FUEL CELL-EQUIPPED VEHICLE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20160311341A1
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: NADA, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,895,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/05 Inlet covers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0538 with open or close mechanism automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0546 Arrangements for checking the position of the inlet cover
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0576 with actuator fixed to the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/71 Arrangement of fuel cells within vehicles specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/72 Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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 8/04225 during start-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04302 applied during start-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04694 characterised by variables to be controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04992 characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
• 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 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A vehicle which includes a fuel cell, a receptacle, a lid, and a fixing pin, and which stores a detection of the open state during a period from a time point of a latest end of operation of the vehicle to a time point of input acceptance of a start-up instruction. If a detection of an open state has been stored in a memory at a time point of input acceptance of a start-up instruction, then the vehicle executes a retry operation of temporarily moving the fixing pin of the fixed position to the released position and thereafter moving the fixing pin again to the fixed position during an operating period of the vehicle from the time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a fuel cell for generating electric power by electrochemical reaction;

a receptacle for accepting charging of a fuel to be used for the fuel cell from outside the vehicle;

a lid which is automatically movable from an open state to a closed state and which covers the receptacle in the closed state;

a fixing pin which is movable between a fixed position where the fixing pin is fitted to the lid of the closed state to fix the lid in the closed state and a released position where the fitting of the fixing pin to the lid is released;

a detection part for detecting the open/closed state of the lid;

a fixation control part configured such that, if the detection part detects a change from the open state to the closed state, then the fixation control part performs control of moving the fixing pin from the released position to the fixed position;

a start-up input part for accepting input of a start-up instruction for starting up the vehicle;

a memory for storing a detection of the open state by the detection part during a period from a time point of a latest end of operation of the vehicle to a time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction; and

a retry control part configured such that, if the detection part is detecting the closed state and if the memory has stored a detection of the open state at a time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction, then the retry control part executes a retry operation of temporarily moving the fixing pin in the fixed position to the released position and thereafter moving the fixing pin again to the fixed position, during an operating period of the vehicle from the time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction.

2. The vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the retry control part executes the retry operation during a period from the time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction before start-up of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the retry control part executes the retry operation when the vehicle starts up.

4. The vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the retry control part executes the retry operation upon reaching a traveling speed of the vehicle to a set value.

5. The vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a memory erasing part for erasing the detection of the open state stored in the memory after execution of the retry operation.

6. The vehicle in accordance with claim 5, wherein

the retry control part executes the retry operation a plurality of times during an operating period of the vehicle from the time point of input, acceptance of the start-up instruction, and

the memory erasing part erases the detection of the open state stored in the memory after the retry operation is executed upon reaching the traveling speed of the vehicle to a set value.

7. The vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lid is automatically movable from the open state to the closed state by biasing force of a spring.

8. The vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a release input part for accepting input of a release instruction for releasing fixation of the lid by the fixing pin when operation of the vehicle is ended; and

a release control part configured such that, if input of the release instruction is accepted, then the release control part performs control of moving the fixing pin from the fixed position to the released position.

9. A control method for controlling a vehicle which includes a fuel cell for generating electric power by electrochemical reaction, a receptacle for accepting charging of a fuel to be used for the fuel cell from outside the vehicle, a lid which is automatically movable from an open state to a closed state and which covers the receptacle in the closed state, a fixing pin which is movable between a fixed position where the fixing pin is fitted to the lid of the closed state to fix the lid in the closed state and a released position where the fitting of the fixing pin to the lid is released, wherein the control method comprising the steps of:

detecting the open/closed state of the lid;

upon detection of a change from the open state to the closed state, performing control of moving the fixing pin from the released position to the fixed position;

accepting input of a start-up instruction for starting up the vehicle;

storing a detection of the open state during a period from a time point of a latest end of operation of the vehicle to a time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction; and

if the closed state is being detected and if a detection of the open state has been stored at a time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction, then executing a retry operation of temporarily moving the fixing pin of the fixed position to the released position and thereafter moving the fixing pin again to the fixed position during an operating period of the vehicle from the time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction.

10. The control method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the executing the retry operation is performed during a period from the time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction before start-up of the vehicle.

11. The control method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the executing the retry operation is performed when the vehicle starts up.

12. The control method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the executing the retry operation is performed upon reaching a traveling speed of the vehicle to a set value.

13. The control method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

erasing the detection of the open state stored in the memory after execution of the retry operation.

14. The control method in accordance with claim 13, wherein

the executing the retry operation is performed a plurality of times during an operating period of the vehicle from the time point of input acceptance of the start-up instruction, and

the erasing the detection of the open state stored, in the memory is performed after the retry operation is executed upon reaching the traveling speed of the vehicle to a set value.

15. The control method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the lid is automatically movable from the open state to the closed state by biasing force of a spring.

16. The control method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

accepting input of a release instruction for releasing fixation of the lid by the fixing pin when operation of the vehicle is ended; and

upon acceptance of input of the release instruction, performing control of moving the fixing pin from the fixed position to the released position.