IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,799,936
Granted Patent B2
US 9,799,936 · App. 14/748,235 · Granted Oct 24, 2017

Fuel cell system and fuel cell automobile

Inventor: Shuichi Kazuno (Wako, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
H01M16/006B60L11/18H01M8/04873H01M8/04888H01M10/425H01M2250/20Y02T90/32
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,799,936
App. No.
14/748,235
Granted
Oct 24, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, an electrical storage device, a fuel-cell-side converter, an electrical-storage-device-side converter, and a controller. The fuel cell is to output fuel cell voltage. The fuel-cell-side converter is configured to apply the fuel cell voltage to a load in a direct connection state or configured to apply a stepped-up fuel cell voltage to the load. The electrical-storage-device-side converter is configured to apply a stepped-up electrical storage device voltage to the load. The controller is configured to control duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter so that the fuel cell voltage changes smoothly in a case where a state in which the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the fuel-cell-side converter is switched to a state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state and the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the electrical-storage-device-side converter.

Claims (55)

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell to output fuel cell voltage;

an electrical storage device to output electrical storage device voltage;

a fuel-cell-side converter configured to apply the fuel cell voltage to a load in a direct connection state and configured to apply a stepped-up fuel cell voltage to the load;

an electrical-storage-device-side converter configured to apply a stepped-up electrical storage device voltage to the load; and

a controller configured to control duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter so that the fuel cell voltage output by the fuel cell changes when a state in which the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the fuel-cell-side converter is switched to a state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state and the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the electrical-storage-device-side converter,

wherein the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter in a transition where the state in which the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the fuel-cell-side converter is switched to the state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state and the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the electrical-storage-device-side converter is controlled in prospect of a voltage drop of the fuel-cell-side converter generated when the fuel-cell-side converter is in the direct connection state.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the voltage drop of the fuel-cell-side converter is stored in a storage device in advance as a characteristic of a function value using fuel cell current as a variable.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,

wherein a plurality of characteristics of the function value using the fuel cell current as the variable are stored in the storage device with a temperature of the fuel-cell-side converter used as a parameter.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,

wherein an amount corresponding to the voltage drop is set as an initial value of an integral term when the electrical-storage-device-side converter is driven via a feedback portion that performs PID processing including at least a proportional term and the integral term using a deviation between target load end voltage and load end voltage.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising the load.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the voltage drop of the fuel-cell-side converter is caused by resistance component of the fuel-cell-side converter and fuel cell current generated by the fuel cell.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is configured to initiate an adjustment of the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter in response to the transition to the state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of an adjustment of the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter based on a temperature of the fuel-cell-side converter.

9. A fuel cell automobile comprising:

the fuel cell system according to claim 5 ,

wherein the load includes a drive motor.

10. A fuel cell system with a load driven by two power sources, the fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell that outputs fuel cell voltage;

an electrical storage device that outputs electrical storage device voltage;

the load;

a fuel-cell-side converter that applies the fuel cell voltage to the load in a direct connection state and steps up the fuel cell voltage to apply the stepped-up fuel cell voltage to the load;

an electrical-storage-device-side converter that steps up the electrical storage device voltage to apply the stepped-up electrical storage device voltage to the load; and

a controller that controls operations of the fuel-cell-side converter and the electrical-storage-device-side converter,

wherein the controller controls duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter so that the fuel cell voltage output by the fuel cell changes when a state in which the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the fuel-cell-side converter is switched to a state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state and the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the electrical-storage-device-side converter, and

wherein the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter in a transition where the state in which the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the fuel-cell-side converter is switched to the state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state and the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the electrical-storage-device-side converter is controlled in prospect of a voltage drop of the fuel-cell-side converter generated when the fuel-cell-side converter is in the direct connection state.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the voltage drop of the fuel-cell-side converter is stored in a storage device in advance as a characteristic of a function value using fuel cell current as a variable.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 ,

wherein a plurality of characteristics of the function value using the fuel cell current as the variable are stored in the storage device with a temperature of the fuel-cell-side converter used as a parameter.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,

wherein an amount corresponding to the voltage drop is set as an initial value of an integral term when the electrical-storage-device-side converter is driven via a feedback portion that performs PID processing at least including a proportional term and the integral term to a deviation between target load end voltage and load end voltage.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the load includes a drive motor of a vehicle.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the controller initiates an adjustment of the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter in response to the transition to the state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state.

16. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the controller controls an amount of an adjustment of the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter based on a temperature of the fuel-cell-side converter.

17. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell to output fuel cell voltage;

an electrical storage device to output electrical storage device voltage;

a fuel-cell-side converter configured to apply the fuel cell voltage to a load in a direct connection state and configured to apply a stepped-up fuel cell voltage to the load;

an electrical-storage-device-side converter configured to apply a stepped-up electrical storage device voltage to the load; and

a controller configured to control duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter so that the fuel cell voltage output by the fuel cell changes when a state in which the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the fuel-cell-side converter is switched to a state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state and the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the electrical-storage-device-side converter,

wherein the controller controls the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter so that the fuel cell voltage increases linearly when the state in which the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the fuel-cell-side converter is switched to the state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state and the fuel cell voltage is controlled by the electrical-storage-device-side converter.

18. The fuel cell system according to claim 17 ,

wherein the controller is configured to initiate an adjustment of the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter in response to a transition to the state in which the fuel-cell-side converter is set to the direct connection state.

19. The fuel cell system according to claim 17 ,

wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of an adjustment of the duty of the electrical-storage-device-side converter based on a temperature of the fuel-cell-side converter.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2015
From: KAZUNO, SHUICHI
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 035889/0828 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2014-130700 · Jun 25, 2014 · national
JP 2014-251682 · Dec 12, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150380788A1 · Dec 31, 2015