Battery unit and power supply control method

• US 20050069739A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibuya, Nobou, Nakamura, Koji, Ozeki, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/947,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20050069739A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/429
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04365 of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks
• 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 8/04447 of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04619 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0488 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04947 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04992 characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

According to the embodiment, battery unit includes a fuel cell capable of generating power by chemical reaction, a first switch positioned between an output terminal of the fuel cell and a load, a second switch and a resistor arranged in series between the output terminal of the fuel cell and a ground, and a control unit. The central unit places the first switch and the second switch into a connected state for a predetermined period of time in a warm-up processing of the fuel cell.

Claims

1. A battery unit comprising:

a fuel cell; and

a plurality of switches coupled to an output terminal of the fuel cell; and

a control unit altering a state of the plurality of switches for a predetermined period of time during a warm-up processing of the fuel cell.

2. The battery unit according to claim 1, further comprising a ground and a load coupled to the plurality of switches;

wherein the plurality of switches comprises;

a first switch coupled to the output terminal of the fuel cell and the load; and

a second switch arranged between the output terminal of the fuel cell and the ground.

3. The battery unit according to claim 2, wherein the control unit placing both the first switch and the second switch into a connected state for a predetermined period of time during the warm-up processing of the fuel cell.

4. The battery unit according to claim 3, further comprising an impedance element arranged between the output terminal and the second switch.

5. The battery unit according to claim 4, wherein the impedance element is a resistor.

6. The battery unit according to claim 3, wherein the control unit changes the first switch from a non-connected state to a connected state after changing the second switch from a non-connected state to a connected state during the warm-up processing of the fuel cell.

7. The battery unit according to claim 6, wherein the control unit changes the second switch into a non-connected state for a steady state operation of the fuel cell.

8. The battery unit according to claim 3, wherein the control unit places the first switch and the second switch into the connected state for a predetermined period of time during a shutdown processing of the fuel cell.

9. The battery unit according to claim 8, wherein the control unit changes the first switch from the connected state to the non-connected state after changing the second switch from the non-connected state to the connected state during the shutdown processing of the fuel cell.

10. The battery unit according to claim 3, wherein the control unit places the first switch and the second switch into the non-connected state when the fuel cell stops.

11. A power supply control method in a fuel cell capable of generating power by chemical reaction, the method comprising:

providing a first switch between an output terminal of the fuel cell and a load and arranging a second switch between the output terminal of the fuel cell and a ground; and

placing the first switch and the second switch into a connected state for a predetermined period of time during a warm-up processing of the fuel cell.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the arranging of the second switch comprises arranging the second switch and a resistor in series between the output terminal and the ground.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the placing the first switch and the second switch into the connected state comprises changing the first switch from a non-connected state to a connected state after the second switch is changed from a non-connected state to the connected state during the warm-up processing of the fuel cell.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising placing the second switch into a non-connected state for a steady state operation of the fuel cell.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising placing the first switch and the second switch into the connected state for a predetermined period of time during a shutdown processing of the fuel cell.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first switch is changed from the connected state to a non-connected state after the second switch is changed from a non-connected state to the connected state during the shutdown processing of the fuel cell.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising bringing the first switch and the second switch into a non-connected state when the fuel cell stops.

18. An electronic system comprising:

an electronic device; and

a battery unit detachably coupled to the electronic device, the battery unit comprises a fuel cell,

a first switch couple to an output terminal of the fuel cell and the electric device,

a second switch and an impedance element arranged in series between the output terminal of the fuel cell and a ground, and

a control unit placing the first switch and the second switch in a connected state for a predetermined period of time during a warm-up, programming operation of the fuel cell and a shutdown processing operation of the fuel cell.

19. The electronic signal according to claim 18, which the impedance element of the battery unit is a register.

20. The electronic signal according to claim 18, wherein the control unit of the battery unit is a micro computer.

21. The electronic signal according to claim 18, wherein the control unit of the battery unit changes the first switch for a non-corrected state to the corrected state after changing the second switch from a non-connected state to the connected state during the warm-up processing operation of the fuel cell.

22. The electronic signal according to claim 18, wherein the fuel cell of the battery unit is a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) cell stack.