Fuel-cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296311-B2
Application number	US-201514730236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 9, 2014
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A fuel-cell vehicle includes a storage container, a fuel cell system, a state detector, a transmitter, a request detector, and a controller. The controller includes a signal generator and a communication starting device. The signal generator is configured to determine a transmission value indicating a physical state detected by the state detector so as to generate a data signal in accordance with the transmission value. The signal generator is configured to set the transmission value to a reference value preset based on the physical state detected by the state detector if the fuel cell system is not running and configured to set the transmission value to a value obtained by correcting the reference value so that an amount of the fuel gas to be monitored by an external filling device increases if the fuel cell system is running.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel-cell vehicle comprising:
a storage container that stores fuel gas charged by an external filling device;
a fuel cell system that supplies the fuel gas stored in the storage container to a fuel cell and causes the fuel cell to generate electricity, the fuel-cell vehicle travelling using the fuel cell as a power source;
a state detection unit that detects a physical state regarding the storage container, the physical state being used for monitoring an amount of the fuel gas charged in the storage container;
a transmitter that transmits, to the external filling device, a data signal generated on the basis of a detection value output from the state detection unit;
a request detecting unit that generates a communication start request signal in response to a predetermined operation performed; and
a control unit that controls the state detection unit, the transmitter, and the request detecting unit,
wherein the control unit includes a signal generating unit that determines a transmission value indicating the physical state on the basis of the detection value output from the state detection unit and generates a data signal in accordance with the transmission value and a communication starting unit that upon detecting the communication start request signal, enables the transmitter to transmit the data signal regardless of whether the fuel cell system is running, and
wherein the signal generating unit sets the transmission value to a reference value preset on the basis of the detection value output from the state detection unit if the fuel cell system is not running and sets the transmission value to a value obtained by correcting the reference value so that the amount of fuel gas monitored by the external filling device increases if the fuel cell system is running.

2. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the fuel cell system is running and if one of a pressure and the amount of fuel gas inside the storage container is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the signal generating unit sets the transmission value to a value obtained by correcting the reference value so that the amount of fuel gas monitored by the external filling device increases.

3. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the physical state represents a temperature of the storage container, and
wherein the signal generating unit sets the transmission value to a corrected value that is lower than the reference value.

4. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the physical state represents a pressure inside the storage container, and
wherein the signal generating unit sets the transmission value to a corrected value that is higher than the reference value.

5. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the signal generating unit increases a correction amount applied to the reference value with increasing power generation amount of the fuel cell or increasing amount of the fuel gas consumed by the fuel cell.

6. A fuel-cell vehicle comprising:
a storage container that stores fuel gas charged by an external filling device;
a fuel cell system that supplies the fuel gas stored in the storage container to a fuel cell and causes the fuel cell to generate electricity, the fuel-cell vehicle travelling using the fuel cell as a power source;
a state detection unit that detects a physical state regarding the storage container, the physical state being used for monitoring an amount of the fuel gas charged in the storage container;
a transmitter that transmits, to the external filling device, data signal generated on the basis of at least a detection value output from the state detection unit;
a request detecting unit that generates a communication start request signal in response to a predetermined operation performed; and
a control unit that controls the state detection unit, the transmitter, and the request detecting unit,
wherein the control unit includes a communication starting unit that upon detecting the communication start request signal, enables a signal to be transmitted regardless of whether the fuel cell system is running, a charge amount parameter calculating unit that calculates a value of a charge amount parameter corresponding to the amount of fuel gas, and a charge stop instructing unit that causes the transmitter to transmit a charge stop request signal to stop charge of the fuel gas or to stop transmission of the data signal if the value of the charge amount parameter reaches a target value indicating full charge, and
wherein if the fuel cell system is running, the charge stop instructing unit sets the target value to a value that is lower than the target value set when the fuel cell system is not running.

7. A fuel-cell vehicle comprising:
a storage container to store fuel gas charged from an external filling device;
a fuel cell system to supply the fuel gas stored in the storage container to a fuel cell to generate electricity, the fuel-cell vehicle being to travel using the fuel cell as a power source;
a state detector configured to detect a physical state in the storage container to monitor an amount of the fuel gas charged in the storage container;
a transmitter configured to transmit a data signal generated based on the physical state detected by the state detector to the external filling device;
a request detector configured to generate a communication start request signal in response to a predetermined operation performed; and
a controller comprising:
a signal generator configured to determine a transmission value indicating the physical state detected by the state detector so as to generate the data signal in accordance with the transmission value, the signal generator being configured to set the transmission value to a reference value preset based on the physical state detected by the state detector if the fuel cell system is not running and configured to set the transmission value to a value obtained by correcting the reference value so that the amount of the fuel gas to be monitored by the external filling device increases if the fuel cell system is running; and
a communication starting device configured to enable the transmitter to transmit the data signal regardless of whether the fuel cell system is running upon detecting the communication start request signal.

8. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein in a case where the fuel cell system is running and if one of a pressure and the amount of the fuel gas inside the storage container is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the signal generator sets the transmission value to a value obtained by correcting the reference value so that the amount of the fuel gas to be monitored by the external filling device increases.

9. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the physical state represents a temperature of the storage container, and
wherein the signal generator sets the transmission value to a corrected value that is lower than the reference value.

10. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the physical state represents a pressure inside the storage container, and
wherein the signal generator sets the transmission value to a corrected value that is higher than the reference value.

11. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the signal generator increases a correction amount applied to the reference value as power generation amount of the fuel cell increases or amount of fuel gas consumed by the fuel cell increases.

12. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein in a case where the fuel cell system is running and if power generati

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawase Satoru
• Handa Kiyoshi
• Kadowaki Kazuyuki

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04649

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• B60L11/1885

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04201 Primary

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title