Fuel cell vehicle and method for predicting possible running distance
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorYasuyuki Itou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell vehicle comprises a fuel cell system (50), a fuel tank (12) which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system (50), and a sensor (22) which detects a remaining fuel amount in the fuel tank (12). A controller (23) of the fuel cell system (50) predicts a possible running distance of the vehicle based on an energy amount obtained by subtracting the energy required to start the fuel cell system (50) from the energy amount corresponding to the detected remaining fuel amount.
Claims15
A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
- a fuel cell system;
- a fuel tank which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system;
- a sensor which detects a remaining fuel amount in the fuel tank;
- and
- a controller which functions to:
- predict a possible running distance of the vehicle based on an energy amount obtained by subtracting an energy required to start the fuel cell system, from an energy amount corresponding to the detected remaining fuel amount.
A method for predicting a possible running distance of a fuel cell vehicle provided with a fuel cell system, comprising:
- detecting a remaining fuel amount in a fuel tank which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system;
- and
- predicting a possible running distance of the vehicle based on an energy amount obtained by subtracting an energy amount required to start the fuel cell system, from an energy amount corresponding to the detected remaining fuel amount.
A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
- a fuel cell system;
- a fuel tank which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system;
- means for detecting a remaining fuel amount in the fuel tank;
- and
- means for predicting a possible running distance of the vehicle based on an energy amount obtained by subtracting an energy required to start the fuel cell system, from an energy amount corresponding to the detected remaining fuel amount.
A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
- a fuel cell system;
- a fuel tank which stores fuel supplied to the fuel cell system;
- a sensor which detects a remaining fuel amount in the fuel tank;
- a sensor which detects an outside air temperature;
- and
- a controller which functions to:
- predict an air temperature change by correcting average air temperature change data for a current season based on a difference between an average air temperature for the present time and current season, and the detected outside air temperature;
- predict a period during which the outside air temperature drops below 0° C. from the predicted air temperature change;
- integrate the predicted air temperature over the period during which the predicted air temperature is below 0° C.;
- predict an energy required to start the fuel cell system based on the integral value of the predicted air temperature over the period during which the predicted air temperature is below 0° C.;
- predict a possible running distance of the vehicle based on an energy amount obtained by subtracting the energy required to start the fuel cell system, from an energy amount corresponding to the detected remaining fuel amount, and
- give advice to refuel when the predicted possible running distance is less than a predetermined running distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.