MOBILE BODY MOUNTED WITH FUEL CELL

• US 20090038867A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Arisawa, Hiroshi, Jufuku, Yasunobu, Nagasawa, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 8,418,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.310
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• 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: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• 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 8/04492 Humidity; Ambient humidity; Water content
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04656 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04761 of fuel cell exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• 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: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A vehicle 1000 is equipped with a fuel cell system 100 and a secondary battery as power sources. A water level of water present on a water-covered road surface is measured by a water level sensor 72. When the measured water level reaches or exceeds a preset threshold value, drive control of the vehicle 1000 stops power generation by a fuel cell stack 10, closes a discharge valve 62, and enables the vehicle 1000 to be driven with output power of a motor that is actuated with electric power from the secondary battery. This arrangement effectively prevents a damage or failure of the fuel cells mounted on the vehicle moving on the water-covered road.

Claims

1. A moving body equipped with fuel cells, the moving body comprising:

a motor configured to be driven with electric power output from the fuel cells;

an exhaust pipe arranged to discharge an exhaust fluid from the fuel cells to outside of the moving body via an outlet;

a detector configured to detect an environment surrounding the moving body;

a decision module configured to identify a potential or no potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet, based on a result of detection by the detector; and

a controller configured to, upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, stop power generation by the fuel cells.

2. The moving body in accordance with claim 1, the moving body further having:

a second battery other than the fuel cells; and

a changeover switch designed to change over a driving source of the motor between the electric power output from the fuel cells and electric power output from the second battery,

wherein upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, the controller controls an operation of the changeover switch to change over the driving source of the motor to the electric power output from the second battery.

3. The moving body in accordance with either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein a discharge valve is provided either at the outlet or in the exhaust pipe, and

upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, the controller closes the discharge valve.

4. The moving body in accordance with either one of claims 1 and 2, the moving body further having:

an air supplier configured to supply the air, which has a higher pressure than a back pressure of the exhaust fluid in the exhaust pipe, to the exhaust pipe,

wherein upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, the controller controls an operation of the air supplier to supply the air to the exhaust pipe.

5. The moving body in accordance with claim 4, wherein the fuel cells are equipped with an oxidizing gas supplier to supply an oxidizing gas,

the oxidizing gas supplier includes an air compressor designed to compress the air as the oxidizing gas, and

the air compressor is also used as the air supplier.

6. The moving body in accordance with claim 5, the moving body further having:

a bypass conduit arranged to supply the compressed air compressed by the air compressor to the exhaust pipe with bypassing the fuel cells; and

a changeover valve designed to change over a supply destination of the compressed air between the fuel cells and the exhaust pipe via the bypass conduit,

wherein upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, the controller controls an operation of the changeover valve to supply the compressed air to the exhaust pipe via the bypass conduit.

7. The moving body in accordance with any one of claims 4 through 6, wherein the exhaust pipe includes:

an anode off gas discharge conduit arranged to flow an anode off gas discharged from anodes of the fuel cells; and

a cathode off gas discharge conduit arranged to flow a cathode off gas discharged from cathodes of the fuel cells,

wherein the anode off gas discharge conduit joins with the cathode off gas discharge conduit,

the anode off gas discharge conduit is equipped with a passage switchover valve arranged to switch over between passage and blockage of the anode off gas discharge conduit, and

upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, the controller controls an operation of the passage switchover valve to switch over to the blockage of the anode off gas discharge conduit.

8. A moving body equipped with fuel cells, the moving body comprising:

a motor configured to be driven with electric power output from the fuel cells;

a fuel gas supplier arranged to supply a fuel gas to the fuel cells;

an oxidizing gas supplier arranged to supply an oxidizing gas to the fuel cells;

an exhaust pipe arranged to discharge an exhaust gas from the fuel cells to outside of the moving body via an outlet;

a detector configured to detect an environment surrounding the moving body;

a decision module configured to identify a potential or no potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet, based on a result of detection by the detector; and

a controller configured to, upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, increase at least one of a flow rate of the fuel gas to the fuel cells by the fuel gas supplier and a flow rate of the oxidizing gas to the fuel cells by the oxidizing gas supplier, irrespective of a power demand for the fuel cells.

9. The moving body in accordance with claim 8, wherein the exhaust pipe includes:

an anode off gas discharge conduit arranged to flow an anode off gas discharged from anodes of the fuel cells; and

a cathode off gas discharge conduit arranged to flow a cathode off gas discharged from cathodes of the fuel cells,

wherein the anode off gas discharge conduit joins with the cathode off gas discharge conduit,

the anode off gas discharge conduit is equipped with a passage switchover valve arranged to switch over between passage and blockage of the anode off gas discharge conduit, and

upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module, the controller controls an operation of the passage switchover valve to switch over to the blockage of the anode off gas discharge conduit, while increasing the flow rate of the oxidizing gas to the fuel cells by the oxidizing gas supplier, irrespective of the power demand for the fuel cells.

10. The moving body in accordance with claim 9, wherein in the event of re-identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module after elapse of a preset time period since the controller controlled the operation of the passage switchover valve to switch over to the blockage of the anode off gas discharge conduit and increased the flow rate of the oxidizing gas to the fuel cells by the oxidizing gas supplier irrespective of the power demand for the fuel cells in response to identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet by the decision module,

the controller controls the operation of the passage switchover valve to switch over to the passage of the anode off gas discharge conduit, while increasing a back pressure of the anode off gas in the anode off gas discharge conduit to be higher than a back pressure of the cathode off gas in the cathode off gas discharge conduit.

11. A moving body equipped with fuel cells, the moving body comprising:

an insulation resistance tester designed to measure an insulation resistance between the fuel cells and a conductive member to be insulated from the fuel cells; and

a startup controller configured to prohibit a startup of the fuel cells when the insulation resistance measured by the insulation resistance tester is less than a preset level.

12. The moving body in accordance with claim 11, wherein the conductive member is a casing arranged to keep the fuel cells therein.

13. A control method of fuel cells mounted on a moving body,

the moving body having:

a motor configured to be driven with electric power output from the fuel cells; and

an exhaust pipe arranged to discharge an exhaust fluid from the fuel cells to outside of the moving body via an outlet,

the control method comprising;

a detection step of detecting an environment surrounding the moving body;

a decision step of identifying a potential or no potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet, based on a result of detection in the detection step; and

a control step of, upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet in the decision step, stopping power generation by the fuel cells.

14. A control method of fuel cells mounted on a moving body,

the moving body having:

a motor configured to be driven with electric power output from the fuel cells;

a fuel gas supplier arranged to supply a fuel gas to the fuel cells;

an oxidizing gas supplier arranged to supply an oxidizing gas to the fuel cells; and

an exhaust pipe arranged to discharge an exhaust gas from the fuel cells to outside of the moving body via an outlet,

the control method comprising;

a detection step of detecting an environment surrounding the moving body;

a decision step of identifying a potential or no potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet, based on a result of detection in the detection step; and

a control step of, upon identification of the potential for any obstructing object to block the outlet or to be flowed into the exhaust pipe through the outlet in the decision step, increasing at least one of a flow rate of the fuel gas to the fuel cells by the fuel gas supplier and a flow rate of the oxidizing gas to the fuel cells by the oxidizing gas supplier, irrespective of a power demand for the fuel cells.

15. A control method of fuel cells mounted on a moving body, the control method comprising:

a startup instruction receiving step of receiving a startup instruction of the fuel cells;

an insulation resistance measurement step of measuring an insulation resistance between the fuel cells and a conductive member to be insulated from the fuel cells, in response to reception of the startup instruction; and

a startup control step of prohibiting a startup of the fuel cells when the insulation resistance measured in the insulation resistance measurement step is less than a preset level.