Fuel cell fuel supply system and mobile body

• US 20030134167A1
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirakata, Syuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,964,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/00 Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks tanks in general B65D, F17C; supplying combustion engines with combustible mixtures or constituents F02M
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/04 Tank inlets B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/31 for starting of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0258 characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0267 having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04223 during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04225 during start-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04228 during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04302 applied during start-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04303 applied during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04388 : of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04425 : at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 : of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 : of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 : of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/241 : with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2457 : with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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

Abstract

An electric vehicle 10 with fuel cells 30 mounted thereon has a fuel tank 20 that stores a fuel therein, and a connector receptor 40 that is connected to the fuel tank 20 and is open to the surface of the vehicle body. A connector of a predetermined hydrogen supply device is fitted in and attached to the connector receptor 40, so that a supply of fuel is fed from the hydrogen supply device to the electric vehicle 10. The connector receptor 40 is provided with a fuel lid for covering over the connector receptor 40. When it is determined that the fuel cells 30 are in a working state, the fuel lid is not opened in response to input of an opening instruction of the fuel lid in the course of fuel supply. When it is determined that the fuel lid is open, on the other hand, operation of the fuel cells 30 is not started in response to input of a starting instruction of the fuel cells 30 in the electric vehicle 10.

This arrangement of the invention enhances the safety of fuel supply to any system with fuel cells.

Claims

1. A fuel supply system for fuel cells, which functions to supply either one of a fuel for said fuel cells and a source material used to generate the fuel for said fuel cells, said fuel supply system comprising:

said fuel cells;

a storage module that stores either one of the fuel and the source material therein;

a supply module that connects with said storage module to supply either one of the fuel and the source material to said storage module;

a fuel cells working status specification module that determines whether or not said fuel cells are in a power generation state; and

a supply prohibition module that, when said fuel cells working status specification module determines that said fuel cells are in the power generation state, prohibits a start of the supply of either one of the fuel and the source material from said supply module to said storage module.

2. A fuel supply system for fuel cells in accordance with claim 1, said fuel supply system further comprising:

an input module that receives an instruction of starting operation of said fuel cells and an instruction of stopping the operation of said fuel cells,

wherein said fuel cells working status specification module determines that said fuel cells are in the power generation state when the instruction of starting the operation of said fuel cells is given to said input module but no instruction of stopping the operation of said fuel cells is subsequently given to said input module.

3. A fuel supply system for fuel cells in accordance with either one of claims 1 and 2, said fuel supply system further comprising:

a voltage detection module that measures an output voltage of said fuel cells,

wherein said supply prohibition module prohibits the start of the supply of either one of the fuel and the source material when the output voltage measured by said voltage detection module is not less than a predetermined level, while said fuel cells working status specification module determines that said fuel cells are not in the power generation state.

5. A fuel supply system for fuel cells in accordance with any one of claims 1 through 4, wherein said storage module stores hydrogen as the fuel for said fuel cells and includes a hydrogen absorbing alloy for the storage of hydrogen.

6. A fuel supply system for fuel cells in accordance with any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein said fuel cells and said storage module are mounted on a movable body, which utilizes electrical energy produced by said fuel cells as driving energy for movement.

4. A fuel supply system for fuel cells, which functions to supply either one of a fuel for said fuel cells and a source material used to generate the fuel for said fuel cells, said fuel supply system comprising:

said fuel cells;

a storage module that stores either one of the fuel and the source material therein;

a supply module that connects with said storage module to supply either one of the fuel and the source material to said storage module;

a fuel filling status specification module that determines whether or not either one of the fuel and the source material is being supplied from said supply module to said storage module; and

a power generation prohibition module that, when said fuel filling status specification module determines that either one of the fuel and the source material is being supplied, prohibits a start of power generation in said fuel cells.

7. A movable body with fuel cells mounted thereon, said movable body utilizing electrical energy produced by said fuel cells as a driving energy source for movement, said movable body comprising:

a storage module that stores therein either one of a fuel for said fuel cells and a source material used to generate the fuel for said fuel cells;

a fuel cells working status specification module that determines whether or not said fuel cells are in a power generation state; and

a supply prohibition module that, when said fuel cells working status specification module determines that said fuel cells are in the power generation state, prohibits a start of supply of either one of the fuel and the source material from a predetermined supply device, which is disposed outside said movable body for supplying either one of the fuel and the source material, to said storage module.

8. A movable body in accordance with claim 7, said movable body further comprising:

an input module that receives an instruction of starting operation of said fuel cells and an instruction of stopping the operation of said fuel cells,

wherein said fuel cells working status specification module determines that said fuel cells are in the power generation state when the instruction of starting the operation of said fuel cells is given to said input module but no instruction of stopping the operation of said fuel cells is subsequently given to said input module.

9. A movable body in accordance with either one of claims 7 and 8, said movable body further comprising:

a voltage detection module that measures an output voltage of said fuel cells,

wherein said supply prohibition module prohibits the start of the supply of either one of the fuel and the source material when the output voltage measured by said voltage detection module is not less than a predetermined level, while said fuel cells working status specification module determines that said fuel cells are not in the power generation state.

10. A movable body in accordance with any one of claims 7 through 9, said movable body further comprising:

another energy source that is different from said fuel cells and generates driving energy for movement of said movable body; and

an actuation prohibition decision module that determines whether or not actuation of said another energy source is prohibited,

wherein said supply prohibition module prohibits the start of the supply of either one of the fuel and the source material to said storage module when said actuation prohibition decision module determines that actuation of said another energy source is not prohibited, in addition to when said fuel cells working status specification module determines that said fuel cells are in the power generation state.

13. A movable body in accordance with any one of claims 7 through 12, wherein said storage module stores hydrogen as the fuel for said fuel cells and includes a hydrogen absorbing alloy for the storage of hydrogen.

11. A movable body with fuel cells mounted thereon, said movable body utilizing electrical energy produced by said fuel cells as a driving energy source for movement, said movable body comprising:

a storage module that stores therein either one of a fuel for said fuel cells and a source material used to generate the fuel for said fuel cells;

a fuel filling status specification module that determines whether or not either one of the fuel and the source material is being supplied from a predetermined supply module, which is disposed outside said movable body for supplying either one of the fuel and the source material, to said storage module; and

a power generation prohibition module that, when said fuel filling status specification module determines that either one of the fuel and the source material is being supplied, prohibits a start of power generation in said fuel cells.

12. A movable body in accordance with claim 11, said movable body further comprising:

a movement prohibition module that prohibits movement of said movable body when said fuel filling status specification module determines that either one of the fuel and the source material is being supplied.

14. A fuel supply control method that controls a process of supplying either one of a fuel for fuel cells and a source material used to generate the fuel for said fuel cells, said fuel supply control method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether or not said fuel cells are in a power generation state; and

(b) when it is determined at said step (a) that said fuel cells are in the power generation state, prohibiting a start of the supply of either one of the fuel and the source material to a storage module, which is arranged with said fuel cells and stores either one of the fuel and the source material.

15. An operation control method that controls operation of fuel cells, said operation control method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether or not either one of a fuel for said fuel cells and a source material used to generate the fuel for said fuel cells is being supplied to a storage module, which is arranged with said fuel cells and stores either one of the fuel and the source material; and

(b) when it is determined at said step (a) that either one of the fuel and the source material is being supplied, prohibiting a start of power generation in said fuel cells.