# US 10,118,492 B2 · Vehicular fuel cell system and method of controlling the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,492 B2 - Document ID: US10118492B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/377,201 - Filed: 2016-12-13 - Published: 2017-06-22 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-17 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tokuro Tsutsui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118492B2 ## CPC - B60L 3/0007: {Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions} - B60L 3/0053: {relating to fuel cells} - B60L 50/72: Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles - B60L 58/30: for monitoring or controlling fuel cells - H01M 8/04089: of gaseous reactants - H01M 8/04313: characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function - H01M 8/04664: Failure or abnormal function - H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants} - H01M 8/04955: Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells - H01M 16/006: {of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries} - H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicular fuel cell system includes a collision detector configured to detect collision on the front and rear sides of a vehicle, a high voltage unit arranged on one side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle, a high voltage controller arranged on the one side and configured to control the high voltage unit, a hydrogen supply unit arranged on the other side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle and configured to supply hydrogen to a fuel cell stack, and a supply valve controller arranged on the other side and configured to control a hydrogen supply valve, the hydrogen supply valve being configured to shut off a supply path of hydrogen from the hydrogen supply unit to the fuel cell stack. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicular fuel cell system comprising: a collision detector configured to detect collision on front and rear sides of a vehicle; a voltage unit arranged on one side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle and having a voltage; a voltage controller arranged on the one side and configured to control the voltage unit; a hydrogen supply unit arranged on the other side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle and configured to supply hydrogen to a fuel cell stack; and a supply valve controller arranged on the other side and configured to control a hydrogen supply valve, the hydrogen supply valve being configured to shut off a supply path of hydrogen from the hydrogen supply unit to the fuel cell stack, wherein the supply valve controller is programmed to, when collision is detected by the collision detector, perform discharging control for discharging the voltage unit on the one side, and the voltage controller is programmed to, when collision is detected by the collision detector, perform shut-off control for bringing the hydrogen supply valve on the other side into a closed state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicular fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein a proximity sensor configured to detect distance information with respect to an object is provided on each of the one side and the other side in a periphery of the vehicle, the supply valve controller is programmed to, when the collision detector detects collision on the one side based on the distance information from the proximity sensor on the one side, perform the discharging control for discharging the voltage unit according to a detection result of the collision detector, and the voltage controller is programmed to, when the collision detector detects collision on the other side based on the distance information from the proximity sensor on the other side, perform the shut-off control for bringing the hydrogen supply valve into the closed state according to the detection result of the collision detector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicular fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a traveling determination unit configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is in a traveling-disabled state; and a notification unit configured to give a user notification that the vehicle is in the traveling-disabled state, wherein, when the collision detector detects collision on the one side, the supply valve controller on the other side is programmed to perform the discharging control for discharging the voltage unit according to a detection result of the collision detector, the traveling determination unit determines that the vehicle is in the traveling-disabled state according to the detection result of the collision detector, and the notification unit gives notification to the effect that the vehicle is in the traveling-disabled state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicular fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the voltage controller is provided closer to a vehicle center than the voltage unit in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicular fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen supply unit includes a hydrogen storage tank, and the supply valve controller is provided closer to a vehicle center than the hydrogen storage tank in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicular fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the voltage unit includes a battery. ### Claim 7 A method of controlling a vehicular fuel cell system, wherein the vehicular fuel cell system includes a voltage unit arranged on one side of front and rear sides of a vehicle and having a voltage, a voltage controller arranged on the one side and configured to control the voltage unit, a hydrogen supply unit arranged on the other side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle and configured to supply hydrogen to a fuel cell stack, and a supply valve controller arranged on the other side and configured to control a hydrogen supply valve, the hydrogen supply valve being configured to shut off a supply path of hydrogen from the hydrogen supply unit to the fuel cell stack, wherein when collision on the one side or the other side is detected, the supply valve controller on the other side performs discharging control for discharging the voltage unit on the one side, and the voltage controller on the one side performs shut-off control for bringing the hydrogen supply valve on the other side into a closed state.