Fuel cell humidification device and fuel cell motorcycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016276682-A1
Application number	US-201615066377-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a fuel cell humidification device of a fuel cell motorcycle. When a fuel cell managing device demands to perform a humidification treatment for humidifying an electrolyte film of an air-cooled type solid polymer fuel cell or the humidification treatment is being performed, a humidification permission deciding portion decides whether an inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle is equal to or greater than an inclination threshold, and then permits to perform or continue to perform the humidification treatment if the inclination is not equal to or greater than the inclination threshold, and does not permit to perform or continue to perform the humidification treatment if the inclination is equal to or greater than the inclination threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell humidification device of a fuel cell motorcycle, the fuel cell motorcycle comprising:
a frame forming a skeleton of the fuel cell motorcycle; a driving wheel for driving the fuel cell motorcycle; a steerable wheel for changing a running direction of the fuel cell motorcycle; a fuel tank supported on the frame and configured to store hydrogen; an air-cooled type solid polymer fuel cell supported on the frame and having a fuel electrode, an air electrode and an electrolyte film; a secondary battery supported on the frame; a motor supported on the frame and configured to be operated with an electric power supplied from the fuel cell or the secondary battery and to drive the driving wheel; an electric power control device configured to control supplying of an electric power from the fuel cell to the motor and supplying of an electric power from the secondary battery to the motor; and a fuel cell managing device configured to detect or predict a wet condition of the electrolyte film of the fuel cell and then on the basis of the detection or prediction result, demand to perform a humidification treatment for humidifying the electrolyte film of the fuel cell, and the fuel cell humidification devices comprising: a humidification performing portion configured to perform the humidification treatment; an inclination detection portion configured to detect an inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle; and a humidification permission deciding portion configured to decide whether or not to permit to perform the humidification treatment, on the basis of the inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the inclination detection portion, wherein when the fuel cell managing device demands to perform the humidification treatment or the humidification treatment is being performed, the humidification permission deciding portion decides whether or not the inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the inclination detection portion is equal to or greater than an inclination threshold, and then permits to perform or continue to perform the humidification treatment if the inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle is not equal to or greater than the inclination threshold, and does not permit to perform or continue to perform the humidification treatment if the inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle is equal to or greater than the inclination threshold.

2 . The fuel cell humidification device according to claim 1 , further comprising a humidification time measuring portion configured to measure a humidification time which is a duration of the humidification treatment,
wherein in a case where the humidification treatment is being performed, when deciding whether or not to permit to continue to perform the humidification treatment on the basis of the inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the inclination detection portion, the humidification permission deciding portion causes the inclination threshold to be used in the decision to become smaller as the humidification time measured by the humidification time measuring portion becomes longer.

3 . The fuel cell humidification device according to claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle speed detection portion configured to detect a speed of the fuel cell motorcycle,
wherein in a case where the fuel cell managing device demands to perform the humidification treatment or the humidification treatment is being performed, when deciding whether or not to perform or continue to perform the humidification treatment on the basis of the inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the inclination detection portion, the humidification permission deciding portion varies the inclination threshold to be used in the decision in accordance with the speed of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the vehicle speed detection portion.

4 . The fuel cell humidification device according to claim 3 , further comprising a humidification time measuring portion configured to measure a humidification time which is a duration of the humidification treatment,
wherein in a case where the humidification treatment is being performed, when deciding whether or not to permit to continue to perform the humidification treatment on the basis of the speed of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the vehicle speed detection portion and the inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the inclination detection portion, the humidification permission deciding portion causes the inclination threshold to be used in the decision to become smaller as the humidification time measured by the humidification time measuring portion becomes longer.

5 . The fuel cell humidification device according to claim 1 , further comprising an inclination change detection portion configured to detect a change per unit time in inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle,
wherein when the fuel cell managing device demands to perform the humidification treatment or the humidification treatment is being performed, the humidification permission deciding portion decides whether or not the change per unit time in inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle, detected by the inclination change detection portion is equal to or greater than an inclination change threshold, and then does not permit to perform or permit to continue to perform the humidification treatment if the change per unit time in inclination of the fuel cell motorcycle is equal to or greater than the inclination change threshold.

6 . A fuel cell motorcycle comprising the fuel cell humidification device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Suzuki Motor Corp

Inventors

• Yamamoto Tomoharu

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

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

• B62M7/00

  Motorcycles characterised by position of motor or engine (rider propulsion with addition source of power, e.g. auxiliary combustion engine or electric motor B62M6/00; frames characterised by position of engine B62K11/00) · CPC title

• H01M8/04014

  Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04313

  characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function · CPC title

• H01M8/04291 Primary

  Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) · CPC title