Electric power supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9620799-B2
Application number	US-201314024182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2013
Priority date	Sep 18, 2012
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

There are provided: a power supply provided with a fuel cell; a fuel cell vehicle; an inverter device capable of supplying electric power that is supplied from the fuel cell to an external load; a radiator; a radiator fan; a dryness detection device that detects a dry condition of the fuel cell; and an ECU that control supply of electric power to the external load. The ECU drives the radiator fan when the dryness detection device detects dryness of the fuel cell while electric power is being supplied from the fuel cell to the external load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric power supply system comprising:
a power supply provided with a fuel cell that generates electric power with a fuel gas and an oxidant gas;
a vehicle that is driven with electric power supplied from the power supply;
an external power feeding circuit configured to supply electric power supplied from the power supply to an external load in a state where the vehicle is stopped;
a radiator that releases heat of a coolant for cooling the fuel cell;
a radiator fan that blows air to the radiator;
a dryness detection device that detects a dry condition of the fuel cell; and
a control device that controls supply of electric power to the external load, wherein
the external power feeding circuit connects a power feed opening provided in the vehicle and the external load outside the vehicle to supply electric power, is provided as a separate device from the vehicle, and is formed so as to be moved separately from the vehicle, and
the control device is programmed to cool the fuel cell by causing the radiator fan to drive in a case where the dryness detection device detects dryness of the fuel cell while electric power is being supplied from the power supply to the external load in the state where the vehicle is stopped after it is determined that the vehicle is in an external power feeding state based on a connection state between the power feed opening and the external power feeding circuit.

2. The electric power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
when the dryness detection device is not detecting dryness of the fuel cell, the control device drives the radiator fan at a rotation speed that corresponds to electric power consumption of the external load, and when the dryness detection device detects dryness of the fuel cell, it drives the radiator fan at a highest rotation speed.

3. The electric power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
the dryness detection is performed by the dryness detection device measuring an impedance of the fuel cell, and
the dryness detection device detects a dryness condition of the fuel cell when the impedance of the fuel cell is at or above a predetermined value.

4. The electric power supply system according to claim 2 , wherein
the dryness detection is performed by the dryness detection device measuring an impedance of the fuel cell, and
the dryness detection device detects a dryness condition of the fuel cell when the impedance of the fuel cell is at or above a predetermined value.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Igarashi Daishi
• Kayano Morio
• Shirasaka Takuya
• Higashitani Kosuke
• Shimizu Kenichi
• Kazuno Shuichi
• Sakai Yasutaka

Classifications

• H01M8/04723

  of the coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/0494

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04529 Primary

  of the electrolyte · CPC title

• Y02T90/40

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title