Fuel cell control system and method

• US 20040247962A1
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Toukura, Nobusuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,527,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/31 for starting of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 8/04395 of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

When an electric power generation demand occurs for a fuel cell stack 1, an electric power stored in a battery 8 is commenced to be supplied to a load (step S3) followed by setting a period (step S2), in which a sensor signal from a fuel cell system 10 is held in a preceding value, in a subtraction timer, and when discrimination is made (step S5, step S6) that the fuel cell system 10 is started up and each pressure is stabilized from a sensor signal from the fuel cell system 10, the electric power generated in the fuel cell stack 1 is commenced to be supplied to the load (step S8) followed by setting the period, in which the sensor signal from the fuel cell system 10 is held in the preceding value, in the subtraction timer (step S7).

Claims

1. A fuel cell control system comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a fuel cell system taking out an electric power generated by the fuel stack to be supplied to a load; and

a control section controlling an electric power generating operation of the fuel cell stack based on a sensor signal inputted from a sensor disposed in the fuel cell system, wherein

the control section controls the fuel cell system such that, during startup of the fuel cell system, a gas supply pressure of the fuel cell stack in compliance with the sensor signal inputted from the sensor is discriminated to be stabilized at an electric power generation start pressure of the fuel cell stack, a time duration, involving an electric power taking out start timing at which an electric power is taken out from the fuel cell stack, is set as a period in which the sensor signal is held in a preceding value and gas supply to the fuel cell stack is commenced based on the sensor signal held in the preceding value.

2. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, wherein

the control section controls the fuel cell system so as to begin gas supply to the fuel cell stack after an elapse of a given time interval from a start of taking out electric power stored in a secondary battery.

3. A fuel cell control system comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a fuel cell system taking out an electric power generated by the fuel stack to be supplied to a load; and

a control section controlling an electric power generating operation of the fuel cell stack based on a sensor signal inputted from a sensor disposed in the fuel cell system, wherein

the control section controls the fuel cell system such that, during stop of the fuel cell system, a gas supply pressure of the fuel cell stack in compliance with the sensor signal inputted from the sensor is discriminated to be stabilized, a time duration, involving an electric power taking out start timing at which an electric power is taken out from the fuel cell stack, is set as a period in which the sensor signal is held in a preceding value and gas supply to the fuel cell stack is interrupted based on the sensor signal held in the preceding value.

4. A fuel cell control system comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a fuel cell system taking out an electric power from the fuel stack to be supplied to a load; and

control means controlling an electric power generating operation of the fuel cell stack based on a sensor signal inputted from a sensor disposed in the fuel cell system, wherein

the control means controls the fuel cell system such that, during startup of the fuel cell system, a gas supply pressure of the fuel cell stack in compliance with the sensor signal inputted from the sensor is discriminated to be stabilized at an electric power generation start pressure of the fuel cell stack, a time duration, involving an electric power taking out start timing at which an electric power is taken out from the fuel cell stack, is set as a period in which the sensor signal is held in a preceding value and gas supply to the fuel cell stack is commenced based on the sensor signal held in the preceding value.

5. A fuel cell control system comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a fuel cell system taking out an electric power generated by the fuel stack to be supplied to a load; and

control means controlling an electric power generating operation of the fuel cell stack based on a sensor signal inputted from a sensor disposed in the fuel cell system, wherein

the control means controls the fuel cell system such that, during stop of the fuel cell system, a gas supply pressure of the fuel cell stack in compliance with the sensor signal inputted from the sensor is discriminated to be stabilized, a time duration, involving an electric power taking out start timing at which an electric power is taken out from the fuel cell stack, is set as a period in which the sensor signal is held in a preceding value and gas supply to the fuel cell stack is interrupted based on the sensor signal held in the preceding value.

6. A fuel cell control method comprising:

calculating a gas supply pressure related to a fuel cell stack from a sensor signal inputted from a sensor disposed in a fuel cell system during startup of the fuel cell system;

discriminating that the gas supply pressure is stabilized at an electric power generation start pressure of the fuel cell stack;

setting a time duration, involving an electric power taking out start timing at which an electric power is taken out from the fuel cell stack, as a period in which the sensor signal is held in a preceding value; and

controlling the fuel cell system so as to begin gas supply to the fuel cell stack based on the sensor signal held in the preceding value.

7. A fuel cell control method comprising:

calculating a gas supply pressure related to a fuel cell stack from a sensor signal inputted from a sensor disposed in a fuel cell system during stop of the fuel cell system;

discriminating that the gas supply pressure is stabilized at an electric power generation start pressure of the fuel cell stack;

setting a time duration, involving an electric power taking out start timing at which an electric power is taken out from the fuel cell stack, as a period in which the sensor signal is held in a preceding value; and

controlling the fuel cell system so as to stop gas supply to the fuel cell stack based on the sensor signal held in the preceding value.