FUEL CELL SYSTEM, FUEL CELL VEHICLE, AND METHOD FOR EVALUATING OPERATIONAL FAILURE OF ON-OFF VALVE
First Claim
1. A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell that generates power by receiving fuel gas;
a plurality of fuel gas tanks connected in parallel to the fuel cell;
an on-off valve provided in a fuel gas flow path from each of the fuel gas tanks, wherein the on-off valve is switched between two positions to discharge fuel gas from the gas fuel tank to the fuel cell and shut fuel gas off;
a supply gas pressure sensor that detects supply gas pressure in sight of the fuel gas tank when fuel gas from the plurality of fuel gas tanks is simultaneously supplied to the fuel cell;
a first consumption calculation unit that monitors a power generation status of the fuel cell and calculates a total amount of a fuel gas consumption from a point in time when the supply gas pressure detected by the supply gas pressure sensor reaches a standard gas pressure predetermined, based on an amount of power generated by the fuel cell;
a second consumption calculation unit that calculates a total amount of a fuel gas consumption based on a gas pressure change that corresponds to a decrease of the gas pressure detected by the supply gas pressure sensor from the standard gas pressure; and
a valve operation evaluation unit that evaluates whether the on-off valve fails to be opened by comparing total amounts of the fuel gas consumptions calculated by the first and second consumption calculation units with each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The control unit of the fuel cell system monitors the status of power generation of the fuel cell and calculates a total amount of the fuel gas consumption, based on the amount of power generated by the fuel cell, from a point in time when the supply gas pressure reaches a standard gas pressure. Another total amount of the fuel gas consumption is calculated based on a gas pressure change that corresponds to a decrease of the gas pressure from the standard gas pressure. Comparing two total amounts of the fuel gas consumptions, the evaluation is performed as whether the on-off valve in the fuel gas flow path from each of the fuel gas tanks to the fuel cell fails to be opened.
14 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A fuel cell system comprising:
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a fuel cell that generates power by receiving fuel gas; a plurality of fuel gas tanks connected in parallel to the fuel cell; an on-off valve provided in a fuel gas flow path from each of the fuel gas tanks, wherein the on-off valve is switched between two positions to discharge fuel gas from the gas fuel tank to the fuel cell and shut fuel gas off; a supply gas pressure sensor that detects supply gas pressure in sight of the fuel gas tank when fuel gas from the plurality of fuel gas tanks is simultaneously supplied to the fuel cell; a first consumption calculation unit that monitors a power generation status of the fuel cell and calculates a total amount of a fuel gas consumption from a point in time when the supply gas pressure detected by the supply gas pressure sensor reaches a standard gas pressure predetermined, based on an amount of power generated by the fuel cell; a second consumption calculation unit that calculates a total amount of a fuel gas consumption based on a gas pressure change that corresponds to a decrease of the gas pressure detected by the supply gas pressure sensor from the standard gas pressure; and a valve operation evaluation unit that evaluates whether the on-off valve fails to be opened by comparing total amounts of the fuel gas consumptions calculated by the first and second consumption calculation units with each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for evaluating an operation failure of an on-off valve provided in a fuel gas flow path from a plurality of fuel gas tanks to a fuel cell in a fuel cell system, the method comprises:
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detecting a supply gas pressure of fuel gas that is simultaneously supplied to the fuel cell from the plurality of fuel gas tanks connected in parallel to the fuel cell; monitoring a power generation status of the fuel cell and calculating a first total gas consumption from a point in time when the detected supply gas pressure reaches a standard gas pressure predetermined, based on an amount of power generated by the fuel cell; calculating a second total gas consumption based on a gas pressure change that corresponds to a decrease of the detected supply gas pressure from the standard gas pressure; and evaluating whether the on-off valve fails to be opened by comparing the first and second total gas consumptions. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification