Fuel cell vehicle

• US 8,843,257 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Noguchi, Minoru, Fujino, Takeshi, Komazawa, Eisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHALEN, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US12/385,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/123, 701/208
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuel cell vehicle capable of displaying information with high usability to a driver or the like in view of appropriately planning a task related to the fuel cell vehicle. A second indicator (I₂) displays an available electric power supply of a fuel cell (11), a capacitor (12) and a second cell (16), respectively. A third indicator (I₃) displays a remained fuel amount. A fourth indicator (I₄) displays a charge amount of the capacitor (12) and the second cell (16), respectively.

Claims

1. A fuel cell vehicle which is provided with a fuel cell, an electric accumulator, a motor for driving the fuel cell vehicle, and a motor controlling device configured to control the motor by adjusting an electric power supplied to the motor by the fuel cell and the electric accumulator, respectively, the fuel cell vehicle comprising:

a first recognition element configured to calculate a first electric power index value representing an available electric power supply of one or both of the fuel cell and the electric accumulator;

a second recognition element configured to calculate a first distance index value representing an available driving distance of the vehicle according to the first electric power index value and to calculate a second distance index value representing a required driving distance for the vehicle to drive from a first position to a second position according to a recognition result obtained by the position recognition element;

a position recognition element configured to receive a request for electric power supply from an outer apparatus; and

an information output device configured to output the first distance index value, or the first distance index value and the first electric power index value, wherein the first recognition element calculates a second electric power index value representing an available electric power supply of the fuel cell vehicle to the outer apparatus according to the first electric power index value and a difference between the first distance index value and the second distance index value, and the second electric power index value is output by the information output device;

a power supply portion connected to at least one of the fuel cell and the storage cell, wherein the outer apparatus comprises an apparatus outside the vehicle, and wherein electric power is supplied to operate the outer apparatus by at least one of the fuel cell and the storage cell from the electric power supply portion; and

the position recognition element configured to recognize a present position of the vehicle as a first position and a position of a fuel supply station for the fuel cell as a second position, wherein the second distance index value is output by the information output device,

wherein, prior to supplying the electric power to the outer apparatus, the first recognition element calculates a fourth electric power index value representing the requested electric power supply by the outer apparatus, and the fourth electric power index value or a difference between the second electric power index value and the fourth electric power index value is output by the information output device.

2. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 further includes a position recognition element configured to recognize a present position of the vehicle as a first position, a position of a fuel supply station for the fuel cell as a second position and a position of an outer apparatus as a third position, wherein

the second recognition element recognizes a third distance index value representing a required driving distance for the vehicle to drive from the first position to the second position through the intermediary of the third position according to a recognition result obtained by the position recognition element,

the first recognition element recognizes a third electric power index value representing an available electric power supply of the fuel cell vehicle to the outer apparatus according to the first electric power index value, or the first distance index value and the third distance index value, and

the third electric power index value, or the third electric power index value and the third distance index value are output by the information output device.

3. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the first recognition element recognizes a fourth electric power index value representing a requested electric power supply by the outer apparatus, and the fourth electric power index value or a difference between the third electric power index value and the fourth electric power index value is output by the information output device.

4. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first recognition element recognizes a fifth electric power index value representing a total amount of electric power supply from the fuel cell vehicle to the outer apparatus according to a variation in the first electric power index value, and the fifth electric power index value is output by the information output device.

5. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first recognition element recognizes a remained fuel amount in a fuel tank mounted in the fuel cell vehicle as the first electric power index value of the fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first recognition element recognizes a charge amount of the electric accumulator as the first electric power index value of the electric accumulator.

7. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first electric accumulator and a second electric accumulator, wherein the power supply portion is connected to the fuel cell or the first electric accumulator and a second power supply portion is connected to the second electric accumulator.

8. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein voltage supplied to the outer apparatus from the power supply portion is higher than the voltage supplied to the outer apparatus from the second power supply portion.

9. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the outer apparatus supplied power by the power supply portion comprises an electric accumulator installed in other vehicles, and the outer apparatus supplied power by the second power supply portion comprises a television, radio, or lighting device.

10. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power supply portion is configured such that a plug of the outer apparatus is plugged into the power supply portion.