US 9,317,055 B2Granted

Method for sequentially measuring impedance, measurement device, and fuel cell system

AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsMasahiro Egami, Hiromichi Yoshida, Chihiro Wake

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Abstract

Provided are a sequential impedance measurement device and a method for sequentially measuring impedance. While applying a signal having a power output fluctuation similar to that of normal operation, it is possible to carry out a quick measurement with relatively high precision and in a broad frequency range. Also, the device and the method can simultaneously determine phenomena which occur in different frequency ranges. Disclosed is a sequential impedance measurement device in which impedance of a fuel cell is sequentially measured in a control system, the control system controlling the fuel cell by using a power indication value of a control processor, the device including: an M-sequence-signal-generating section; a superimposed-signal-generating section; a signal-processing section; a signal-adding unit; a current and voltage measuring unit; and an impedance calculator, wherein a method for controlling the fuel cell by the control processor is modified according to a calculation result of the impedance calculator.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A sequential impedance measurement device in which impedance of a fuel cell is sequentially measured in a control system, the control system using a power indication value or a current indication value to control the fuel cell and a battery, the values being calculated by a control processor based on a load output value and an output indication value for a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system including the fuel cell and the battery and supplying power to a load, the device comprising:

an M-sequence-signal-generating section which generates a binary or multi-valued M-sequence signal with a white power spectrum;
a superimposed-signal-generating section which generates a superimposed signal superimposed on the M-sequence signal;
a signal-processing section which combines the M-sequence signal and the superimposed signal or which separately outputs the M-sequence signal or the superimposed signal;
a first signal-adding unit which superimposes and applies a signal output from the signal-processing section on the power indication value or the current indication value, the values being sent by the control processor;
a second signal-adding unit which superimposes and applies a signal inverted from the signal output from the signal-processing section on the power indication value or the current indication value, the values being sent by the control processor;
a current and voltage measuring unit which measures and incorporates a current and a voltage of the fuel cell, the fuel cell being controlled by a signal generated by the first signal-adding unit;
and
an impedance calculator which calculates the impedance of the fuel cell, the calculation based on values of the current and the voltage as measured by the current and voltage measuring unit,
wherein a signal after the application in the second signal-adding unit is output to control the battery;
and a calculation result of the impedance calculator is output as a measured result.

7 more elements

A fuel cell system which includes a fuel cell and a battery and supplies power to a load, and in which the fuel cell and the battery is controlled by using a power indication value or a current indication value, the values being calculated by a control processor based on a load output value and an output indication value sent to the fuel cell, the fuel cell system comprising an sequential impedance measurement device comprising:

an M-sequence-signal-generating section which generates a binary or multi-valued M-sequence signal with a white power spectrum;
a superimposed-signal-generating section which generates a superimposed signal superimposed on the M-sequence signal;
a signal-processing section which combines the M-sequence signal and the superimposed signal or which separately outputs the M-sequence signal or the superimposed signal;
a first signal-adding unit which superimposes and applies a signal output from the signal-processing section on the power indication value or the current indication value, the values being sent by the control processor;
a second signal-adding unit which superimposes and applies a signal inverted from the signal output from the signal-processing section on the power indication value or the current indication value, the values being sent by the control processor;
a current and voltage measuring unit which measures and incorporates a current and a voltage of the fuel cell, the fuel cell being controlled by a signal generated by the first signal-adding unit;
and
an impedance calculator which calculates the impedance of the fuel cell, the calculation based on values of the current and the voltage as measured by the current and voltage measuring unit,
wherein a signal after the application in the second signal-adding unit is output to control the battery;
and a method for controlling the fuel cell and the battery by the control processor is modified according to a calculation result of the impedance calculator.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/659,090Filed 24 Oct 2012
Priority: JP 2011-23283224 Oct 2011
Published: US 2013/0103224 A125 Apr 2013
Granted: 19 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G05F 1/66
Automatic systems in which deviations of an electric quantity from one or more predetermined values are detected at the output of the system and…:…
H01M 8/04552
Voltage: of the individual fuel cell
H01M 8/04582
Current: of the individual fuel cell
H01M 8/04641
Other electric variables, e.g. resistance or impedance: of the individual fuel cell