Fuel cell system and method for stopping power generation in fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023178768-A1
Application number	US-202218072915-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 1, 2022
Priority date	Dec 7, 2021
Publication date	Jun 8, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell system performs a first control of stopping power generation of a fuel cell stack by closing a supply-side stop valve during power generation of the fuel cell stack, and a second control of driving an air pump by using surplus power generated in a moving body to thereby discard the surplus power. If a closed state of the supply-side stop valve is detected when the first control and the second control start to be executed, the air pump is driven in a predetermined state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell system provided in a moving body, the fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell stack; a cathode supply path through which an oxygen-containing gas is supplied to the fuel cell stack; an air pump configured to supply the oxygen-containing gas to the cathode supply path; a stop valve provided between the air pump and the fuel cell stack in the cathode supply path; and one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the fuel cell system to execute a first control of stopping power generation of the fuel cell stack by closing the stop valve during power generation of the fuel cell stack, and a second control of discarding surplus electric power generated in the moving body by driving the air pump by the surplus electric power, wherein, when starting to execute the first control and the second control, if a closed state of the stop valve is detected, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to drive the air pump in a predetermined state.

2 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein,
the surplus electric power includes electric power generated by an external device other than the fuel cell stack, and when executing the first control and the second control, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to change a driving state of the air pump in accordance with a power generation state of the external device.

3 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
when executing the first control, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to control an output of the fuel cell stack based on a voltage command value, the surplus electric power includes electric power that is transiently output from the fuel cell stack when the voltage command value is lowered, and when executing the first control and the second control, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to change a driving state of the air pump in accordance with the voltage command value for the fuel cell stack.

4 . The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
when executing the first control, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to control an output of the fuel cell stack based on a voltage command value, the surplus electric power includes electric power that is transiently output from the fuel cell stack when the voltage command value is lowered, and when executing the first control and the second control, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to change a driving state of the air pump in accordance with the voltage command value for the fuel cell stack.

5 . The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection device configured to detect a flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas output from the air pump or an output state of the air pump, wherein, when ending the first control and the second control and then shifting the fuel cell stack to a power generation state, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to open the stop valve if the flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas outputted from the air pump or the output state of the air pump becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

6 . The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a detection device configured to detect a flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas output from the air pump or an output state of the air pump, wherein, when ending the first control and the second control and then shifting the fuel cell stack to a power generation state, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to open the stop valve if the flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas outputted from the air pump or the output state of the air pump becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

7 . The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a detection device configured to detect a flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas output from the air pump or an output state of the air pump, wherein, when ending the first control and the second control and then shifting the fuel cell stack to a power generation state, the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to open the stop valve if the flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas outputted from the air pump or the output state of the air pump becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

8 . A method for stopping power generation of a fuel cell system provided in a moving body, wherein
the fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack; a cathode supply path through which an oxygen-containing gas is supplied to the fuel cell stack; an air pump configured to supply the oxygen-containing gas to the cathode supply path; and a stop valve provided between the air pump and the fuel cell stack in the cathode supply path, the method comprising: causing the stop valve to be closed during power generation of the fuel cell stack; detecting a closed state of the stop valve after the stop valve is closed; and driving the air pump in a predetermined state by surplus electric power generated in the moving body after the closed state of the stop valve is detected.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sonobe Takuma
• Sakai Ryoji
• Akabori Sho
• NAKAGAWA Takuto

Classifications

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04619

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04225 Primary

  during start-up · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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