FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND OPERATION METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20080238355A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: MURAMATSU, Yasuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/054,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/30 by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/10 characterised by the engine being over or beside driven rear wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2202/00 Motorised scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• 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 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04194 Concentration measuring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04365 of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks
• 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 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04597 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04731 of other components of a fuel cell or 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: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• 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

A motorbike is mounted with a fuel cell system which includes a cell stack, a secondary battery which is charged by the cell stack and a controller which has a CPU. After receiving an operation stop command which is issued from a main switch, the CPU estimates a charging time for a charge rate of the secondary battery to attain a target value, based on a voltage of the secondary battery and a charge current which are detected based on detection signals from a voltage detection circuit and an electric current detection circuit, as well as based on a charging time estimation table stored in a memory. The charging time estimated by the CPU is displayed in a display.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell;

a secondary battery which is charged by the fuel cell;

a charge amount information detector arranged to detect charge amount information regarding an amount of charge in the secondary battery;

an electric current information detector arranged to detect electric current information regarding an electric current flowing in the secondary battery;

an estimation unit arranged to estimate a charging time for the amount of charge in the secondary battery to reach a target value, based on a result of detection by the charge amount information detector and a result of detection by the electric current information detector; and

a notification unit arranged to notify a result of estimation by the estimation unit.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit arranged to set one of a state of connection in which the fuel cell is connected with an external load and a state of disconnection in which the fuel cell is not connected with the external load,

wherein the estimation unit estimates the charging time after the setting unit has made a setting into the state of disconnection.

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

a temperature detector arranged to detect a temperature of the fuel cell;

a first memory arranged to store an output of the fuel cell; and

a second memory arranged to store a recovery time estimation table that shows correspondence between the temperature of the fuel cell, the output of the fuel cell and a recovery time for the temperature of the fuel cell to attain a target temperature;

wherein the estimation unit estimates the recovery time based on a result of detection by the temperature detector, the output stored in the first memory and the recovery time estimation table stored in the second memory;

detects the electric current information based on the output stored in the first memory;

estimates the charging time based on the detected electric current information, the estimated recovery time and a result of detection by the charge amount information detector; and

obtains the estimated result by adding the estimated recovery time to the estimated charging time, if a result of detection by the temperature detector is lower than a predetermined temperature.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the target value includes a first target value which is greater than a value at which the fuel cell can make a shift to normal operation where the fuel cell can generate power constantly, and a second target value which is smaller than the first target value.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the second target value is set to a value at which shifting to the normal operation is possible.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the second target value is set to a value at which an electric current flow in the secondary battery in a case of charging by an external power source which is capable of charging the secondary battery with a predetermined electric current is identical with an electric current flow in the secondary battery in a case of charging by the fuel cell.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the estimation unit is a first estimation unit, the fuel cell system further comprising a second estimation unit which estimates the charging time for a case of charging by an external power source which is capable of charging the secondary battery with a predetermined electric current, based on a result of detection by the charge amount information detector and the predetermined electric current,

wherein the notification unit notifies a result of estimation by the first estimation unit and a result of estimation by the second estimation unit.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a connection determination unit arranged to determine whether or not the external power source is connected;

a comparison unit arranged to compare a result of estimation by the first estimation unit and a result of estimation by the second estimation unit; and

a switch arranged to switch from charging by the fuel cell to charging by the external power source based on a result of determination by the connection determination unit and a result of comparison by the comparison unit.

9. Transportation equipment comprising the fuel cell system according to claim 1.

10. A method for operating a fuel cell system including a fuel cell and a secondary battery which is charged by the fuel cell, the method comprising:

a step of charging the secondary battery by the fuel cell;

a step of detecting charge amount information regarding an amount of charge in the secondary battery;

a step of detecting electric current information regarding an electric current flowing in the secondary battery;

a step of estimating a charging time for the amount of charge in the secondary battery to attain a target value based on the charge amount information and the electric current information which are detected; and

a step of notifying the estimated charging time.