Mobile body

• US 8,014,949 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2006
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Bono, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/884,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 701206-208, 701/213, 701/300, 701/22, 340/901, 340/905, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.13, 340/995.14, 340/995.18, 340/995.24, 340/995.27
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04228 during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04664 Failure or abnormal function
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• 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 disclosed mobile body includes an energy generator configured to generate energy from a supplied fuel gas; a gas leakage detecting unit configured to detect leakage of the fuel gas out of the energy generator; a control unit configured to control power output of the energy generator; an information obtaining unit configured to obtain environmental information on an environment around the mobile body from a predetermined information source; and a power-control-manner determining unit configured to determine a power-control manner, in which the control unit controls the power output of the energy generator, based on the environmental information on the environment around the mobile body when leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the gas leakage detecting unit.

Claims

1. A mobile body, comprising:

an energy generator configured to generate energy from a supplied fuel gas;

a gas leakage detecting unit configured to detect leakage of the fuel gas out of the energy generator;

a control unit configured to control power output of the energy generator;

an information obtaining unit configured to obtain environmental information on an environment around the mobile body from a predetermined information source;

a power-control-manner determining unit configured to determine a power-control manner, in which the control unit controls the power output of the energy generator, based on the environmental information on the environment around the mobile body when leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the gas leakage detecting unit;

the power-control-manner determining unit includes a unit configured to determine a power-control-prohibited place based on the environmental information, and

the power-control-manner determining unit is configured to cause the control unit to allow the energy generator to keep running if leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the gas leakage detecting unit when the mobile body is running in the power-control-prohibited place, thereby allowing the mobile body to be powered by the energy generator until the mobile body exits the power-control-prohibited place.

2. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environmental information on the environment around the mobile body includes information on a position of the mobile body and/or information on an environment around the position of the mobile body.

3. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power-control-manner determining unit is configured to determine the power-control manner, in which the control unit controls the power output of the energy generator, based on a distance between the power-control-prohibited place and the mobile body when leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the gas leakage detecting unit.

4. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein if leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the gas leakage detecting unit when the mobile body is running in or approaching the power-control-prohibited place, the power-control-manner determining unit limits or prevents control of the power output of the energy generator by the control unit until the mobile body leaves the power-control-prohibited place.

5. The mobile body as claimed in claim 2, wherein the power-control-manner determining unit is configured to determine the power-control manner, in which the control unit controls the power output of the energy generator, based on a gas leakage indicator of the fuel gas detected by the gas leakage detecting unit in addition to the information on the position of the mobile body and the information on the environment around the position of the mobile body.

6. The mobile body as claimed in claim 5, wherein the power-control-manner determining unit is configured to determine the power-control manner, in which the control unit controls the power output of the energy generator, based on a threshold level of the gas leakage indicator, which threshold level changes according to a distance between the power-control-prohibited place and the mobile body, when leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the gas leakage detecting unit.

7. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environmental information on the environment around the mobile body is information indicating whether the environment is an enclosed space where gas ventilation is poor or information indicating topography of the environment.

8. The mobile body as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mobile body is a vehicle and the environmental information on the environment around the mobile body is traffic congestion information.

9. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile body is a vehicle and the power-control-prohibited place determined based on the environmental information is a tunnel or an underground parking lot.

10. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile body is a vehicle and the power-control-prohibited place determined based on the environmental information is an intersection or a road where a traffic volume is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.

11. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile body is configured to report a system error to a driver by voice or by displaying a message when a concentration of the fuel gas detected by the gas leakage detecting unit exceeds a reference level.

12. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environmental information is obtained from map information in a navigation system or via communication with an external source.

13. The mobile body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile body is driven by a second energy generator when the power output of the energy generator is reduced or the energy generator is stopped.