FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND MOBILE BODY

• US 20100009225A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,088,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/406
• 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 8/04268 Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04373 of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04395 of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04529 of the electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04597 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04649 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• 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 is provided with a fuel cell, an electric storage device, and a controller which determines a directed drive amount for a drive device. In the case where a drive request is input during a low-efficiency drive period in which power is supplied from the electric storage device, the directed drive amount after power generation by the fuel cell is begun is restrained. This arrangement allows a driving state to be smoothly changed even when power supply to the drive device is changed from power supply using the electric storage device alone to that using both the fuel cell and the electric storage device.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system configured to allow at least one of a plurality of power supply sources, including a fuel cell and an electric storage device, to supply power to a drive device and configured to carry out low-efficiency drive to supply power from the electric storage device, wherein,

when the power supply source that supplies power to the drive device is changed at an end of the low-efficiency drive, a drive amount directed to the drive device is restrained.

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

a power supply source selecting device that selects a power supply source supplying power to the drive device;

a specified drive amount calculating device that calculates the drive amount to be directed to the drive device on the basis of the power supplied by the selected power supply source; and

a restraining device that restrains the directed drive amount.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of power supply sources is the fuel cell and the electric storage device, and

the drive amount to be directed to the drive device after power is supplied from the fuel cell is restrained when power is supplied from the fuel cell in addition to the power supplied by the electric storage device.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein in the case where power supply from the fuel cell becomes possible during a period of the low-efficiency drive in which power is supplied from the electric storage device, the drive amount to be directed to the drive device is restrained.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the restraining device

restrains a required system power amount after a power generation from the fuel cell is begun as a factor that changes the directed drive amount.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the restraining device restrains a stoichiometric characteristic, which defines a relationship between a gas flow amount and an allowed fuel cell power amount which should be allowed in relation to the gas flow rate after the power generation from the fuel cell is begun as a factor that changes the directed drive amount.

11. A mobile body comprising the fuel cell system according claim 1.

7. A fuel cell system configured to comprise a fuel cell and an electric storage device and configured to carry out low-efficiency drive to supply power from the electric storage device, the fuel cell system comprising:

a drive torque calculating device that calculates torque required for a drive device according to a drive request signal;

a required drive power calculating device that calculates a required drive power amount based on the torque;

an auxiliary device loss power calculating device that calculates an auxiliary device loss amount;

a required system power calculating device that calculates a required system power amount on the basis of the required drive power amount and the auxiliary device loss;

a gas supply amount directing device that outputs a directed gas supply amount to the fuel cell on the basis of the required system power amount;

an allowed fuel cell generating power specifying device that specifies an allowed fuel cell generating power amount to be allowed for the fuel cell on the basis of a gas flow amount actually supplied in response to the directed gas supply amount;

a minimum value selecting device that outputs the required system power amount or the allowed fuel cell generating power amount, whichever is smaller; and

an allowed drive power calculating device that calculates an allowed drive power amount to be allowed for the drive device on the basis of the selected power amount and a power amount that can be supplied from the electric storage device,

wherein, in the case where the drive request signal is input within a low-efficiency drive period during which power is supplied from the electric storage device, the allowed drive power amount to be allowed for the drive device is restrained after a power generation from the fuel cell is begun.

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

a required drive power restraining device that restrains the required drive power amount in the low-efficiency drive period to a value that is not more than a difference obtained by subtracting the auxiliary device loss from a power amount that can be supplied from the electric storage device.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, further comprising a required system power restraining device that restrains the required system power amount after the power generation from the fuel cell is begun.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, wherein

a stoichiometric characteristic which defines a relationship between the gas flow amount and an allowed fuel cell generating power amount to be allowed in relation to the gas flow amount, the relationship of which is referred to by the allowed fuel cell generating power specifying device to determine the allowed fuel cell generating power amount, is retained, and

further comprising a stoichiometry changing device configured to restrain the stoichiometric characteristic used after a power generation from the fuel cell is started.