Fuel Cell System

• US 20080118797A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirakata, Shuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,923,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 8/04313 characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04649 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04664 Failure or abnormal function
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04694 characterised by variables to be controlled
• 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 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An ECU (114) determines a connection state between a vehicle (200) and an external power supply (300) based on a resistance detected by a resistance detector (106). When the vehicle (200) and the external power supply (300) are connected, power supply from an FC (102) to a drive motor (204) is interrupted by turning off a switch (116) to prevent wiring (105) from having breakage etc. by movement of the vehicle (200), thus inhibiting movement of the vehicle (200).

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell mounted in a movable body;

external connecting means connecting said movable body to an external power source provided outside said movable body; and

connection determining means determining whether or not said movable body is connected to said external power source via said external connecting means by detecting a resistance via said external connection means.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising notifying means notifying that said movement inhibiting means inhibits said movable body from moving.

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

an auxiliary machine unit utilized for maintaining and managing an operating environment of said fuel cell; and

power supply control means that controls the supply of the electric power to said auxiliary machine unit from said fuel cell and said external power source.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein said power supply control means includes connection switching means that switches over a state between said external connecting means and said auxiliary machine unit to a connected state or a disconnected state, and

said connection determining means determines whether said external power source is connected to said external connecting means or not in a state where connection between said external connecting means and said auxiliary machine unit is disconnected by said connection switching means.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising movement inhibiting means inhibiting said movable body from moving if said connection determining means determines that said movable body is connected to said external power source via said external connecting means.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein said movable body includes a drive motor that powers said movable body to move, and

said movement inhibiting means cuts off supply of electric power to said drive motor.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein said auxiliary machine unit is any one of a heater, a pump and a valve.

3. (canceled)

9. The fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell body mounted in a movable body;

an external connecting unit connecting said movable body to an external power source provided outside said movable body; and

a connection determining unit determining whether or not said movable body is connected to said external power source via said external connecting unit by detecting a resistance via said external connection unit.