Fuel cell vehicle and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017355279-A1
Application number	US-201715597154-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell, a first electric component, a second electric component, a battery, a first switch, a second switch, and circuitry. The first electric component is to operate the fuel cell. The second electric component is not to be used to operate the fuel cell. The first switch is to electrically connect the first electric component to the battery to supply electric power from the battery to the first electric component. The second switch is to electrically connect the second electric component to the battery to supply electric power from the battery to the second electric component. The circuitry is configured to control the first switch to electrically connect the first electric component to the battery and to control the second switch not to electrically connect the second electric component to the battery when the fuel cell is started.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell; a first electric component to operate the fuel cell; a second electric component not to be used to operate the fuel cell; a battery; a first switch to electrically connect the first electric component to the battery to supply electric power from the battery to the first electric component; a second switch to electrically connect the second electric component to the battery to supply electric power from the battery to the second electric component; and circuitry configured to control the first switch to electrically connect the first electric component to the battery and to control the second switch not to electrically connect the second electric component to the battery when the fuel cell is started.

2 . The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor to detect temperature of the battery, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine whether the temperature of the battery detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a threshold temperature and to control the second switch to electrically connect the second electric component to the battery when the circuitry determines that the acquisition temperature is higher than the threshold temperature.

3 . The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein when the temperature sensor determines that the acquisition temperature is equal to or lower than the threshold temperature, the circuitry controls the second switch unit to electrically connect the second electric component to the battery when power generation of the fuel cell is started.

4 . The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an atmospheric pressure sensor to detect atmospheric pressure, wherein the circuitry is further configured to set the threshold temperature higher as atmospheric pressure detected by the atmospheric pressure sensor is lower.

5 . A method of operating a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
starting a fuel cell; controlling a first switch to electrically connect a battery to a first electric component to supply electric power from the battery to the first electric component when the fuel cell is started, the first electric component being to operate the fuel cell; and controlling a second switch not to electrically connect a battery to a second electric component when the fuel cell is started, the second electric component being not to operate the fuel cell.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting temperature of the battery; and controlling the second switch to electrically connect the battery to the second electric component when the temperature of the battery is higher than a threshold temperature.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
controlling the second switch to electrically connect the battery to the second electric component when power generation of the fuel cell is started when the temperature of the battery is equal to or lower than the threshold temperature.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
detecting atmosphere pressure; and setting the threshold temperature higher as the atmospheric pressure is lower.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsumoto Yuji
• NAKAGAWA Takuto

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

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

• B60L58/40

  for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L2240/662

  Temperature · CPC title

• H01M16/006 Primary

  of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries · CPC title

• B60L2240/66

  Ambient conditions · CPC title