FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20130175972A1
• Filed: 04/06/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Akiyama, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US13/809,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20130175972A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04619 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04649 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell and a secondary battery, to variably control an output power of the fuel cell. The method includes the steps of: (i) charging the secondary battery with the output power or discharging the secondary battery, depending on an amount of power supplied to a load and the output power; (ii) detecting a remaining capacity CR of the secondary battery; (iii) switching stepwise the output power, depending on the remaining capacity CR; (iv) detecting the number of cycles of the charging and discharging of the secondary battery; and (v) correcting conditions for switching the output power, on the basis of the detected number of cycles of the charging and discharging.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell and a secondary battery, to variably control an output power of the fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) charging the secondary battery with the output power or discharging the secondary battery, depending on an amount of power supplied to a load and the output power;

(ii) detecting a remaining capacity CR of the secondary battery;

(iii) selecting one of two or more preset power generation modes of the fuel cell differing in the output power, depending on the remaining capacity CR;

(iv) detecting the number of cycles of the charging and discharging of the secondary battery; and

(v) correcting conditions for selecting the power generation mode, on the basis of the detected number of cycles of the charging and discharging.

2. The method for controlling a fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the number of cycle of the charging and discharging is detected, on the basis of the number of times the power generation mode has been switched.

3. The method for controlling a fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein:

the step (iii) includes

comparing the remaining capacity CR with at least one reference value RV, and

selecting the power generation mode, on the basis of a result of the comparison; and

the step (v) includes

correcting the at least one reference value RV, on the basis of the detected number of cycles of the charging and discharging.

4. The method for controlling a fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein a power generation mode for a higher output power is selected from the two or more power generation modes, as the remaining capacity CR decreases.

5. The method for controlling a fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein:

the at least one reference value RV includes two or more different reference values RV₁, RV₂, . . . , RV_n, where RV₁>

RV₂>

. . . >

RV_n; and

the number of cycles of charging and discharging is detected on the basis of the number of times the remaining capacity CR has decreased from a value equal to or more than the reference value RV₁ to a value less than the reference value RV₁, and the number of times the remaining capacity CR has increased from a value less than the reference value RV_n to a value equal to or more than the reference value RV_n.

6. The method for controlling a fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the remaining capacity CR is detected on the basis of a voltage of the secondary battery.

7. The method for controlling a fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein the voltage of the secondary battery is detected on the basis of a voltage of a capacitor connected in parallel with the secondary battery.

9. The method for controlling a fuel cell system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of creating and outputting information on life of the secondary battery, on the basis of the detected number of cycles of the charging and discharging.

8. A method for controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell and a secondary battery, to variably control an output power of the fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) charging the secondary battery with the output power or discharging the secondary battery, depending on an amount of power supplied to a load and the output power;

(ii) detecting a remaining capacity CR of the secondary battery;

(iii) comparing the remaining capacity CR with at least one reference value RV, and selecting one of two or more preset power generation modes of the fuel cell differing in the output power, on the basis of a result of the comparison; and

(iv) detecting the number of cycles of the charging and discharging, on the basis of the number of times the power generation mode has been switched.

10. A fuel cell system including a fuel cell and a secondary battery, to variably control an output power of the fuel cell, the system comprising:

a means for charging the secondary battery with the output power or discharging the secondary battery, depending on an amount of power supplied to a load and the output power of the secondary battery;

a means for detecting a remaining capacity CR of the secondary battery;

a means for selecting one of two or more preset power generation modes of the fuel cell differing in the output power, depending on the remaining capacity CR;

a means for detecting the number of cycles of the charging and discharging the secondary battery; and

a means for correcting conditions for selecting the power generation mode, on the basis of the detected number of cycles of the charging and discharging.

11. A fuel cell system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the number of cycles of the charging and discharging is detected on the basis of the number of times the power generation mode has been switched.