Fuel cell system and related method

• US 20050181246A1
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakaji, Yoshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,968,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• 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: 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 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04022 Heating by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04268 Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0432 Temperature; Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04768 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04776 at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0618 Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming
• 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

A fuel cell system (1, 100) adapted to be installed on a moving object (V) is provided with an electric power generating element (31, 45) including a fuel cell (31) supplied with fuel gas and oxidizing gas to generate electric power, a warm-up mechanism (21 to 23, 32 to 39, 41 to 50′) enabled to achieve warm up of the electric power generating element, and a controller (13), in response to reception of a control signal transmitted from an external remote operator unit (3) and commanding a start-up completion time at which start-up of the fuel cell system is to be completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, controlling the warm-up mechanism to allow the warm-up of at least the electric power generating element to be completed in alignment with the start-up completion time.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system adapted to be installed on a moving object, the fuel cell system comprising:

an electric power generating element including a fuel cell supplied with fuel gas and oxidizing gas to generate electric power;

a warm-up mechanism enabled to achieve warm up of the electric power generating element; and

a controller, in response to reception of a control signal transmitted from an external remote operator unit and commanding a start-up completion time at which start-up of the fuel cell system is to be completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, controlling the warm-up mechanism to allow the warm-up of the electric power generating element to be completed in alignment with the start-up completion time.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is provided with a timer, and the start-up completion time is set by use of the timer.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the controller transmits, to the remote operator unit, a signal that compels at least one of the start-up completion time and a residual time with respect to the start-up completion time to be displayed over the remote operator unit and controls the warm-up mechanism with a view to achieving the warm-up of the electric power generating element in response to a control signal, transmitted from the remote operator unit, to alter the start-up completion time.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the warm-up mechanism with a view to selecting at least one of a plurality of different warm-up operations in dependence on a condition related to the start-up of the fuel cell system.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the controller compares the condition related to a residual time with respect to the start-up completion time and the condition related to a temperature of the electric power generating element, respectively, and controls the warm-up mechanism with a view to selecting at least one of the plurality of warm-up operations.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, wherein the warm-up mechanism is provided with a combustor that combusts moving object fuel used for driving a moving object and heats heat exchanging medium, a fuel supply system that supplies the moving object fuel to the combustor, and a heat exchanging medium circulation system that permits the heat exchanging medium, heated by the combustor, to be circulated to the electric power generating element,

and wherein in a case that the residual time with respect to the start-up completion time is shorter than a first time threshold and a temperature of the electric power generating element is lower than a first temperature threshold, the controller controls the fuel supply system and the combustor to allow the moving object fuel to be combusted so as to allow the heat exchanging medium, heated through the heat exchanging medium circulation system, to be supplied to the electric power generating element.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein in response to the residual time with respect to the start-up completion time and the temperature of the electric power generating element, the controller controls the fuel supply system to regulate a flow rate of the moving object fuel to be supplied to the combustor and the heat exchanging medium circulation system to regulate a flow rate of the heat exchanging medium to be supplied to electric power generating element.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, further comprising an oxygen containing gas supply system that supplies oxygen containing gas including oxygen to the combustor,

wherein in a case that the residual time with respect to the start-up completion time is shorter than a second time threshold that is shorter than the first time threshold and the temperature of the electric power generating element is lower than a second temperature threshold that is lower than the first temperature threshold, the controller controls the oxygen containing gas supply system to reduce a supply rate of the oxygen containing gas in terms of a supply rate of the moving object fuel to be supplied to the combustor from the fuel supply system, whereas in a case that the residual time with respect to the start-up completion time is equal to or longer than the second time threshold and the temperature of the electric power generating element is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold, the controller controls the oxygen containing gas supply system to increase the supply rate of the oxygen containing gas in terms of the supply rate of the moving object fuel to be supplied to the combustor from the fuel supply system.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, wherein the controller executes control so as to operate the oxygen containing gas supply system in consideration of an operating efficiency obtained from a flow rate and a pressure ratio of the oxygen containing gas of the oxygen containing gas supply system.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the warm-up mechanism is provided with a battery and an electric power switch-over unit that switches over between electric power supplied from the battery and electric power supplied from an external power supply to be supplied to the warm-up mechanism,

and wherein the controller makes judgment to find whether the external power supply is available for supplying the electric power from the external power supply to the warm-up mechanism, as the condition related to the start-up of the fuel cell system, and controls the warm-up mechanism with a view to selecting at least one of the plurality of warm-up operations.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein in a case that the external power supply is available for supplying the electric power from the external power supply to the warm-up mechanism, the controller controls the electric power switch-over unit such that the external power supply has a priority over the battery to supply the electric power to the warm-up mechanism.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the warm-up mechanism is provided with a battery and an electric power switch-over unit that switches over between electric power supplied from the battery and electric power supplied from an external power supply to be supplied to the warm-up mechanism,

the fuel cell system further comprising a charging controller allowing the electric power supplied from an external power supply to be charged to the battery in a case that the external power supply is available for supplying the electric power from the external power supply to the battery.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 12, wherein the controller operates through the charging controller so as to allow the electric power from the external power supply to be charged to the battery such that a state of charge of the battery prior to the warm-up being completed by the warm-up mechanism becomes higher than a state of charge of the battery during a normal traveling condition of the moving object, and such that a state of charge of the battery at the beginning of driving of the moving object becomes higher than the state of charge of the battery during the normal traveling condition of the moving object.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, wherein in a case that the state of charge of the battery is higher than the state of charge of the battery during the normal traveling condition of the moving object, the controller alters a start-up completion-judgment threshold, by which judgment is made such that the start-up of the fuel cell system is completed while completing the warm-up of the electric power generating element, to a value to shorten a time period for judgment that the start-up of the fuel cell system is completed.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein in a case that the external power supply is not available for supplying the electric power from the external power supply to the warm-up mechanism and the residual time with respect to the start-up completion time is equal to or longer than a first time threshold, the controller controls the electric power switch-over unit to allow electric power from the battery to be supplied to the warm-up mechanism under a range of a state of charge that is higher than a lower limit threshold of the state of charge of the battery during the normal traveling condition of the moving object.

16. The fuel cell system according to claim 11, wherein the warm-up mechanism is provided with a heater that heats up by use of the electric power supplied through the electric power switch-over unit,

and wherein in a case that the external power supply is available for supplying the electric power from the external power supply to the warm-up mechanism, the electric power switch-over unit allows the electric power supplied from the external power supply to be supplied to the heater.

17. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, wherein the warm-up mechanism is provide with a battery and an electric power switch-over unit that switches over between electric power supplied from the battery and electric power supplied from an external power supply to be supplied to the warm-up mechanism and a heater that heat heats up by use of the electric power supplied from the electric power switch-over unit,

and wherein in a case that the residual time with respect to the start-up completion time is shorter than a third time threshold that is shorter than the second time threshold and the temperature of the electric power generating element is lower than a third temperature threshold that is lower than the second temperature threshold, the controller controls the electric power switch-over unit to allow the warm-up to be performed through the heater and controls the combustor to allow the moving object fuel to combust for achieving the warm-up.

18. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the controller stores a history of traveling requisite electric power of the moving object subsequent to the start-up through the warm-up of the electric power generating element and in consideration of the history as the condition related to the start-up of the fuel cell system, controls the warm-up mechanism with a view to selecting at least one of the plurality of warm-up operations.

19. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, further comprising a moving route setting section that allows a moving route of the moving object to be set;

wherein the controller, based on the moving route set by the moving route setting section as the condition related to the start-up of the fuel cell system, calculates traveling requisite electric power of the moving object subsequent to the start-up through the warm-up of the electric power generating element and controls the warm-up mechanism to select at least one of the plurality of warm-up operations.

20. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery; and

a charging controller allowing electric power supplied from an external power supply to be charged to the battery in a case that the external power supply is available for supplying the electric power from the external power supply to the warm-up mechanism,

wherein in a case that traveling requisite electric power of the moving object is lower than a predetermined electric power threshold, the controller operates through the charging controller to decrease electric power to be charged from the external power supply to the battery.

21. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein in a case that traveling requisite electric power of the moving object is lower than a predetermined electric power threshold, the controller alters a start-up completion-judgment threshold, by which judgment is made such that the start-up of the fuel cell system is completed while completing the warm-up of the electric power generating element, to a value to shorten a time period for judgment that the start-up of the fuel cell system is completed.

22. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein in a case that no travel of the moving object is commenced even after and the start-up of the fuel cell system has been completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, the controller controls the warm-up mechanism to continue the warm-up of the electric power generating element.

23. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein, prior to the start-up of the fuel cell system being completed, in a case that the controller is inputted with a control signal, from the remote operator unit, to prolong the start-up completion time, the controller controls the warm-up mechanism to continue the warm-up of the electric power generating element.

24. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein in a case that no travel of the moving object is commenced even after and the start-up of the fuel cell system has been completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, the controller allows a part of electric power, generated from the electric power generating element, to be supplied to an external power supply.

25. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein prior to the start-up of the fuel cell system being completed, in a case that the controller is inputted with a control signal, from the remote operator unit, to prolong the start-up completion time, the controller allows a part of electric power, generated from the electric power generating element, to be supplied to an external power supply.

26. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein in a case that no travel of the moving object is commenced even after and the start-up of the fuel cell system has been completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, the controller interrupts the electric power generating element from generating electric power.

27. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the warm-up mechanism in response to a control signal, delivered from the remote operator unit, to command either one of warm-up operations such that the warm-up of the electric power generating element is performed in the warm-up operation commanded by the remote operator unit.

28. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein in a case that particular material preliminarily set to be expelled from the fuel cell system is detected, the controller controls the warm-up mechanism to interrupt the warm-up of the electric power generating element.

29. The fuel cell system according to claim 28, wherein in a case that the particular material is detected, the controller provides a warning available to be recognized from an outside of a moving object.

30. The fuel cell system according to claim 29, wherein in a case that the particular material is detected, the controller transmits a control signal, indicative of the particular material being detected, to the remote operator unit to allow the remote operator unit to provide the warning.

31. The fuel cell system according to claim 30, wherein in a case that the particular material is detected, information indicative of the particular material being detected is recognized through the remote operator unit using at least one of a visual sense, a tactual sense and a hearing sense.

32. The fuel cell system according to claim 31, wherein in a case that the particular material is detected, the controller drives a sound generating mechanism to provide the warning.

33. The fuel cell system according to claim 29, wherein the controller emphasizes the warning as the moving object and the remote operator unit is closer in distance to one another.

34. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the electric power generating element includes a reformer that reforms raw material to form the fuel gas.

35. The fuel cell system according to claim 28, wherein the electric power generating element includes a reformer that reforms raw material to form the fuel gas,

and wherein the particular material is expelled from at least one of the fuel cell, the reformer and the warm-up mechanism.

36. A fuel cell system adapted to be installed on a moving object, the fuel cell system comprising:

an electric power generating element including a fuel cell supplied with fuel gas and oxidizing gas to generate electric power;

a warm-up mechanism enabled to achieve warm up of the electric power generating element; and

a controlling means, in response to reception of a control signal transmitted from an external remote operator unit and commanding a start-up completion time at which start-up of the fuel cell system is to be completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, for controlling the warm-up mechanism to allow the warm-up of the electric power generating element to be completed in alignment with the start-up completion time.

37. A method of controlling a fuel cell system provided with an electric power generating element including a fuel cell supplied with fuel gas and oxidizing gas to generate electric power and a warm-up mechanism achieving warm up of the electric power generating element, the method comprising:

controlling the warm-up mechanism, in response to reception of a control signal transmitted from an external remote operator unit and commanding a start-up completion time at which start-up of the fuel cell system is to be completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, to allow the warm-up of the electric power generating element to be completed in alignment with the start-up completion time.