Method for controlling external electric power supply system of fuel cell-mounted vehicle, and external electric power supply system

• US 10,071,649 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsubara, Yasuo, Umayahara, Kenji, Suematsu, Keigo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOMINIQUE, EMMANUEL
• Application Number:
  US14/939,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20160137065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

A method for controlling an external electric power supply system supplying electric power from a fuel cell and a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle to an external load, the method including controlling electric power from the fuel cell and the secondary battery such that externally supplied electric power supplied to the external load is equal to or less than supply allowed electric power, and setting the supply allowed electric power to be equal to or less than a smaller one of an upper limit value of electric power which the secondary battery is charged with set in accordance with a temperature, and an electric power storage amount of the secondary battery and an upper limit value of electric power discharged from the secondary battery set in accordance with the temperature and the electric power storage amount of the secondary battery.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an external electric power supply system supplying electric power from a fuel cell and a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle to an external load, the method comprising:

controlling electric power generation of the fuel cell and charging and discharging of the secondary battery such that externally supplied electric power, as electric power supplied to the external load from the fuel cell and the secondary battery, is equal to or less than supply allowed electric power; and

setting a value of the supply allowed electric power to be equal to or less than a smaller one of an upper limit value of electric power with which the secondary battery is charged, the upper limit value of electric power with which the secondary battery is charged being set in accordance with a temperature and an electric power storage amount of the secondary battery, and an upper limit value of electric power discharged from the secondary battery, the upper limit value of electric power discharged from the secondary battery being set in accordance with the temperature and the electric power storage amount of the secondary battery.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the supply allowed electric power is set to be equal to or less than a smallest one of the upper limit value of the electric power with which the secondary battery is charged, the upper limit value of the electric power discharged from the secondary battery, and an output limit value of electric power generated by the fuel cell when the fuel cell is in a state where the fuel cell is capable of supplying the generated electric power to the external load.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the supply allowed electric power is set to be equal to or less than a smallest one of the upper limit value of the electric power with which the secondary battery is charged, the upper limit value of the electric power discharged from the secondary battery, and an upper limit value of the supply allowed electric power at which a magnitude of electric power passing through an electric power conversion unit converting electric power generated by the fuel cell into the externally supplied electric power is equal to or less than an upper limit value set such that the electric power conversion unit is protected.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the value of the supply allowed electric power is set to be equal to or less than a smallest one of the upper limit value of the electric power with which the secondary battery is charged, the upper limit value of the electric power discharged from the secondary battery, the output limit value of the electric power generated by the fuel cell, and an upper limit value of the supply allowed electric power at which a magnitude of electric power passing through an electric power conversion unit converting the electric power generated by the fuel cell into the externally supplied electric power is equal to or less than an upper limit value set such that the electric power conversion unit is protected when the fuel cell is in a state where the fuel cell is capable of supplying the generated electric power to the external load.

5. An external electric power supply system supplying electric power from a fuel cell and a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle to an external load, the external electric power supply system comprising a control device controlling electric power generation of the fuel cell and charging and discharging of the secondary battery such that externally supplied electric power as electric power supplied to the external load from the fuel cell and the secondary battery is equal to or less than supply allowed electric power,

wherein the control device is programmed to set a value of the supply allowed electric power to be equal to or less than a smaller one of an upper limit value of electric power with which the secondary battery is charged, the upper limit value of electric power with which the secondary battery is charged being set in accordance with a temperature and an electric power storage amount of the secondary battery, and an upper limit value of electric power discharged from the secondary battery, the upper limit value of electric power discharged from the secondary battery being set in accordance with the temperature and the electric power storage amount of the secondary battery.