Idle control system for fuel cell vehicle

• US 20040013920A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saeki, Hibiki, Hasuka, Yoshinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,377,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• 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 8/2483 characterised by internal manifolds
• 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 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An idle control system applicable to a fuel cell vehicle 1 is provided for improving the fuel efficiency. When the fuel cell vehicle is determined to be in a predetermined idle mode, the idle control system stops a compressor to thereby stop power generation of a fuel cell. In contrast, when the state of charge of the capacitor 4 falls below a predetermined value while the fuel cell vehicle is in the idle mode, the idle control system drives the compressor 8 by means of the capacitor to drive the fuel cell in order to charge the capacitor.

Claims

1. An idle control system applicable to a fuel cell vehicle, the fuel cell vehicle comprising:

a fuel cell for generating electric power by supplying reaction gases using an air supply compressor and a hydrogen supply device;

a driving motor to which generated electric current from the fuel cell is supplied;

vehicle auxiliary equipment to which generated electric current from the fuel cell is supplied; and

a power storage device which is charged by generated electric current from the fuel cell; and

the idle control system for controlling the fuel cell vehicle according to driving modes, wherein,

when the fuel cell vehicle is in a normal driving mode, and not in an idle mode, the control system drives the fuel cell to generate electric current corresponding to a required power for driving the driving motor and the auxiliary equipment;

when the fuel cell vehicle is in a predetermined idle mode, the control system stops the fuel cell to stop power generation of the fuel cell by stopping the air compressor; and

while the fuel cell vehicle is in a predetermined idle mode, and when it is determined that the state of charge of the power storage device falls below a predetermined state of charge of the power storage device, the control system drives the fuel cell to generate a current corresponding to the optimum power generation efficiency of the fuel cell.

2. An idle control system applicable to a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said power generation efficiency of the fuel cell system is defined by:

{(total electric power generated by the fuel cell)−

(electric power consumed by the compressor for supplying the reaction gas to fuel the cell)} divided by (total electric power generated by the fuel cell).

3. An idle control system applicable to a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined idle state is determined based on an operating state of an accelerator pedal by the driver.