Fuel cell system and vehicle equipped with the same

• US 8,795,861 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kazuno, Shuichi, Saeki, Hibiki, Watanabe, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Cano, Milton I
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYLES-IRVING, CARMEN V
• Application Number:
  US13/493,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20120321917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/9
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04298 Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04798 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell system and a fuel cell vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system are provided. In a case where the voltage of a battery is outside a voltage range of fuel cells where oxidation-reduction proceeds, an ECU controls a DC/DC converter to be placed in a direct connection state (Vbat≈Vfc), and controls a gas supply unit so as to regulate concentration of oxygen or hydrogen supplied to the fuel cells in accordance with a target power generation electric power determined based on electric power required by a load.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell having catalyst, for performing power generation by inducing reaction of oxygen or hydrogen at the catalyst;

a gas supply unit for supplying at least one of the oxygen and the hydrogen to the fuel cell;

an energy storage device in which an output voltage thereof changes depending on an amount of electric power stored in the energy storage device;

a voltage regulator provided in parallel to the fuel cell, and in series with the energy storage device for regulating an output voltage of the fuel cell;

a load driven by electric power outputted from the fuel cell; and

a means for detecting an electric power required by the load and controlling the fuel cell, the gas supply unit, and the voltage regulator to place the voltage regulator in a direct connection state and to regulate a concentration of the oxygen or the hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell in accordance with a target electric power for the power generation by the fuel cell determined based on the electric power required by the load when the output voltage of the energy storage device is outside a voltage range of the fuel cell where oxidation-reduction proceeds.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the case where the output voltage of the energy storage device is outside the voltage range of the fuel cell where oxidation-reduction proceeds means that the output voltage is within a voltage range where reduction of the catalyst proceeds stably below the voltage range of the fuel cell where oxidation-reduction proceeds, or within a voltage range where oxidation of the catalyst proceeds stably above the voltage range of the fuel cell where oxidation-reduction proceeds.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2, further comprising an outside temperature sensor for measuring an outside temperature,

wherein if the outside temperature measured by the outside temperature sensor is a threshold temperature or more, the means for detecting and controlling controls the voltage regulator to be placed in the direct connection state at a voltage within the voltage range where reduction of the catalyst proceeds stably.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein, when the electric power required by the load is high, the control unit regulates the output voltage of the fuel cell by the voltage regulator, and when the electric power required by the load is low, the control unit controls the voltage regulator to be placed in the direct connection state.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein at the time of controlling the voltage regulator to be placed in the direct connection state, the control unit controls a target state of charge value of the energy storage device to a threshold state of charge value or less, the threshold state of charge value corresponding to a lower limit voltage of the voltage range where oxidation-reduction proceeds.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator is a DC/DC converter comprising an upper arm element and a lower arm element and a reactor, the upper arm element and the lower arm element each including a diode connected in parallel to a switching element in a reverse direction;

and

at the time of controlling the voltage regulator to be placed in the direct connection state, the control unit disables switching of the switching elements thereby to supply electric power from the energy storage device to the load through the reactor and the diode and to supply electric power from the fuel cell to the load.

7. A fuel cell vehicle equipped with a fuel cell system, and including a motor driven by electric power outputted from a fuel cell, the fuel cell system comprising:

the fuel cell having catalyst, for performing power generation by inducing reaction of oxygen or hydrogen at the catalyst;

a gas supply unit for supplying at least one of the oxygen and the hydrogen to the fuel cell;

an energy storage device in which an output voltage thereof changes depending on an amount of electric power stored in the energy storage device;

a voltage regulator provided in parallel to the fuel cell, and in series with the energy storage device for regulating an output voltage of the fuel cell; and

a means for detecting an electric power required by the load and controlling the fuel cell, the gas supply unit, and the voltage regulator to place the voltage regulator in a direct connection state and to regulate a concentration of the oxygen or the hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell in accordance with a target electric power for the power generation by the fuel cell determined based on the electric power required by the load when the output voltage of the energy storage device is outside a voltage range of the fuel cell where oxidation-reduction proceeds.