Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Imanishi

Hiroyuki Imanishi 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).

  • Patent number: 10388974
    Abstract: At an ordinary stop time of a fuel cell system, a controller of the fuel cell system completes an ordinary stop process that includes at least one of a water drainage process that discharges water from at least one of the fuel gas flow path and the oxidizing gas flow path and a cathode sealing process that seals the oxidizing gas flow path, and subsequently stops the fuel cell system. When the fuel cell system satisfies a predetermined emergency stop condition, the controller does not perform at least part of the ordinary stop process but performs an emergency stop process that sets the fuel cell system to be restarted after elapse of a first time period since a stop of the fuel cell system and subsequently stops the fuel cell system. The controller restarts the fuel cell system after elapse of the first time period since stop of the fuel cell system and performs a restart process that performs the ordinary stop process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Shiokawa, Yoshiaki Naganuma, Tomohiro Ogawa, Tsuyoshi Maruo, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Publication number: 20190173111
    Abstract: A control unit of a fuel cell system includes a valve control unit configured such that, when it is determined that an exhaust valve is stuck open in a quick warming-up operation, the valve control unit sets at least one of an operable opening area which is an opening area capable of being changed by control and a rate of opening change which is an opening changeable frequency at which an opening is changeable per unit time, for at least one of a pressure adjusting valve and a flow division valve, such that a flow rate of a cathode gas supplied to a fuel cell is in an allowable range of a requested supply flow rate required for the quick warming-up operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomio YAMANAKA, Masashi Toida, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Seiichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10283791
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a control unit configured to perform air-conditioning-system preparation control, wherein, under the air-conditioning-system preparation control, when an air conditioning system is not requested to heat air, it is determined whether or not a coolant within a coolant circulation passage is capable of being supplied to an air conditioning circuit, when the coolant within the coolant circulation passage is not capable of being supplied to the air conditioning circuit, the heater is operated to maintain a first predetermined temperature or higher of the coolant within the air conditioning circuit, and when the coolant within the coolant circulation passage is capable of being supplied to the air conditioning circuit, the air-conditioning water pump is operated to draw the coolant from the coolant circulation passage into the air conditioning circuit and to maintain the first predetermined temperature or higher of the coolant within the air conditioning circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 10218008
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a coolant circulation passage; a radiator; a water pump; a flow dividing valve; a fan; and a controller that, when a first prescribed period elapses in a state where a temperature of a coolant is equal to or more than a first prescribed temperature and an opening degree of the flow dividing valve makes the flow rate of the coolant flowing into the radiator equal to or more than a prescribed flow rate, gives a priority to the rise in a driving voltage of the fan over the increase in a flow rate by the water pump, and when a second prescribed period elapses in a state where the temperature of the coolant is equal to or more than a second prescribed temperature after the driving voltage of the fan is raised, increases the flow rate by the water pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Yohei Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10199666
    Abstract: An object is to reduce the noise and the vibration caused in operation of an injector in a non-power generation state of a fuel cell. There is provided a fuel cell system comprising fuel cells configured such that each fuel cell includes an anode, an electrolyte membrane and a cathode; an injector that is configured to supply hydrogen to the anode; and a controller that is configured to control operation of an injector to make pressure of the anode reach a target pressure. In a non-power generation state that is after a start of the fuel cell system but is before power generation of the fuel cells, the controller sets a second target pressure that is higher than a first target pressure to the target pressure and controls operation of the injector to make the pressure of the anode equal to the second target pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Okuyoshi, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Kazuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10186722
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technology for ensuring the safety of a vehicle on which a fuel cell is mounted and the convenience of a user. In a fuel cell system which is able to be mounted on a movable body, it is determined whether or not the movement of the movable body is stopped and the fuel cell system is operated when an opening instruction for opening a filling port for filling a fuel gas storage portion with fuel gas is received. When it is determined that the movement of the movable body is stopped and the fuel cell system is operated, a main stop valve controlling the supply of the fuel gas to the cell stack from the fuel gas storage portion is closed, and then the filling port is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Imanishi, Tomohiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10153501
    Abstract: There are provided a an anode-side water discharge controller that controls a circulation flow rate of the anode gas pump so as to discharge anode-side liquid water residing in the anode-side flow path, and a cathode-side water discharge controller that controls a supply flow rate of the cathode gas pump so as to discharge cathode-side liquid water residing in the cathode-side flow path. The anode-side water discharge controller and the cathode-side water discharge controller execute water discharge by running a pre-selected one of the anode gas pump and the cathode gas pump, and then running the other of the anode gas pump and the cathode gas pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10090539
    Abstract: An object is to perform a purge at an appropriate timing. There is provided a fuel cell system mounted on a vehicle. The fuel cell system comprises a gas supplier that is configured to supply a purge gas into a fuel cell; and a controller that is configured to control the gas supplier and perform a purge with the purge as at a stop time of the vehicle. The controller obtains an ambient temperature in a driving state of the vehicle a plurality of times. In a case where an ambient temperature obtained last time among the ambient temperatures obtained in the driving state is lower than a predetermined reference value, the controller performs the purge with enhancing a purging capacity, compared with a case where the ambient temperature obtained last time is higher than the predetermined reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Maruo, Takashi Yamada, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 10079397
    Abstract: To provide a technique that allows prompt detection of leakage of fuel gas in a fuel cell system. A controller included in a fuel cell system performs a hydrogen leakage detecting process of detecting the occurrence of hydrogen leakage in the low-pressure zone based on the detected pressure in a low-pressure zone of an anode gas piping at a time of start-up of the fuel cell system. A controller uses at least one of a first condition and a second condition for determination as a determination condition in hydrogen leakage detecting process, and determines that there is no leakage of the reactive gas while the fuel cell stops generating power if the determination condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Imanishi, Masashi Toida
  • Patent number: 10038208
    Abstract: When a current value is not greater than a reference value, a control unit estimates a discharge amount of a fuel gas based on a lost amount of the fuel gas and a consumed amount by electrical generation of the fuel gas, the lost amount being calculated based on a decrease rate of pressure in a supply passage during an opening period of a discharge valve, the consumed amount by electrical generation being calculated based on the current value during the opening period, and when the current value is greater than the reference value, the control unit estimates the discharge amount based on the differential pressure during the opening period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10033057
    Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell system that inhibits the occurrence of degradation of an MEA while also inhibiting an increase in the CPU load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10033054
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell that includes a membrane electrode assembly clipping an electrolyte membrane with an anode and a cathode; a fuel gas supplier that supplies an anode gas to the anode via an anode gas supply passage in accordance with a power generation request for the fuel cell; a circulation pump that circulates an exhaust gas discharged from the anode to the anode gas supply passage; a judger that judges whether any one of a temperature of the circulation pump and a temperature associated with the temperature of the circulation pump is equal to or less than a prescribed temperature; and a drive controller that drives the circulation pump at a prescribed rotation number when the judger judges that any one of the temperatures is equal to or less than the prescribed temperature, and there is no power generation request for the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10024927
    Abstract: A cell monitor connector is provided that can prevent detachment of the cell monitor connector from a fuel cell device with a simple configuration. A connector 4 for measuring voltage has a housing 41 with a plurality of slits 45 formed therein and an end of a separator 21 of a plurality of fuel cells 2 can be inserted into the slits 45. The housing 41 has a rib 46R at at least one end in the stacking direction of the fuel cells 2 such that the rib 46R projects in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Katano, Tsutomu Shirakawa, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10014539
    Abstract: When an actual output value is less than an output command value, a current command value is increased. When the actual output value is equal to or greater than the output command value, whether the actual output value is within a range of a dead band is determined. When the actual output value is outside the range of the dead band, the current command value is decreased. When the actual output value is within the range of the dead band, the current command value is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Okamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Takashi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20180166716
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, an oxidizing gas supplier, an oxidizing gas supply pipe, an oxidizing gas discharge pipe, a fuel gas supply pipe, a fuel gas return pipe, a fuel gas discharge valve, and a controller. The controller executes valve closing control to close the fuel gas discharge valve; and determines the flow rate of a diluent gas to be supplied to an oxidizing gas supply portion by the oxidizing gas supplier according to the flow rate of a leakage gas flowing from the fuel gas discharge valve to the oxidizing gas discharge pipe after the execution of the valve closing control. The flow rate of the diluent gas to be supplied to the oxidizing gas supply portion is determined to increase as the flow rate of the leakage gas increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki IMANISHI, Tomio YAMANAKA, Masashi TOIDA
  • Patent number: 9997796
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for a fuel cell vehicle, capable of preventing an unnecessary error in calculating high potential avoidance power to calculate power for high potential avoidance with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Bono, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 9991531
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a control unit that estimates a discharge amount of the fuel gas partially discharged from the fuel cell partially discharged during an opening period of the discharge valve based on a lost amount of the fuel gas during the opening period and a consumed amount of the fuel gas by electric generation of the fuel cell during the opening period, wherein a pressure increase period during which the pressure increases and a pressure decrease period during which the pressure decreases exist due to intermittent injection of the fuel gas, and the control unit estimates the lost amount of the fuel gas based on a decrease rate of the pressure during the pressure decrease period within the opening period, and based on an assumed decrease rate of the pressure during the pressure increase period within the opening period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 9956885
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a power supply circuit including a fuel cell and a secondary battery; an oxidant gas supply flow passage; a pump; and a control unit configured to drive the pump and dilute hydrogen retained in an cathode. The control unit is configured to stop supplying an oxidant gas to the cathode by stopping an operation of the pump such that dilution of the hydrogen retained in the cathode is stopped, while the fuel cell vehicle remains stationary after a starter switch of the fuel cell vehicle is switched from an off state to an on state, or while a load required of the power supply circuit remains smaller than a predetermined value after the starter switch of the fuel cell vehicle is switched from the off state to the on state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Imanishi, Kazuo Yamamoto, Masashi Toida
  • Patent number: 9902286
    Abstract: In a fuel cell system which includes a fuel cell converter and a battery converter, noise generated in a high load region in particular is effectively inhibited, and silence is improved. A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell converter provided between a fuel cell and a load device, and a battery converter provided between a battery and the load device. The fuel cell system includes frequency setting means for setting a driving frequency band of the fuel cell converter and a driving frequency band of the battery converter so that these driving frequency bands do not overlap when a load of the load device is more than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 9847540
    Abstract: A fuel cell unit has a structure that enables the maximum use of a cell monitor in the height direction (vertical direction). In order to achieve this, the fuel cell unit comprises a fuel cell stack (3) including a cell stack body in which unit cells are stacked; and a cell monitor (6) for monitoring a voltage of the unit cells, wherein the cell monitor (6) is arranged so as to be inclined relative to a vertical direction. The cell monitor is inclined by providing a part of the cell monitor in the vicinity of a heat-generating part in a fuel cell on an opposite side of the heat-generating part relative to a central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor and providing a part of the cell monitor in an area other than the heat-generating part in the fuel cell on a heat-generating part side relative to the central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsutomu Shirakawa, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Noboru Usami