Control apparatus for vehicle having fuel cell mounted thereon

• US 20060272868A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Muramoto, Itsuro, Fuse, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 7,447,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.100
• 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: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A control apparatus (6) for a vehicle (V) which includes a fuel cell (11) for generating electricity, auxiliary equipment (12) of the fuel cell (11), a secondary battery (3)to be charged with electricity generated by the fuel cell (11), and a motor (1) to to be fed with electricity from the fuel cell (11) and/or the secondary battery (3). the control apparatus (6) commences start-up of the fuel cell (11), supplying electricity from the secondary battery (3) to the auxiliary equipment (12), monitors status of the fuel cell (11), and as the status meets a predetermined condition, computes an electric power at which the secondary battery (3) discharges electricity, based on state of charge of the secondary battery (3) and remaining time to completion of the start-up of the fuel cell (11), and supplies electricity from the secondary battery (3) to the motor (1) at the computed electric power.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle which comprises a fuel cell for generating electricity, auxiliary equipment of the fuel cell, a secondary battery to be charged with electricity generated by the fuel cell, and a motor to be fed with electricity from the fuel cell and/or the secondary battery, wherein

the control apparatus

commences start-up of the fuel cell, supplying electricity from the secondary battery to the auxiliary equipment,

monitors status of the fuel cell, and

as the status meets a predetermined condition,

computes an electric power at which the secondary battery discharges electricity, based on state of charge of the secondary battery and remaining time to completion of the start-up of the fuel cell, and

supplies electricity from the secondary battery to the motor at the computed electric power.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined condition is based on the state of charge of the secondary battery.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric power is computed in the case the motor is fed with electricity from the secondary battery.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electricity from the secondary battery is supplied to power-consuming auxiliary equipment before the motor.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the start-up of the fuel cell can be executed in a plurality of procedures, one of the procedures is selected depending on ambient conditions of the vehicle, and

the predetermined condition is set for each procedure.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the remaining time to completion of the start-up of the fuel cell is set for each procedure.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the ambient conditions comprise ambient temperature of the vehicle.

8. A method for starting up a vehicle which comprises a fuel cell for generating electricity, auxiliary equipment of the fuel cell, a secondary battery to be charged with electricity generated by the fuel cell, a motor to be fed with electricity from the fuel cell and/or the secondary battery, the method comprising:

commencing start-up of the fuel cell, supplying electricity from the secondary battery to the auxiliary equipment;

monitoring status of the fuel cell;

computing an electric power at which the secondary battery discharges electricity, based on state of charge of the secondary battery and remaining time to completion of the start-up of the fuel cell, as the status meets a predetermined condition; and

supplying electricity from the secondary battery to the motor at the computed electric power.