# US 12,763,348 B2 · Fuel cell system

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- Number: US 12,763,348 B2
- Document ID: US12763348B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/368,088
- Filed: 2023-09-14
- Published: 2024-03-28
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-09-26
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuta Hoshi; Takumi Kawano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763348B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/04492: Humidity; Ambient humidity; Water content
- C25B 1/04: by electrolysis of water
- C25B 9/05: Pressure cells
- H01M 8/04097: {with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence)}
- H01M 8/04201: {Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes}
- H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants}
- H01M 8/04761: {of fuel cell exhausts}
- H01M 8/04828: Humidity; Water content
- H01M 8/0656: by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence)
- H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)

## Abstract

The fuel cell system includes a water electrolysis device, a first gas-liquid separator, an oxygen tank, a fuel cell, a second gas-liquid separator, and a controller. When the level of water in the first gas-liquid separator becomes lower than a predetermined threshold value, the controller supplies oxygen gas having a pressure higher than the internal pressure of the first gas-liquid separator to the second gas-liquid separator and opens the first on-off valve.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell system comprising:
a water electrolysis device configured to electrolyze water;
a first gas-liquid separator configured to separate a fluid discharged from the water electrolysis device into a hydrogen gas and water to be resupplied to the water electrolysis device;
an oxygen tank configured to store an oxygen gas having been produced by water electrolysis and having been pressurized;
a fuel cell configured to generate electric power using the oxygen gas having been produced by the water electrolysis and having been pressurized;
a second gas-liquid separator configured to store water in a mixed gas including an unreacted oxygen gas discharged from the fuel cell;
a water level sensor configured to detect a level of the water stored in the first gas-liquid separator; and
one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the fuel cell system to:
supply to the second gas-liquid separator the oxygen gas pressurized to have a pressure higher than an internal pressure of the first gas-liquid separator when the level of water becomes lower than a predetermined threshold value, regardless of a state of the fuel cell; and
open a first on-off valve disposed on the water supply path connecting the first gas-liquid separator to the second gas-liquid separator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors cause the controller to:
close an oxygen valve of the oxygen tank to fill the oxygen tank with the oxygen gas while the water electrolysis device is in operation,
open the oxygen valve to supply the oxygen gas to the second gas-liquid separator via the fuel cell while the water electrolysis device is not in operation, and
perform valve-opening to supply the oxygen gas to the second gas-liquid separator before opening the first on-off valve when the level of water becomes lower than the threshold value while the water electrolysis device is in operation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein
the oxygen valve is opened in the valve-opening to supply the oxygen gas, and
a direct source of the oxygen gas supplied to the second gas-liquid separator is the oxygen tank.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell system according to claim 2, further comprising:
a first bypass valve disposed on a first bypass passage branched from an oxygen discharge path connecting the water electrolysis device to the oxygen tank, bypassing the oxygen tank, and connected to the second gas-liquid separator, wherein
the first bypass valve is opened in the valve-opening to supply the oxygen gas, and
a direct source of the oxygen gas supplied to the second gas-liquid separator is the water electrolysis device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the water electrolysis device is a differential pressure water electrolysis device that is configured to produce by water electrolysis the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas having a pressure higher than a pressure of the hydrogen gas.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a hydrogen compressor configured to pressurize the hydrogen gas produced by the water electrolysis device,
a hydrogen tank configured to store the hydrogen gas pressurized by the hydrogen compressor, and
a third gas-liquid separator configured to store water in a mixed gas containing an unreacted hydrogen gas discharged from the fuel cell, wherein
the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to:
supply to the third gas-liquid separator the hydrogen gas pressurized to have a pressure higher than the internal pressure of the first gas-liquid separator when the level of water becomes lower than the predetermined threshold value, regardless of the state of the fuel cell, and
open a second on-off valve disposed on the water supply path connecting the first gas-liquid separator to the third gas-liquid separator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein
the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to:
close a hydrogen valve of the hydrogen tank to fill the hydrogen tank with the hydrogen gas while the hydrogen compressor is in operation,
open the hydrogen valve to supply the hydrogen gas to the third gas-liquid separator via the fuel cell during stop of the hydrogen compressor, and
perform valve-opening to supply the hydrogen gas to the third gas-liquid separator before opening the second on-off valve when the level of water becomes lower than the threshold value while operation of the hydrogen compressor is in operation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The fuel cell system according to claim 7, wherein
the hydrogen valve is opened in the valve-opening to supply the hydrogen gas, and
a direct source of the hydrogen gas supplied to the third gas-liquid separator is the hydrogen tank.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The fuel cell system according to claim 7, further comprising:
a second bypass valve disposed on a second bypass passage branched from the hydrogen discharge path connecting the hydrogen compressor to the hydrogen tank, bypassing the hydrogen tank, and connected to the third gas-liquid separator, wherein
the second bypass valve is opened in the valve-opening to supply the hydrogen gas, and
a direct source of the hydrogen gas supplied to the third gas-liquid separator is the hydrogen compressor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein
the water supply path include a first water supply path connecting the second gas-liquid separator to the first gas-liquid separator and a second water supply path connecting the third gas-liquid separator to the first gas-liquid separator, and
the one or more processors cause the fuel cell system to:
bring one of the second gas-liquid separator and the third gas-liquid separator having a level of water higher into communication with the first gas-liquid separator when the level of water in the first gas-liquid separator becomes lower than the predetermined threshold value.