Alert method relating to remaining fuel amount of fuel cell system and fuel cell system using the same

• US 20040062963A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirakata, Shuji, Umayahara, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,153,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• 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 8/04223 during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04228 during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04303 : applied during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0432 : Temperature; Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04388 : of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 : of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 : Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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 alert method capable of preventing problems due to excessive lowering of a remaining fuel amount of a fuel cell system is provided. The alert method includes the following steps of: switching over operation/stopped states of the fuel cell system, detecting that the state of the fuel cell system is switched over to a stopped side, and communicating information related to the remaining fuel amount to a user when fuel of the fuel cell system is consumed in a state where the switch is switched over to a stopped side. According to the alert method, information related to the remaining fuel amount is communicated to the user when fuel is consumed by the fuel cell system while in a practically stopped state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent excessive lowering of the remaining fuel amount of the fuel cell system.

Claims

1. An alert method relating to a remaining fuel amount of a fuel cell system, comprising the steps of:

switching over operation/stopped states of the fuel cell system;

detecting that the state of the fuel cell system is switched over to a stopped side; and

communicating information related to the remaining fuel amount to a user when fuel of the fuel cell system is consumed in a state where the switch is switched over to a stopped side.

2. The alert method according to claim 1, wherein

at least a step of generating an alert for the user when fuel of the fuel cell system is consumed and the remaining fuel amount falls to an alert generating level is included in the step of communicating information related to the remaining fuel amount.

3. The alert method according to claim 2, wherein

the generation of the alert is implemented when fuel is consumed due to the fuel cell system performing a heat-retention operation.

4. The alert method according to claim 2, wherein

the alert is sent to an information terminal of the user using wireless communication.

5. The alert method according to claim 2, wherein

the generation of the alert is implemented multiple times in response to the remaining fuel amount.

6. The alert method according to claim 2, wherein

the fuel cell system is mounted in a moving body, and

the alert includes information related to at least one of a remaining fuel amount, a possible remaining heat-retention operation time of the fuel cell system, a possible remaining running mileage of the moving body, and a distance to the nearest fuel station.

7. The alert method according to claim 6, wherein

the alert generating level is set such that the possible remaining running mileage of the moving body includes a margin with respect to the distance to the nearest fuel station.

8. An alert method relating to a remaining fuel amount of a fuel cell system mounted in a moving body, comprising the steps of:

switching over operation/stopped states of the moving body;

detecting that an ignition switch of the moving body is switched over to a stopped side; and

communicating information related to the remaining fuel amount when fuel of the fuel cell system is consumed in a state where the switch is switched over to a stopped side to an information terminal of a user at a location away from the moving body using wireless communication.

9. The alert method according to claim 8, wherein

the communication is conducted at every fixed time period.

10. The alert method according to claim 8, wherein

the communication is conducted when the remaining fuel amount falls to an alert generating level.

11. The alert method according to claim 8, wherein

the communication is conducted in response to a request from the user.

12. The alert method according to claim 8, wherein

the fuel cell system stops consumption of the fuel in response to a system stop command after receiving the system stop command from the user.

13. A fuel cell system, comprising:

a switch which switches over operation/stopped states of the fuel cell system;

a fuel storage unit which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system;

a remaining amount measuring unit which measures a remaining fuel amount in the fuel storage unit; and

a communication unit which communicates information related to a remaining fuel amount when fuel in the fuel storage unit is consumed to the user in a state where the switch is switched over to a stopped side.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, wherein

the communication of information related to the remaining fuel amount includes at least generating an alert for the user when fuel in the fuel storage unit is consumed and the remaining fuel amount falls to an alert generating level.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 14, wherein

the generation of the alert is implemented when fuel is consumed due to the fuel cell system performing a heat-retention operation.

16. A fuel cell system mounted in a moving body, comprising:

a switch which switches over operation/stopped states of the fuel cell system;

a fuel storage unit which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system;

a remaining amount measuring unit which measures a remaining fuel amount in the fuel storage unit; and

a communication unit which communicates information related to the remaining fuel amount when fuel in the fuel storage unit is consumed to an information terminal of a user at a location away from the moving body using wireless communication in a state where the switch is switched over to a stopped side.

17. A fuel cell system mounted in a moving body, comprising:

a switch which switches over operation/stopped states of the fuel cell system;

a fuel storage unit which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system;

a remaining amount measuring unit which measures a remaining fuel amount in the fuel storage unit; and

a control unit which controls an operation of the fuel cell system such that consumption of the fuel is stopped when the remaining fuel amount falls below a predetermined reference value, and setting different values for a first reference value that is the predetermined reference value in a state where the switch is switched over to a stopped side and a second reference value that is the predetermined reference value in a state where the switch is switched over to an operation side.

18. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, wherein

the first reference value is set for a temporary operation in which fuel in the fuel storage unit is consumed, and

the second reference value is set for normal operation in which the fuel cell system is operating.

19. The fuel cell system according to claim 18, wherein the temporary operation is a heat-retention operation.

20. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, wherein

the first reference value is set to a value greater than the second reference value.

21. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, wherein

the first reference value is set to a value allowing normal operation of the fuel cell system to be continued over a time period decided by a predetermined condition or longer.

22. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a communication unit which communicates information related to a remaining fuel amount when fuel in the fuel storage unit is consumed to a user in a state where the switch is switched over to the stopped side.

23. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, wherein

the switch is an ignition switch of the moving body.