Control device for fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019051917-A1
Application number	US-201816030096-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control device for a fuel cell system comprises a hydrogen deficiency judging part configured to judge if a hydrogen deficiency which is a state in which an amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell is insufficient compared with an amount of hydrogen required for power generation has occurred, a hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part configured to judge if the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated after the hydrogen deficiency judging part judges that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred and a breakage control part configured to make the circuit breaker temporarily break an electrical connection of the fuel cell and the electrical load part when the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part judges that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated.

First claim

1 . A control device for a fuel cell system for controlling the fuel cell system,
the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell with an anode electrode containing a water electrolysis catalyst; an electrical load part electrically connected to the fuel cell; and a circuit breaker configured to physically break an electrical connection of the fuel cell and the electrical load part, wherein the control device for a fuel cell system comprising: a hydrogen deficiency judging part configured to judge if a hydrogen deficiency which is a state in which an amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell is insufficient compared with an amount of hydrogen required for power generation has occurred; a hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part configured to judge if the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated after the hydrogen deficiency judging part judges that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred; and a breakage control part configured to make the circuit breaker temporarily break an electrical connection of the fuel cell and the electrical load part when the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part judges that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated.

2 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the hydrogen deficiency judging part is configured to judge a hydrogen deficiency has occurred when a representative temperature representing the temperature of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined freezing judging temperature where water inside the fuel cell is liable to freeze.

3 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part is configured to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when the representative temperature becomes a predetermined freezing elimination judgment temperature higher than the freezing judging temperature or has become more.

4 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part is configured to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when an elapsed time from when the hydrogen deficiency was judged has become a freezing elimination judging time or more set based on the representative temperature when the hydrogen deficiency was judged.

5 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein
the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part is configured to lengthen the freezing elimination judging time when the representative temperature when the hydrogen deficiency was judged is low compared to when it is high.

6 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part is configured to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when a moisture degree of an electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell has become a predetermined moisture degree or less.

7 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein
the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part is configured to judge that the moisture degree of the electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell has become a predetermined moisture degree or less when a differential value of an internal impedance of the fuel cell has become a predetermined value or more.

8 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the hydrogen deficiency judging part comprises: a first judging part configured to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred due to freezing of water when a representative temperature representing the temperature of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined freezing judging temperature where freezing of water is liable to occur inside the fuel cell; and a second judging part configured to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred due to flooding of water when a differential value of an internal impedance of the fuel cell becomes a predetermined value or more, in a case where the representative temperature is the freezing judging temperature or more and the representative temperature is less than a predetermined flooding judging temperature where flooding is liable to occur in a hydrogen channel in the fuel cell, and the hydrogen deficiency elimination judging part is configured to judge that the hydrogen deficiency has been eliminated when performing a flooding elimination operation for a predetermined time for temporarily increasing the amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell to eliminate flooding when it has been judged that the hydrogen deficiency has occurred due to flooding.

9 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
a breaking time during which the circuit breaker temporarily breaks the electrical connection of the fuel cell and the electrical load part is 1 millisecond to 30 minutes.

10 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 9 , wherein
the breaking time is 1 millisecond to 1 minute.

11 . The control device for a fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein
the breaking time is 1 millisecond to 3 seconds.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitao Noriyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/04447

  of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04529

  of the electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M8/04955 Primary

  Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04365

  of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks · CPC title