Patents by Inventor Hideyuki Kumei
Hideyuki Kumei has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11450869Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell stack having a discharge manifold, a second fuel cell stack having a discharge manifold, a first auxiliary machine used for power generation of the first fuel cell stack, a second auxiliary machine used for power generation of the second fuel cell stack, and a controller configured to control operation of the first auxiliary machine and the second auxiliary machine. The controller is configured to control operation of the first auxiliary machine and the second auxiliary machine, such that one of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack, of which a discharge direction of reaction gas discharged from the discharge manifold forms a smaller angle with a vertical downward direction, starts generating power earlier than the other fuel cell stack, after power generation of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack is stopped.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2019Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Ito, Hideyuki Kumei, Tomohiko Kaneko
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Patent number: 11239480Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit, when required power of the fuel cell unit is equal to or smaller than a threshold; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2019Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Ito, Tomohiko Kaneko, Hideyuki Kumei
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Patent number: 11217804Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: first and second injectors; first and second ejectors; a first circulation passage configured to circulate anode gas that has passed the first ejector between the first fuel cell and the first ejector; a second circulation passage configured to circulate the anode gas that has passed the second ejector between the second fuel cell and the second ejector; a communication passage communicating with the first and second circulation passages; a switching valve configured to switch the communication passage to a communication state where the first and second circulation passages communicate with each other or to a cutoff state where the first and second circulation passages are cut off; and a controller configured to scavenge the first fuel cell by injecting the anode gas with the first injector, while the first fuel cell stops power generation in the communication state.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2019Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hideyuki Kumei
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Patent number: 11165080Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a supply device configured to supply a cathode gas to the fuel cell; and a control unit configured to execute recovery processing of causing a catalyst of the fuel cell to recover from performance deterioration by lowering an output voltage of the fuel cell. The control unit is configured to, when the recovery processing that has been executed is completed, control the supply device to place the fuel cell in a power generation paused state while making a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas lower than a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas in a normal operation state that is a state before execution of the recovery processing.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2020Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Masayuki Ito, Hideyuki Kumei
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Patent number: 11145882Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Ito, Hideyuki Kumei, Tomohiko Kaneko
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Patent number: 11139490Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a secondary battery; first and second fuel cells; first and second scavenging devices configured to scavenge the first and second fuel cells, respectively; and a control device configured to perform a first scavenging process of scavenging the first fuel cell by driving the first scavenging device using a charged power of the secondary battery when the first and second fuel cells are in a power generation stopped state and to perform a second scavenging process of scavenging the second fuel cell by driving the second scavenging device using a generated power of the first fuel cell when the first fuel cell is in a power generation state and the second fuel cell is in the power generation stopped state.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2019Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideyuki Kumei, Masayuki Ito, Tomohiko Kaneko
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Patent number: 10804553Abstract: A fuel cell system according to one embodiment performs refresh control of an electrode catalyst of a fuel cell, by reducing a stack voltage as a voltage of the fuel cell to a refresh voltage at which the electrode catalyst is activated. The system includes the fuel cell that generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction using fuel gas and oxidation gas, a stack voltage sensor that sensors the stack voltage, and a controller that controls power of the fuel cell. When a high load demand that makes the stack voltage lower than a given voltage is made on the fuel cell, the controller causes the fuel cell to deliver power commensurate with the high load demand, and performs refresh control when the stack voltage becomes lower than the given voltage through the above control.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2017Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiaki Tsuruta, Satoshi Watanabe, Hideyuki Kumei, Shuya Kawahara, Kohei Oda
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Patent number: 10756360Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack including: a stacked body in which unit cells are stacked, the unit cells including first and second unit cells; a reactant gas flow path; and a cooling water flow path; a pump that supplies cooling water to the cooling water flow path; a supply device that supplies reactant gas to the reactant gas flow path; and a control device configured to include: a bubble detection portion configured to detect an accumulation of bubbles in the cooling water flow path; and a cause determination portion configured to determine whether or not the accumulation of bubbles is caused by leakage of the reactant gas from the reactant gas flow path, when the bubble detection portion detects the accumulation of bubbles.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2019Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideyuki Kumei, Norihiko Haraikawa
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Publication number: 20200251761Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a supply device configured to supply a cathode gas to the fuel cell; and a control unit configured to execute recovery processing of causing a catalyst of the fuel cell to recover from performance deterioration by lowering an output voltage of the fuel cell. The control unit is configured to, when the recovery processing that has been executed is completed, control the supply device to place the fuel cell in a power generation paused state while making a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas lower than a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas in a normal operation state that is a state before execution of the recovery processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomohiko KANEKO, Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI
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Publication number: 20200185739Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell stack having a discharge manifold, a second fuel cell stack having a discharge manifold, a first auxiliary machine used for power generation of the first fuel cell stack, a second auxiliary machine used for power generation of the second fuel cell stack, and a controller configured to control operation of the first auxiliary machine and the second auxiliary machine. The controller is configured to control operation of the first auxiliary machine and the second auxiliary machine, such that one of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack, of which a discharge direction of reaction gas discharged from the discharge manifold forms a smaller angle with a vertical downward direction, starts generating power earlier than the other fuel cell stack, after power generation of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack is stopped.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200185736Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; a temperature acquiring unit acquiring an ambient temperature of a first fuel cell stack of the fuel cell unit; and a power generation control unit. The power generation control unit is configured to, when required power for the fuel cell unit is less than a predetermined threshold value, temporarily stop power generation of the first fuel cell stack and to switch the first fuel cell stack from stopped power generation to power generation when a continuous power generation stopped time of the first fuel cell stack is greater than a predetermined time such that the continuous power generation stopped time is shorter when the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature based on a temperature at which liquid water in the first fuel cell stack freezes than when the ambient temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200153011Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: first and second injectors; first and second ejectors; a first circulation passage configured to circulate anode gas that has passed the first ejector between the first fuel cell and the first ejector; a second circulation passage configured to circulate the anode gas that has passed the second ejector between the second fuel cell and the second ejector; a communication passage communicating with the first and second circulation passages; a switching valve configured to switch the communication passage to a communication state where the first and second circulation passages communicate with each other or to a cutoff state where the first and second circulation passages are cut off; and a controller configured to scavenge the first fuel cell by injecting the anode gas with the first injector, while the first fuel cell stops power generation in the communication state.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2019Publication date: May 14, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hideyuki KUMEI
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Publication number: 20200144640Abstract: A fuel cell system is equipped with a first fuel cell, a second fuel cell, a scavenging device that can scavenge the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell independently of each other, and a control device configured to control the scavenging device. An electric power generation volume of the second fuel cell is smaller than an electric power generation volume of the first fuel cell. The control device is configured to scavenge the second fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomohiko KANEKO, Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI
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Publication number: 20200127307Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a secondary battery; first and second fuel cells; first and second scavenging devices configured to scavenge the first and second fuel cells, respectively; and a control device configured to perform a first scavenging process of scavenging the first fuel cell by driving the first scavenging device using a charged power of the secondary battery when the first and second fuel cells are in a power generation stopped state and to perform a second scavenging process of scavenging the second fuel cell by driving the second scavenging device using a generated power of the first fuel cell when the first fuel cell is in a power generation state and the second fuel cell is in the power generation stopped state.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideyuki KUMEI, Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200112039Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit, when required power of the fuel cell unit is equal to or smaller than a threshold; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO, Hideyuki KUMEI
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Publication number: 20200112041Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Patent number: 10547072Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present disclosure performs a first and a second catalyst activation process, and the first catalyst activation process is performed where a flow rate of the air supplied to the fuel cell by the air compressor is reduced to be less than that before the refresh control is performed while keeping an amount of a current drawn from the fuel cell by the fuel cell converter at the same value as that before the refresh control is performed, and the second catalyst activation process is performed where the value of the current drawn from the fuel cell by the fuel cell converter is increased to be greater than that before the refresh control is performed while keeping the flow rate of the air supplied to the fuel cell by the air compressor at the same value as that before the refresh control is performed.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2017Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiaki Tsuruta, Kohei Oda, Satoshi Watanabe, Hideyuki Kumei, Shuya Kawahara
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Publication number: 20190229351Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack including: a stacked body in which unit cells are stacked, the unit cells including first and second unit cells; a reactant gas flow path; and a cooling water flow path; a pump that supplies cooling water to the cooling water flow path; a supply device that supplies reactant gas to the reactant gas flow path; and a control device configured to include: a bubble detection portion configured to detect an accumulation of bubbles in the cooling water flow path; and a cause determination portion configured to determine whether or not the accumulation of bubbles is caused by leakage of the reactant gas from the reactant gas flow path, when the bubble detection portion detects the accumulation of bubbles.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2019Publication date: July 25, 2019Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideyuki Kumei, Norihiko Haraikawa
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Publication number: 20180145356Abstract: A fuel cell system according to one embodiment performs refresh control of an electrode catalyst of a fuel cell, by reducing a stack voltage as a voltage of the fuel cell to a refresh voltage at which the electrode catalyst is activated. The system includes the fuel cell that generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction using fuel gas and oxidation gas, a stack voltage sensor that sensors the stack voltage, and a controller that controls power of the fuel cell. When a high load demand that makes the stack voltage lower than a given voltage is made on the fuel cell, the controller causes the fuel cell to deliver power commensurate with the high load demand, and performs refresh control when the stack voltage becomes lower than the given voltage through the above control.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2017Publication date: May 24, 2018Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshiaki TSURUTA, Satoshi WATANABE, Hideyuki KUMEI, Shuya KAWAHARA, Kohei ODA
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Publication number: 20180108926Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present disclosure performs a first and a second catalyst activation process, and the first catalyst activation process is performed where a flow rate of the air supplied to the fuel cell by the air compressor is reduced to be less than that before the refresh control is performed while keeping an amount of a current drawn from the fuel cell by the fuel cell converter at the same value as that before the refresh control is performed, and the second catalyst activation process is performed where the value of the current drawn from the fuel cell by the fuel cell converter is increased to be greater than that before the refresh control is performed while keeping the flow rate of the air supplied to the fuel cell by the air compressor at the same value as that before the refresh control is performed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2017Publication date: April 19, 2018Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshiaki TSURUTA, Kohei ODA, Satoshi WATANABE, Hideyuki KUMEI, Shuya KAWAHARA