Fuel cell system and control method of same
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKeita Yamaue
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A first representative value is acquired representing an amount of liquid water in a hydrogen gas passage (30) when a fuel cell stack (10) is to be started up. Based on the first representative value, a first purge gas amount is calculated. A second representative value is acquired representing a concentration of hydrogen gas in a hydrogen gas passage when the fuel cell stack is to be started up. Based on the second representative value, a second purge gas amount is calculated. The greater of the first purge gas amount and the second purge gas amount is set as a startup purge gas amount. When the fuel cell stack is to be started up, hydrogen gas is fed to the fuel cell stack while the purge control valve 38 is temporally opened to purge the gas by the startup purge gas amount.
Claims9
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack configured to generate electric power by an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas;
- a fuel gas feed path connecting an inlet of a fuel gas passage formed inside the fuel cell stack and a fuel gas source with each other;
- a fuel gas feeder arranged in the fuel gas feed path and configured to control a feed of fuel gas to the fuel cell stack;
- a purge passage connected to an outlet of the fuel gas passage and separated from the fuel gas feed path;
- a purge control valve arranged inside the purge passage assagc;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- acquire a first representative value representing an amount of liquid water in the fuel gas passage when the fuel cell stack is to be started up;
- calculate a first purge gas amount based on the acquired first representative value;
- acquire a second representative value representing a concentration of fuel gas in the fuel gas passage when the fuel cell stack is to be started up;
- calculate a second purge gas amount based on the acquired second representative value;
- set the greater of the first purge gas amount and the second purge gas amount as a startup purge gas amount;
- and
- when the fuel cell stack is to be started up, feed fuel gas to the fuel cell stack by the fuel gas feeder and, at the same time, open the purge control valve temporarily so as to purge the gas by the startup purge gas amount.
A control method of a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack configured to generate electric power by an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas;
- a fuel gas feed path connecting an inlet of a fuel gas passage formed inside the fuel cell stack and a fuel gas source with each other;
- a fuel gas feeder arranged in the fuel gas feed path and configured to control a feed of fuel gas to the fuel cell stack;
- a purge passage connected to an outlet of the fuel gas passage and separated from the fuel gas feed path;
- and
- a purge control valve arranged inside the purge passage,
- the control method of a fuel cell system configured to:
- acquire a first representative value representing an amount of liquid water in the fuel gas passage when the fuel cell stack is to be started up;
- calculate a first purge gas amount based on the acquired first representative value;
- acquire a second representative value representing a concentration of fuel gas in the fuel gas passage when the fuel cell stack is to be started up;
- calculate a second purge gas amount based on the acquired second representative value;
- set the greater of the first purge gas amount and the second purge gas amount as a startup purge gas amount;
- and
- when the fuel cell stack is to be started up, feed fuel gas to the fuel cell stack by the fuel gas feeder and, at the same time, open the purge control valve temporarily so as to purge the gas by the startup purge gas amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.