METHOD FOR CONTROLLING FUEL CELL SYSTEM

• US 20170250415A1
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: KOIWA, Nobuki, OGAMI, Osamu, MATSUMOTO, Yuji, TARUYA, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 10,461,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04358 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04649 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04708 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 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: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A method for controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, includes generating electric current via an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas by the fuel cell including a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. An impedance of the fuel cell is detected. It is determined whether the impedance reaches a threshold impedance. The electric current generated by the fuel cell is increased when the impedance is determined to reach the threshold impedance.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, comprising:

generating electric current via an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas by the fuel cell including a solid polymer electrolyte membrane;

detecting an impedance of the fuel cell;

determining whether the impedance reaches a threshold impedance; and

increasing the electric current generated by the fuel cell when the impedance is determined to reach the threshold impedance.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the electric current is increased by a larger amount as the impedance increases.

7. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a battery is charged with the electric current, and charging of the battery is finished when the battery becomes fully charged.

8. The method according to claim 1,

wherein an oxidant gas supply mechanism supplies the oxidant gas at a lowest supply flow rate when the fuel cell is performing idling electric power generation, and the oxidant gas supply mechanism maintains the lowest supply flow rate when increasing the electric current.

3. A method for controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, comprising:

generating electric current via an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas by the fuel cell including a solid polymer electrolyte membrane;

cooling oxidant gas supplied to the fuel cell with a coolant;

determining whether a temperature of the coolant reaches a threshold temperature; and

increasing the electric current generated by the fuel cell when the temperature of the coolant is determined to reach the threshold temperature.

4. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the electric current is increased by a larger amount as the temperature of the coolant increases.

5. A method for controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, comprising:

generating electric current via an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas by the fuel cell including a solid polymer electrolyte membrane;

detecting an impedance of the fuel cell;

determining whether the impedance reaches a threshold impedance;

cooling oxidant gas supplied to the fuel cell with a coolant;

determining whether a temperature of the coolant reaches a threshold temperature; and

increasing the output electric current generated by the fuel cell when the impedance is determined to reach the threshold impedance or when the temperature of the coolant is determined to reach the threshold temperature.

6. The method according to claim 5,

wherein, when the impedance reaches the threshold impedance, the electric current is increased by a larger amount as the impedance increases, and, when the temperature of the coolant reaches the threshold temperature, the electric current is increased by a larger amount as the temperature of the coolant increases.