Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016380294-A1
Application number	US-201615180526-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 24, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

At an ordinary stop time of a fuel cell system, a controller of the fuel cell system completes an ordinary stop process that includes at least one of a water drainage process that discharges water from at least one of the fuel gas flow path and the oxidizing gas flow path and a cathode sealing process that seals the oxidizing gas flow path, and subsequently stops the fuel cell system. When the fuel cell system satisfies a predetermined emergency stop condition, the controller does not perform at least part of the ordinary stop process but performs an emergency stop process that sets the fuel cell system to be restarted after elapse of a first time period since a stop of the fuel cell system and subsequently stops the fuel cell system. The controller restarts the fuel cell system after elapse of the first time period since stop of the fuel cell system and performs a restart process that performs the ordinary stop process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell; a fuel gas flow path that is configured to supply a fuel gas to the fuel cell; an oxidizing gas flow path that is configured to supply an oxidizing gas to the fuel cell; and a controller that is configured to control power generation by the fuel cell, wherein at an ordinary stop time of the fuel cell system, the controller completes an ordinary stop process that includes at least one of a water drainage process that discharges water from at least one of the fuel gas flow path and the oxidizing gas flow path and a cathode sealing process that seals the oxidizing gas flow path, and subsequently stops the fuel cell system, when the fuel cell system satisfies a predetermined emergency stop condition, the controller does not perform at least part of the ordinary stop process but performs an emergency stop process that sets the fuel cell system to be restarted after elapse of a first time period since a stop of the fuel cell system and subsequently stops the fuel cell system, and the controller restarts the fuel cell system after elapse of the first time period since a stop of the fuel cell system and performs a restart process that performs the ordinary stop process.

2 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller performs an uncompleted part of the ordinary stop process in the restart process.

3 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ordinary stop process includes a water drainage process that discharges water from the fuel gas flow path, and the controller performs a leakage detection process that detects whether a leakage of the fuel gas from the fuel gas flow path occurs, prior to performing the water drainage process in the restart process, wherein when a leakage of the fuel gas is detected in the leakage detection process, the controller suspends the restart process without performing the water drainage process, and when no leakage of the fuel gas is detected in the leakage detection process, the controller performs the water drainage process.

4 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller determines whether a component used for the ordinary stop process has a failure, prior to performing the ordinary stop process in the restart process, wherein when it is determined that the component used for the ordinary stop process has a failure, the controller suspends the restart process without performing the ordinary stop process, and when it is determined that no component used for the ordinary stop process has a failure, the controller performs the ordinary stop process.

5 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the fuel cell system satisfies the emergency stop condition in the restart process, the controller performs the emergency stop process, and when the fuel cell system does not satisfy the emergency stop condition in the restart process, the controller does not perform the emergency stop process.

6 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the ordinary stop process is completed, the controller sets the fuel cell system to be restarted after elapse of a second time period, which is longer than the first time period, since a stop of the fuel cell system, and subsequently stops the fuel cell system, and the controller restarts the fuel cell after elapse of the second time period since a stop of the fuel cell system and performs a predetermined process.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shiokawa Satoshi
• Naganuma Yoshiaki
• Ogawa Tomohiro
• Maruo Tsuyoshi
• Imanishi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/04164

  by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters · CPC title

• H01M8/04228

  during shut-down · CPC title

• H01M8/04253

  Means for solving freezing problems · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/0432

  Temperature; Ambient temperature · CPC title