IP Library Granted Patent US 11,296,334
Granted Patent B2
US 11,296,334 · App. 16/382,285 · Granted Apr 5, 2022

Fuel cell system

Inventors: Keita Yamaue (Nisshin, JP); Shigeki Hasegawa (Toyota, JP); Hiroyuki Imanishi (Toyota, JP); Tomotaka Ishikawa (Nagoya, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H01M8/04029F16K11/085H01M8/04417H01M8/04768H01M8/24H01M2008/1095
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,296,334
App. No.
16/382,285
Granted
Apr 5, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An FC (fuel cell) system includes: an FC; a radiator configured to cool a CL (cooling liquid); an ion exchanger provided in a BFP (bypass flow path) branched off from a CFP (circulation flow path) for allowing the CL to circulate between the FC and the radiator; a multi-way valve provided in a branching point at which the BFP is branched off from the CFP; and a pump which circulates the CL. A percentage of the CL that is made to flow through the BFP can be controlled by the multi-way valve. In a case in which a stop time is longer than a threshold time when the FC system is started up, after the CL is circulated through the radiator, the CL is circulated through the BFP at the percentage of 80% or more until electrical conductivity of the CL becomes smaller than a threshold electrical conductivity.

Claims (10)

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell in which a plurality of cells are stacked;

a radiator configured to cool a cooling liquid that has passed through the fuel cell;

an ion exchanger provided in a bypass flow path branched off from a circulation flow path for allowing the cooling liquid to circulate between the fuel cell and the radiator;

a multi-way valve provided in a branching point at which the bypass flow path is branched off from the circulation flow path;

a pump which circulates the cooling liquid; and

a controller programmed to control the multi-way valve such that a percentage of the cooling liquid that is made to flow through the bypass flow path, wherein

in a case in which a stop time is longer than a threshold time when the fuel cell system is started up, the controller is programmed to control the multi-way valve such that all of the cooling liquid is circulated through the radiator, and then the cooling liquid is circulated through the bypass flow path at a percentage of 80% or more until an electrical conductivity of the cooling liquid becomes less than a threshold electrical conductivity, and

wherein the percentage of the cooling liquid when it is circulated through the bypass flow path is switched in such a way that this percentage in a case in which the fuel cell system is used by a user becomes higher than that in a case in which a pre-shipment test is performed.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the cooling liquid is circulated through the radiator, the cooling liquid is circulated halfway through the circulation flow path or more.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2019
From: YAMAUE, KEITA; HASEGAWA, SHIGEKI; IMANISHI, HIROYUKI; ISHIKAWA, TOMOTAKA
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 048866/0632 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-099936 · May 24, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190363376A1 · Nov 28, 2019