Hydrogen using system for installation in vehicle and control method for the system

• US 6,536,551 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Tomohiro, Hosotani, Ichiro, Hirakata, Syuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US09/680,945
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 180/65.8, 180/271, 429/10, 429/17, 429/19, 429/20
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/241 with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• 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 hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle has a methanol tank that stores methanol as a source material of hydrogen, which is a fuel of the hydrogen using system, a water tank that stores water, a methanol reformer that produces a hydrogen fuel from methanol and water, a first electromagnetic valve provided in a first channel connecting the methanol tank to the reformer, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack that generates power from the hydrogen fuel supplied from the reformer, a second electromagnetic valve provided in a second channel connecting the reformer to the fuel cell stack, an electronic control unit that controls various portions of the hydrogen using system, etc. When an impact occurs on the vehicle, the electronic control unit shuts the first channel and the second channel by forcibly closing the first and second electromagnetic valves based on a detection signal from the impact sensor. This hydrogen using system curbs reactions of hydrogen at the time of an accident or the like, thereby further improving safety of the system.

Claims

1. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle, comprising:

a fuel cell portion that provides an electromotive force using hydrogen as a fuel;

a conveyance passage that conveys the hydrogen to be used by the fuel cell portion;

a first shutter positioned to shut the conveyance passage, said first shutter being operative to shut the conveyance passage upon detection of an impact on the vehicle, wherein the first shutter includes a first valve positioned to open and close the conveyance passage;

a vehicle impact sensor; and

a controller adapted to forcibly close the first valve based on detection of the impact by the impact sensor.

2. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first passage that conveys the source material for producing the hydrogen;

a second shutter positioned to shut the first passage, said second shutter being operative to shut the first passage in accordance with an impact on the vehicle.

3. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the first shutter includes a first valve positioned to open and close the conveyance passage, the second shutter includes a second valve positioned to open and close the first passage, further comprising

a vehicle impact sensor;

and

a controller connected to forcibly close at least one of the first valve and the second valve based on detection of the impact by the impact sensor.

4. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the impact sensor is comprised by an acceleration sensor of an airbag system of the vehicle.

5. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the first valve and the second valve are an electromagnetic valve.

6. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein methanol is used as the source material for producing the hydrogen.

7. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a hydrocarbon-type fuel is used as the source material for producing the hydrogen.

8. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a tank that stores a source material for producing the hydrogen; and

a reformer that produces the hydrogen by reforming the source material,

wherein the conveyance passage conveys the hydrogen produced by the reformer to the fuel cell portion, and

wherein the first passage conveys the source material from the tank to the reformer.

9. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the first shutter includes a first valve positioned to open and close the conveyance passage, the second shutter includes a second valve positioned to open and close the first passage, further comprising:

a vehicle impact sensor; and

a controller connected to forcibly close at least one of the first valve and the second valve based on detection of the impact by the impact sensor.

10. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle impact sensor is provided in the fuel cell portion and in the tank.

11. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first tank that stores the source material for producing the hydrogen;

a reformer that produces the hydrogen by reforming the source material;

a second tank that stores the hydrogen produced by the reformer,

wherein a first passage conveys the source material from the first tank to the reformer, and,

wherein the conveyance passage includes;

a second passage that conveys the hydrogen produced by the reformer to the second tank; and

a third passage that conveys the hydrogen from the second tank to the fuel cell portion, and

wherein the first shutter is provided in at least one of the second passage and the third passage.

12. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the first shutter includes:

a first valve positioned to open and close the second passage; and

a second valve positioned to open and close the third passage, the second shutter includes a third valve positioned to open and close the first passage, further comprising;

a vehicle impact sensor; and

a controller connected to forcibly close at least one of the first valve, the second valve and the third valve based on detection of the impact by the impact sensor.

13. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the impact sensor is provided in the fuel cell portion, the first tank, and the second tank.

14. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a tank that stores the hydrogen,

wherein the conveyance passage conveys the hydrogen from the tank to the fuel cell portion.

15. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the impact sensor is provided in the fuel cell portion and the tank.

16. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a tank that stores the hydrogen,

wherein the conveyance passage includes:

a first passage that conveys the hydrogen from the tank to the fuel cell portion; and

a second passage that recirculates hydrogen that is not consumed in the fuel cell portion to the first passage,

wherein the first shutter is provided in at least one of the first passage and the second passage.

17. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the impact sensor is provided in the fuel cell portion and the tank.

18. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 16, further comprising:

a pressure regulator valve positioned to regulate the pressure in the first passage so that an amount of the hydrogen corresponding to an amount of the hydrogen consumed in the fuel cell portion is supplied to the fuel cell portion; and

a check valve positioned to substantially prevent a reverse flow of the pressure regulated hydrogen from the fuel cell portion,

wherein the second passage has a first end side and a second end side, and

wherein the second passage is connected via the first end side to the fuel cell portion, and is connected via the second end side to the first passage, so that the hydrogen is conveyed from the second passage to a portion of the first passage that is located upstream of the pressure regulator valve, and

wherein the first valve provided in the first passage is located between the tank and a connecting portion between the first passage and the second passage.

19. The hydrogen using system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle impact detector, and a controller operatively connected to said impact detector and to said first shutter.

20. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle, comprising:

a hydrogen reaction portion that uses a hydrogen as a fuel;

a first passage that conveys the hydrogen to be used by the hydrogen reaction; and

a first shutter positioned to shut the first passage upon detection of an impact on the vehicle, wherein the first shutter includes a first valve positioned to open and close the first passage;

a vehicle impact sensor; and

a controller adapted to forcibly close the first valve based on detection of the impact by the impact sensor.

21. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 20, further comprising:

a second passage that conveys a source material for producing the hydrogen; and

a second shutter positioned to shuts the second passage in accordance with an impact on the vehicle.

22. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the first shutter includes a first valve positioned to opens and closes the first passage, the second shutter includes a second valve positioned to open and close the second passage, further comprising:

a vehicle impact sensor; and

a controller connected to forcibly close at least one of the first valve and the second valve based on detection of the impact by the impact sensor.

23. The hydrogen using system of claim 20, further comprising a vehicle impact detector, and a controller operatively connected to said impact detector and to said first shutter.

24. A control method for a vehicle hydrogen using system including a fuel cell portion, comprising:

detecting, using a vehicle impact sensor, whether an impact on the vehicle is present; and

using a controller for shutting a valve in a passage that conveys a hydrogen to be used as a fuel by the fuel cell portion when the impact on the vehicle is detected.

25. A control method for a vehicle hydrogen using system including a fuel cell portion, comprising:

detecting, using a vehicle impact sensor, whether an impact on the vehicle is present; and

using a controller for shutting a valve in a passage that conveys a source material for a hydrogen to be used as a fuel by the fuel cell portion when the impact on the vehicle is detected.

26. A hydrogen using system for installation in a vehicle, comprising:

a fuel cell portion that provides an electromotive force using hydrogen as a fuel;

a conveyance passage that conveys the hydrogen to be used by the fuel cell portion; and

shutter means for shutting the conveyance passage upon detection of an impact on the vehicle, wherein the shutter means includes a first valve positioned to open and close the conveyance passage;

a vehicle impact sensor; and

a controller adapted to forcibly close the first valve based on detection of the impact by the impact sensor.