen supply unit, for each of a third cycle which is shorter than the first cycle.

10 . A control method of a fuel cell system including a hydrogen supply unit for supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell via hydrogen supply piping, comprising:
(A) a step of calculating a hydrogen supply volume based on the pressure value of the internal pressure

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamamoto Kazuo
• Imanishi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04753 Primary

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04574

  Current · CPC title