Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017352902-A1
Application number	US-201715593330-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2017
Priority date	Jun 3, 2016
Publication date	Dec 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a battery, a fuel cell, an air pump, and a processor. The battery stores electric power. The fuel cell supplies electric power to the battery. The air pump is driven with the electric power supplied from the battery to supply air to the fuel cell. The processor, when starting the fuel cell system, is configured to compare an amount of the electric power stored in the battery with a threshold electric power. If the amount of the electric power is higher than or equal to the threshold electric power, the air pump is driven. If the amount of the electric power is lower than the threshold electric power, the air pump is prohibited to drive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell; a battery device; an air pump device configured to start driving with power supplied from the battery device to supply air to the fuel cell; and a control unit configured to control the drive of the air pump device based on information related to an amount of power acquired from the battery device, wherein at the time of activation, the control unit:
compares an acquired value obtained from the information related to an amount of power and at least one threshold value held by the control unit with each other;
causes the air pump device to drive when the acquired value is higher than or equal to the threshold value; and
does not cause the air pump device to drive when the acquired value is lower than the threshold value.

2 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates an air pump power upper limit value as the acquired value, the air pump power upper limit value being an upper limit of power supplied to the air pump device.

3 . The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit calculates the air pump power upper limit value based on a discharge limit that is set based on an amount of power of the battery device and that is an upper limit of power outputted by the battery.

4 . The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the threshold value includes a first threshold value and a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, and wherein the control unit:
causes the air pump device to drive when the air pump power upper limit value is higher than or equal to the second threshold value; and
does not cause the air pump device to drive when the air pump power upper limit value is lower than the second threshold value.

5 . The fuel cell system according to claim 4 :
wherein the control unit:
detects failure of the air pump device when the air pump power upper limit value is higher than or equal to the first threshold value and drive of the air pump device is failed; and
detects that power is limited when the air pump power upper limit value is lower than the first threshold value and higher than or equal to the second threshold value, and drive of the air pump device is failed.

6 . The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit:
after activation of the air pump device starts, detects air flow rate of the air pump device;
when the air flow rate is not higher than an air flow rate threshold value after elapse of a predetermined time, determines whether the air pump power upper limit value as of that time is higher than the threshold value; and when the air pump power upper limit value is higher than the threshold value, detects failure of the air pump device.

7 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit:
acquires or calculates SOC indicating a remaining charge amount of the battery device as information related to the amount of power; has an SOC lower limit value corresponding to the SOC as the threshold value; causes the air pump device to drive when the SOC is higher than or equal to the SOC lower limit value; and does not cause the air pump device to drive when the SOC is lower than the SOC lower limit value.

8 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit determines whether drive state of the air pump device is based on power generation request of a fuel cell or scavenging request of the fuel cell and changes the threshold value depending on the power generation request or the scavenging request.

9 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a battery to store electric power; a fuel cell to supply electric power to the battery; an air pump to be driven with the electric power supplied from the battery to supply air to the fuel cell; and a processor, when starting the fuel cell system, configured to
compare an amount of the electric power stored in the battery with a threshold electric power;
drive the air pump if the amount of the electric power is higher than or equal to the threshold electric power; and
prohibit to drive the air pump if the amount of the electric power is lower than the threshold electric power.

10 . The fuel cell system according to claim 9 , wherein the processor, when starting the fuel cell system, is configured to compare an acquired value indicating the amount of the electric power with at least one threshold value.

11 . The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate an air pump power upper limit value as the acquired value, the air pump power upper limit value being an upper limit of power supplied to the air pump.

12 . The fuel cell system according to claim 11 ,
wherein the processor is configured to calculate the air pump power upper limit value based on a discharge limit that is set based on the amount of the electric power stored in the battery and that is an upper limit of the electric power output from the battery.

13 . The fuel cell system according to claim 11 ,
wherein the at lease one threshold value includes a first threshold value and a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, and wherein the processor is configured to
drive the air pump if the air pump power upper limit value is higher than or equal to the second threshold value; and
prohibit to drive the air pump if the air pump power upper limit value is lower than the second threshold value.

14 . The fuel cell system according to claim 13 :
wherein the processor is configured to
detect failure of the air pump if the air pump power upper limit value is higher than or equal to the first threshold value and if drive of the air pump is failed; and
detect that power is limited if the air pump power upper limit value is lower than the first threshold value and higher than or equal to the second threshold value, and if drive of the air pump is failed.

15 . The fuel cell system according to claim 11 ,
wherein the processor is configured to
detect air flow rate of the air pump after activation of the air pump starts;
if the air flow rate is not higher than an air flow rate threshold value after elapse of a predetermined time, determine whether the air pump power upper limit value as of that time is higher than the at least one threshold value; and
detect failure of the air pump if the air pump power upper limit value is higher than the at least one threshold value.

16 . The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the processor is configured to
acquire or calculate SOC indicating a remaining charge amount of the battery as information related to the amount of the electric power;
have an SOC lower limit value corresponding to the SOC as the at least one threshold value;
drive the air pump if the SOC is higher than or equal to the SOC lower limit value; and
prohibit to drive the air pump if the SOC is lower than the SOC lower limit value.

17 . The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the processor is configured to determine whether drive state of the air pump is based on power generation request of a fuel cell or scavenging request of the fuel cell and configured to change the at least one threshold value depending on the power generation request or the scavenging request.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ojima Kuniaki

Classifications

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02J2105/30

  the load networks being external to vehicles, i.e. exchanging power with vehicles · CPC title

• H02J2101/30

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H02J7/585

  Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/63

  against overdischarge · CPC title