FUEL CELL SYSTEM

• US 20200136157A1
• Filed: 09/09/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ITO, Masayuki, KANEKO, Tomohiko
• Granted Patent: US 11,069,912 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 8/04067 Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04111 using a compressor turbine assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04126 Humidifying
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04141 by water containing exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04149 by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04223 during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04604 Power, energy, capacity or load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04723 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04768 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0488 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/249 comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies
• 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 includes: a first fuel cell stack and a second fuel cell stack; a supply passage connected to an inlet of oxidant gas in the first fuel cell stack; an discharge passage connected to an outlet of the oxidant gas in the second fuel cell stack; introduction unit that introduces water in the oxidant gas flowing through the discharge passage into the supply passage; and a controller configured to perform refresh control of the first fuel cell stack by lowering voltage of the first fuel cell stack, and operates, during the refresh control, the introduction unit while keeping the second fuel cell stack in an electric power generation state.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:

a first fuel cell stack and a second fuel cell stack each configured to generate electric power through chemical reaction between fuel gas and oxidant gas;

a supply passage connected to an inlet of the oxidant gas in the first fuel cell stack;

a discharge passage connected to an outlet of the oxidant gas in the second fuel cell stack;

an introduction unit configured to introduce water in the oxidant gas flowing through the discharge passage into the supply passage; and

a controller configured to perform refresh control of the first fuel cell stack by lowering voltage of the first fuel cell stack, and operate, during the refresh control, the introduction unit while keeping the second fuel cell stack in an electric power generation state.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein when performing the refresh control, the controller is configured to lower the voltage of the first fuel cell stack by setting a flow rate of the oxidant gas flowing through the supply passage to be lower than the flow rate of the oxidant gas in a case of making the first fuel cell stack generate the electric power in accordance with electric power requested to the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the introduction unit includes a humidifier including a film configured to permit the water to permeate from a discharge passage side to a supply passage side.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein:

the introduction unit includes a first control valve configured to connect the humidifier to the discharge passage, and

the controller is configured to control an opening degree of the first control valve such that at least some of the oxidant gas flowing through the discharge passage flows to the humidifier during the refresh control.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein:

the introduction unit includes a second control valve configured to connect the supply passage to the humidifier, and

the controller is configured to control an opening degree of the second control valve such that at least some of the oxidant gas flowing through the supply passage flows to the humidifier during the refresh control.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein:

the introduction unit includes a pump configured to pump out the oxidant gas flowing through the discharge passage to the supply passage, and

the controller is configured to drive the pump during the refresh control.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, comprising

an air compressor configured to supply the oxidant gas to the first fuel cell stack, the air compressor being provided on an upstream side of the introduction unit in the supply passage, wherein

the controller is configured to stop operation of the air compressor during the refresh control.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, comprising

a cooling device configured to supply a cooling medium configured to cool the first fuel cell stack to the first fuel cell stack, wherein

the controller is configured to control the cooling device so as to increase a supply amount of the cooling medium, or so as to lower temperature of the cooling medium during the refresh control.