Patents by Inventor Ryouichi NAMBA
Ryouichi NAMBA 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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Publication number: 20240347747Abstract: A control device of a fuel cell system determines opening-closing abnormality of a first valve and a second valve based on a comparison between a first pressure decrease rate and a second pressure decrease rate, the first pressure decrease rate being a decrease rate of a pressure detection value of a pressure sensor when a first control is executed, the first control being a control in which the first valve is opened in a state where the second valve is closed, the second pressure decrease rate being a decrease rate of the pressure detection value of the pressure sensor when a second control is executed, the second control being a control in which the second valve is opened in a state where the first valve is closed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2024Publication date: October 17, 2024Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Makito OKUMURA, Ryouichi NAMBA
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Publication number: 20240332573Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a controller configured to control opening and closing of a drain valve and opening and closing of an exhaust valve. The controller is configured to, when an amount of water stored in a gas-liquid separator is larger than or equal to a predetermined value, open the drain valve to drain, via the drain valve, the water stored in the gas-liquid separator. The controller is configured to, when a concentration of impurities contained in circulating gas is higher than or equal to a predetermined value, open the exhaust valve to release, via the exhaust valve, the circulating gas circulating in the circulating path.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2024Publication date: October 3, 2024Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Makito OKUMURA, Ryouichi NAMBA
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Patent number: 11962048Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a control device that controls operation of the fuel cell system based on a measured voltage value measured by a voltage sensor. When the fuel cell system is started and a value measured by a temperature sensor is equal to or less than a temperature determined in advance, the control device raises the voltage of the fuel cell stack until a voltage condition determined in advance is met, by supplying a cathode with an oxidant gas before current sweep is started. The control device sets a voltage command value and a current command value such that an operation point of the fuel cell stack is on an equal power line of the fuel cell stack when the operation point is caused to transition in at least a part of a transition period.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Masahiro Ito, Manabu Takahashi, Tomotaka Ishikawa
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Patent number: 11721818Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell in which cells are stacked, a voltage sensor that detects a voltage in unit of one or more of the cells, a control unit that determines an operating point of the fuel cell and causes the fuel cell to operate. The control unit causes the fuel cell to operate at a low efficiency operating point having a lower efficiency than an efficiency of a reference operating point in a warm-up operation. In the warm-up operation, the control unit calculates a total number of the cells in which the voltage detected by the voltage sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined first reference voltage and calculates an exhaust hydrogen concentration based on the total number or the cells.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Toshiyuki Sanada, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa, Yoshihiro Ikogi, Masahiro Ito
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Patent number: 11695136Abstract: The control device is configured so that when a temperature of the fuel cell at the time of start of power generation of the fuel cell is less than a standard temperature, it makes the fuel cell generate power so that the amount of heat generation of the fuel cell accompanying the power generation loss becomes a first amount of heat generation and so that when a cumulative value of current of a time period during which the fuel cell is made to generate power so that the amount of heat generation becomes the first amount of heat generation is equal to or greater than a predetermined cumulative value, it makes the fuel cell generate power so that the amount of heat generation becomes a second amount of heat generation larger than the first amount of heat generation.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Masahiro Ito, Koro Fujio, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa
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Patent number: 11670786Abstract: The low efficiency power generation part of a control device is provided with an operating point setting part setting a target current and a target voltage defining an operating point of the fuel cell at the time of low efficiency power generation and a generated electric power control part making the generated electric power of the fuel cell increase and decrease at the time of low efficiency power generation by controlling the current of the fuel cell to the target current while making the flow rate of feed of oxidizing agent gas supplied to the fuel cell fluctuate so that the voltage of the fuel cell increases and decreases above and below the target voltage within a range where the charged and discharged electric powers of the rechargeable battery do not become larger than the allowable charged and discharged electric powers.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Asuka Takasaki, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa
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Patent number: 11652225Abstract: During performance of low efficiency power generation, a control device controls the flow rate of feed of the oxidizing agent gas so that the amount of heat generation of the fuel cell accompanying power generation loss becomes a first amount of heat generation when the state of a mount on which the fuel cell system is mounted is a first mode and controls the flow rate of feed of the oxidizing agent gas so that the amount of heat generation becomes a second amount of heat generation smaller than the first amount of heat generation when the state of the mount is a second mode where the generated electric power of the fuel cell fluctuates more easily compared with the first mode.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Junichi Matsuo, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa
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Patent number: 11637304Abstract: The low efficiency power generation part of a control device is provided with an operating point setting part setting a target current and a target voltage defining an operating point of the fuel cell at the time of low efficiency power generation and a generated electric power control part making the generated electric power of the fuel cell increase and decrease at the time of low efficiency power generation by controlling the current of the fuel cell to the target current while making the flow rate of feed of oxidizing agent gas supplied to the fuel cell fluctuate so that the voltage of the fuel cell increases and decreases above and below the target voltage within a range where the charged and discharged electric powers of the rechargeable battery do not become larger than the allowable charged and discharged electric powers.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Asuka Takasaki, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa
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Patent number: 11522205Abstract: The control device is provided with a power generation part configured to be able to selectively perform normal power generation and low efficiency power generation in which the power generation loss is greater compared with normal power generation when there is a request for warmup of the fuel cell. The power generation part temporarily stops the low efficiency power generation and performs normal power generation when during performance of the low efficiency power generation the target generated electric power of the fuel cell becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined first switching electric power.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2021Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Toshiyuki Sanada
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Patent number: 11508978Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an oxidizing gas supply system, a cooling medium circulation pump, a stack temperature acquisition unit, and a control unit. After a first time point when a change in an acquisition temperature turns from downward to upward after the change in the acquisition temperature turns from upward to downward for the first time after the start of the warm-up operation processing, the control unit sets a decrease speed in cases of decreasing a rotational speed of the cooling medium circulation pump to a smaller value than a value set before the first time point.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2021Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Ryouichi Namba
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Patent number: 11502318Abstract: A cooling water temperature of a fuel cell 10 is detected by a sensor 94d. Based on the outside air temperature, a first threshold temperature and a second threshold temperature lower than the first threshold temperature are calculated. When it is judged that the cooling water temperature is lower than the first threshold temperature and higher than the second threshold temperature, first warmup processing is performed. When it is judged that the cooling water temperature is lower than the second threshold temperature, second warmup processing with an amount of heat generation greater than the first warmup processing is performed.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2021Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Kamiya, Ryouichi Namba, Masashi Toida
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Patent number: 11479125Abstract: A braking control unit of a fuel cell vehicle is configured to, in a period during which the fuel cell vehicle is being braked in response to a braking request, (i) when an estimated amount of stagnant water is less than a predetermined second water amount less than a first water amount, limit an upper limit electric power of a regenerated electric power resulting from regenerative operation to a predetermined first value or below, and (ii) when the estimated amount of stagnant water is greater than or equal to the second water amount, execute an upper limit changing process of setting an upper limit electric power to a second value lower by a predetermined value than the first value.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2020Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Junichi Oura, Ryouichi Namba
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Patent number: 11476477Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a target operating point determination unit that determines a warm-up target operating point based on a required electric power amount during warm-up and a required heat generation amount during warm-up; an operation control unit; and a failure state identification unit that identifies whether an electric power consumption device that operates by consuming generated electric power generated by the fuel cell has failed. When a failure of the electric power consumption device is identified, the target operating point determination unit determines an operating point that satisfies a required electric power amount during a failure that is set to be smaller than the required electric power amount during the warm-up and a required heat generation amount during the failure that is set to be smaller than the required heat generation amount during the warm-up as a target operating point during the failure.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa
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Patent number: 11476478Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a control device. The control device raises the voltage of the fuel cell stack until a predetermined voltage condition is met, by supplying a cathode with an oxidant gas before current sweep is started when the fuel cell system is started and a value measured by a temperature sensor is equal to or less than a temperature determined in advance. The control device executes stand-by control, in which a current command value is kept constant, when a measured voltage value reaches a control start voltage value smaller than a voltage command value in a transition period, and ends the stand-by control by permitting a change in the current command value when the measured voltage value reaches a permission voltage value equal to or more than the voltage command value during execution of the stand-by control.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2021Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Ryouichi Namba
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Patent number: 11431007Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a temperature measurement unit, and a controller. The controller is configured to, when the stack temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined first threshold temperature at the time of startup of the fuel cell system, control a heat generation amount per unit time of the fuel cell stack to a set heat generation amount to perform a warming-up operation until the stack temperature increases to a target temperature, and when the stack temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold temperature, execute at least one of setting the target temperature to be lower than the target temperature when the stack temperature is lower than the second threshold temperature and setting the set heat generation amount to be smaller than the set heat generation amount when the stack temperature is lower than the second threshold temperature.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2021Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masashi Toida, Mahiro Ozeki, Yusuke Nishida, Ryouichi Namba
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Patent number: 11424463Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an oxidizing gas supply system, a fuel gas supply system, a current control circuit configured to control an output current of the fuel cell stack, a control unit configured to control power generation of the fuel cell stack, and the output current of the current control circuit, the control unit controlling the current control circuit to adjust the output current thereby adjusting a heating value of the fuel cell stack; and a monitoring unit configured to monitor abnormal fuel gas generation, the abnormal fuel gas generation corresponding to a state where the fuel gas in excess of a predetermined allowable amount exists in the cathode. When the monitoring unit detects the abnormal fuel gas generation during execution of a warm-up operation to allow the fuel cell stack to generate heat with a predetermined target heating value, the control unit reduces the output current by reducing the target heating value.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2021Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Masahiro Ito, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa, Tomotaka Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20210376347Abstract: The control device is configured so that when a temperature of the fuel cell at the time of start of power generation of the fuel cell is less than a standard temperature, it makes the fuel cell generate power so that the amount of heat generation of the fuel cell accompanying the power generation loss becomes a first amount of heat generation and so that when a cumulative value of current of a time period during which the fuel cell is made to generate power so that the amount of heat generation becomes the first amount of heat generation is equal to or greater than a predetermined cumulative value, it makes the fuel cell generate power so that the amount of heat generation becomes a second amount of heat generation larger than the first amount of heat generation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Ryouichi NAMBA, Masahiro ITO, Koro FUJIO, Hiroyuki TSUNEKAWA
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Publication number: 20210376353Abstract: During performance of low efficiency power generation, a control device controls the flow rate of feed of the oxidizing agent gas so that the amount of heat generation of the fuel cell accompanying power generation loss becomes a first amount of heat generation when the state of a mount on which the fuel cell system is mounted is a first mode and controls the flow rate of feed of the oxidizing agent gas so that the amount of heat generation becomes a second amount of heat generation smaller than the first amount of heat generation when the state of the mount is a second mode where the generated electric power of the fuel cell fluctuates more easily compared with the first mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Ryouichi NAMBA, Junichi MATSUO, Hiroyuki TSUNEKAWA
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Publication number: 20210376345Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a target operating point determination unit that determines a warm-up target operating point based on a required electric power amount during warm-up and a required heat generation amount during warm-up; an operation control unit; and a failure state identification unit that identifies whether an electric power consumption device that operates by consuming generated electric power generated by the fuel cell has failed. When a failure of the electric power consumption device is identified, the target operating point determination unit determines an operating point that satisfies a required electric power amount during a failure that is set to be smaller than the required electric power amount during the warm-up and a required heat generation amount during the failure that is set to be smaller than the required heat generation amount during the warm-up as a target operating point during the failure.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi NAMBA, Hiroyuki TSUNEKAWA
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Publication number: 20210376359Abstract: The low efficiency power generation part of a control device is provided with an operating point setting part setting a target current and a target voltage defining an operating point of the fuel cell at the time of low efficiency power generation and a generated electric power control part making the generated electric power of the fuel cell increase and decrease at the time of low efficiency power generation by controlling the current of the fuel cell to the target current while making the flow rate of feed of oxidizing agent gas supplied to the fuel cell fluctuate so that the voltage of the fuel cell increases and decreases above and below the target voltage within a range where the charged and discharged electric powers of the rechargeable battery do not become larger than the allowable charged and discharged electric powers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Ryouichi NAMBA, Asuka TAKASAKI, Hiroyuki TSUNEKAWA