Moving object with fuel cells incorporated therein and method of controlling the same

• US 7,028,795 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tabata, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bottorff, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/686,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20040079564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 123/3, 320/101, 701/22, 701/99
• US Class Current: 180/65.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/04 Tank inlets B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/32 characterised by the fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/28 including control of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 : Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/105 : Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/28 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 : Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 : Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/28 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0047 : the gear ratios comprising five forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2012 : with four sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/66 : composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 : of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/00 : Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/908 : Fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 : with plurality of drive axles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 : Continuously variable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/944 : Characterized by control of fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle with fuel cells and an engine mounted thereon as energy output sources, the technique of the present invention adequately changes a working energy output source according to a driving state of the hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle has the engine and a motor, both enabling power to be output to an axle. The hybrid vehicle also has fuel cells as a main electric power supply for driving the motor. The technique of the present invention changes the working energy output source between the fuel cells and the engine, in order to reduce the output of the fuel cells with consumption of a fuel for the fuel cells. With a decrease in remaining quantity of the fuel, the technique narrows a specific driving range, in which the motor is used as the power source. The technique also causes the engine to drive the motor as a generator and charges a battery not with electric power of the fuel cells but with electric power generated by the motor. This arrangement effectively prevents the fuel for the fuel cells from being excessively consumed in one driving mode. The fuel cells can thus be used preferentially in a specific driving state of the hybrid vehicle where the fuel cells have a high efficiency.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a motor and a heat engine as power sources, said vehicle comprising:

a fuel cell and a secondary battery as electric power supplies of said motor;

a regulation unit that regulates supplies of electric power fed from said fuel cell and said secondary battery to said motor;

a control unit that controls operations of said electric power supplies and said power sources according to a driving state of said vehicle, wherein said control unit activates said fuel cell, so as to cause said fuel cell to output a preset electric power, even when it is not required to supply electric power from said fuel cell to said motor; and

a power estimation decision unit that determines whether or not said vehicle is in a specific driving state that satisfies a preset condition, in which there is a little possibility of requirement of an increase in total power to be output from said power sources, wherein said control unit reduces the preset electric power when it is determined that said vehicle is in the specific driving state that satisfies the preset condition.

2. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said vehicle further comprising:

a transmission that changes speed of power output from a working power source according to the driving state of said vehicle and outputs the converted power to a drive shaft; and

an operation unit that specifies a working condition of said transmission,

wherein the preset condition is that the working condition of said transmission is set to a non-driving state by said operation unit.

3. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said vehicle further comprising:

a braking decision unit that determines whether or not said vehicle is in the course of braking,

wherein the preset condition is that said vehicle is being braked.

4. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said vehicle further comprising:

an information receiving unit that receives information regarding whether or not a pathway, on which said vehicle runs, is in a jam,

wherein the preset condition is that the pathway is in a jam.