US 2011/0256461 A1Published application

Fuel cell system, estimation device of amount of anode gas to be generated and estimation method of amount of anode gas to be generated

AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsHiroyuki IMANISHI, Kota MANABE, Tomoya OGAWA, Go TEJIMA, Yoshiaki NAGANUMA, Hironori NOTO

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

There is disclosed a fuel cell system or the like capable of sufficiently reducing an exhaust hydrogen concentration even in a case where a fuel cell is operated in a state of a low power generation efficiency. A bypass valve B1 is arranged between an oxidation gas supply path 11 and a cathode-off gas channel 12. In a state in which supply of an oxidation gas to a cathode falls short, pumping hydrogen is included in a cathode-off gas. Therefore, a valve open degree of the bypass valve B1 is regulated, and a flow rate of bypass air is regulated to control the exhaust hydrogen concentration.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An estimation device for determining an estimated amount of an anode gas generated in a cathode of a fuel cell, the estimation device comprising:

operation control means for operating the fuel cell at a low-efficiency operation point having a power loss larger than that of a usual operation point in a case where predetermined conditions are satisfied;
the operation control means determining an air stoichiometric ratio of the fuel cell based on the low-efficiency operation point so as to operate the fuel cell at the low-efficiency operation point;
and
estimated amount determination means for determining an estimated amount of the anode gas generated in the cathode, based on the air stoichiometric ratio determined by the operation control means or an output voltage of the fuel cell which has a correlation with the air stoichiometric ratio, by use of a preset relation of the air stoichiometric ratio of the fuel cell to the amount of the anode gas generated in the cathode, in a case where the fuel cell is operated at the low-efficiency operation point.

1 more element

A method of determining an estimated amount of an anode gas generated in a cathode of a fuel cell, the method comprising:

an operation control step of operating the fuel cell at a low-efficiency operation point having a power loss larger than that of a usual operation point in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied;
wherein an air stoichiometric ratio of the fuel cell is determined based on the low-efficiency operation point so as to operate the fuel cell at the low-efficiency operation point;
and
an estimated determination step of determining an estimated amount of the anode gas generated in the cathode, based on the air stoichiometric ratio determined by the operation control step or an output voltage of the fuel cell which has a correlation with the air stoichiometric ratio, by use of a preset relation of the air stoichiometric ratio of the fuel cell to the amount of the anode gas generated in the cathode, in a case where the fuel cell is operated at the low-efficiency operation point.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/172,471Filed 29 Jun 2011
Priority: JP 2005-30702121 Oct 2005
Published: 20 Oct 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

H01M 8/04089
Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration: of gaseous reactants
H01M 8/04141
Humidifying: by water containing exhaust gases
H01M 8/04149
Humidifying: by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes
H01M 8/04231
During start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells: purging of the reactants

Family

Application11/992,587Division · filed 26 Mar 2008
Application13/172,471Division
US 2009/0269628 A1Published application
US 8,597,848 B2Related patent
US 2011/0256461 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.