Fuel cell system and fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019237779-A1
Application number	US-201916255861-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 24, 2019
Priority date	Jan 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 1, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, an accumulator configured to store a fuel gas, a gas remaining quantity acquisition unit configured to obtain a remaining quantity of the fuel gas stored in the accumulator, and a power generation control unit. When the remaining quantity of the fuel gas stored in the accumulator is decreased to a threshold value, the power generation control unit performs switching from humid power generation control to dry power generation control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell; an accumulator configured to store a fuel gas; a gas remaining quantity acquisition unit configured to obtain a remaining quantity of the fuel gas stored in the accumulator; and a power generation control unit, wherein, when the remaining quantity of the fuel gas stored in the accumulator is decreased to a threshold value, the power generation control unit is configured to perform switching from humid power generation control to dry power generation control.

2 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature correlation acquisition unit configured to obtain a temperature correlation value of the fuel cell,
wherein in a case where the fuel cell system is stopped before the remaining quantity of the fuel gas is decreased to the threshold value, during a stoppage period after stopping the fuel cell system, when freezing of the fuel cell is predicted based on the temperature correlation value, the power generation control unit starts operation of the fuel cell system and performs dry power generation control, and wherein the threshold value is set to a value which is, at least, larger than a value obtained by adding a dry power generation consumption quantity for consumption in the dry power generation control during the stoppage period, to a gas shortage determination quantity at which it becomes impossible to perform power generation of the fuel cell.

3 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the power generation control unit is configured to restrict output of the fuel cell system during the dry power generation control.

4 . A fuel cell vehicle configured to travel by output of a fuel cell system supplied to a motor;
the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell; an accumulator configured to store a fuel gas; a gas remaining quantity acquisition unit configured to obtain a remaining quantity of the fuel gas stored in the accumulator; and a power generation control unit, wherein, during traveling of the fuel cell vehicle, when the remaining quantity of the fuel gas stored in the accumulator is decreased to a threshold value, the power generation control unit is configured to perform switching from humid power generation control to dry power generation control.

5 . The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the fuel cell system further comprises a temperature correlation acquisition unit configured to obtain a temperature correlation value of the fuel cell; and
wherein in a case where the fuel cell system is stopped before the remaining quantity of the fuel gas is decreased to the threshold value, during a stoppage period after stopping the fuel cell system, when freezing of the fuel cell is predicted based on the temperature correlation value, the power generation control unit starts operation of the fuel cell system and performs dry power generation control; and wherein the threshold value is set to a value which is, at least, larger than a value obtained by adding a dry power generation consumption quantity for consumption in the dry power generation control during the stoppage period, to a gas shortage determination quantity at which it becomes impossible to perform power generation of the fuel cell.

6 . The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the power generation control unit is configured to restrict the output of the fuel cell system during the dry power generation control.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inamoto Masaoki
• Ojima Kuniaki

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/0438

  Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow · CPC title

• H01M8/04694

  characterised by variables to be controlled · CPC title

• B60L50/72

  Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L50/75

  using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries · CPC title