Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9543600-B2
Application number	US-201314083501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	Nov 21, 2012
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A fuel cell system that can supply fuel gas appropriately is provided. The fuel cell system includes an injector 23 A and an injector 23 B which inject fuel gas, and an ECU 50 . The ECU 50 adjusts the flow rate of the fuel gas that is injected from the injector 23 A by adjusting the valve opening time period and the valve closing time period of the injector 23 A, which are repeated alternately, and make at least a part of the valve opening time period of the injector 23 B overlap with the valve closing time period of the injector 23 A when opening the valve of the injector 23 B.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell which generates electricity by fuel gas being supplied to a fuel gas fluidic channel and oxidant gas being supplied to an oxidant gas fluidic channel;
a first fuel gas supply fluidic channel through which fuel gas directed to the fuel gas fluidic channel flows;
a fuel off gas discharge fluidic channel through which fuel off gas discharged from the fuel gas fluidic channel flows;
a return fluidic channel through which fuel off gas returning from the fuel off gas discharge fluidic channel to the first fuel gas supply fluidic channel flows;
a first fuel gas injection device which is provided in the first fuel gas supply fluidic channel and injects fuel gas by opening and closing a valve;
an ejector which is provided in the first fuel gas supply fluidic channel downstream of the first fuel gas injection device and mixes fuel off gas returning from the fuel off gas discharge fluidic channel to the first fuel gas supply fluidic channel via the return fluidic channel with fuel gas to be injected by the first fuel gas injection device;
a second fuel gas supply fluidic channel through which fuel gas directed to the fuel gas fluidic channel flows and a downstream end of the second fuel gas supply fluidic channel is connected to the first fuel gas supply fluidic channel downstream of the ejector;
a second fuel gas injection device which is provided in the second fuel gas supply fluidic channel and injects fuel gas by opening and closing a valve; and
a control means that is configured to control the first fuel gas injection device and the second fuel gas injection device, wherein
the control means is configured to adjust a flow rate of the fuel gas injected from the first fuel gas injection device by adjusting a valve opening time period and a valve closing time period of the first fuel gas injection device, which are repeated alternately, and
the control means is configured to make at least a part of the valve opening time period of the second fuel gas injection device overlap with the valve closing time period of the first fuel gas injection device when opening the valve of the second fuel gas injection device.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control means is configured to make a continuous time period in which valves of both the first fuel gas injection device and the second fuel gas injection device are closed not become greater than or equal to a predetermined time period when opening the valve of the second fuel gas injection device.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control means is configured to make the valve opening time period of the second fuel gas injection device include time near a center of the valve closing time period of the first fuel gas injection device when opening the valve of the second fuel gas injection device.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein
the control means is configured to make the valve opening time period of the second fuel gas injection device include time near a center of the valve closing time period of the first fuel gas injection device when opening the valve of the second fuel gas injection device.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the control means comprises:
an interval setting means that is configured to set a first interval which consists of an opening time period and a closing time period of the first fuel gas injection device and a second interval which consists of an opening time period and a closing time period of the second fuel gas injection device;
a first valve opening time period calculation means that is configured to calculate the valve opening time period of the first fuel gas injection device during the first interval;
a second valve opening time period calculation means that is configured to calculate the valve opening time period of the second fuel gas injection device during the second interval; and
an injection starting time setting means that is configured to set injection starting time of the second fuel gas injection device such that the second fuel gas injection device is in a valve open state during at least a valve closing time period of the first fuel gas injection device when high power is required at a time of starting valve opening of the first fuel gas injection device.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein
the control means further comprises a fuel gas requirement amount calculation means that is configured to calculate a fuel gas requirement amount required for generating electricity in the fuel cell;
the interval setting means is configured to set the first interval and the second interval according to the fuel gas requirement amount calculated by the fuel gas requirement amount calculation means;
the first valve opening time period calculation means is configured to calculate a valve opening time period of the first fuel gas injection device during the first interval according to the fuel gas requirement amount calculated by the fuel gas requirement amount calculation means; and
the second valve opening time period calculation means is configured to calculate a valve opening time period of the second fuel gas injection device during the second interval according to the fuel gas requirement amount calculated by the fuel gas requirement amount calculation means.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein
the injection starting time setting means is configured to set injection starting time of the second fuel gas injection device such that valve open ending time of the second fuel gas injection device matches with ending time of the first interval according to the fuel gas requirement amount calculated by the fuel gas requirement amount calculation means.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein
the interval setting means is configured to set a valve closing time period of the first fuel gas injection device during the first interval as the second interval according to the fuel gas requirement amount calculated by the fuel gas requirement amount calculation means; and
the second valve opening time period calculation means is configured to calculate a valve opening time period of the second fuel gas injection device during the second interval at a time of ending valve opening of the first fuel gas injection device.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein
the second valve opening time period calculation means is configured to set a valve opening time period of the second fuel gas injection device during the second interval to zero according to the fuel gas requirement amount calculated by the fuel gas requirement amount calculation means.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein
the injection starting time setting means is configured to set injection starting time of the second fuel gas injection device according to the fuel gas requirement amount at a time of ending valve opening of the first fuel gas injection device.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein
the interval setting means is configured to set the second interval to a same time period section as the first interval.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein
the interval setting means is configured to set the second interval to a same time period section as the first interval.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein
the injection starting time setting means is configured to set the injection starting time of the second fuel gas injection device such that a valve closing continuation time period of the second fuel gas injectio

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morita Shinjiro
• Miyata Koichiro
• Yoshimura Yusai
• Ohgami Osamu

Classifications

• H01M8/04201

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title

• H01M8/04097 Primary

  with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence) · CPC title