Patents by Inventor Satoshi Aoyagi

Satoshi Aoyagi 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).

  • Publication number: 20090008167
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle has a fuel cell for generating electric power by being supplied with a reactive gas, an electric storage device, a first power supply line connected to the fuel cell, a second power supply line connected to the electric storage device, and a main DC-to-DC converter for performing bidirectional voltage conversion between the first power supply line and the second power supply line, an electric motor to propel the vehicle and a first electric accessory connected to the first power supply line, a second electric accessory having at least a portion connected to the second power supply line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi AOYAGI, Hibiki SAEKI, Hiroyuki ABE, Hiroaki TAKANOHASHI
  • Publication number: 20080297113
    Abstract: An electric power supply system can determine a sharing ratio of an electric power so as to increase and decrease an output electric power supplied by an electric power generator in accordance with an output electric power value required for the electric power supply system, in a fuel cell following region where a frequency of a magnitude of the electric power is equal to or higher than a predetermined value in a frequency distribution of a magnitude of the electric power, and can determine the sharing ratio of the electric power so as to increase an output electric power supplied by an electricity storage device, in an assist region where the frequency is lower than a predetermined value in the frequency distribution, and can prevent an excess of discharging from an electricity storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hibiki SAEKI, Satoshi AOYAGI, Takuya SHIRASAKA
  • Publication number: 20080257621
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle system includes: a propulsion motor capable of driving a vehicle; a fuel cell which generates electric power by supplying a reactant gas to give an electrochemical reaction; an energy storage device which is charged by a generated output of the fuel cell and regenerative electric power of the propulsion motor; an output control device which controls an output current of the fuel cell; and a control device which calculates the regenerative electric power which can be generated by a regenerative operation of the propulsion motor as well as a chargeable power which can be charged to the energy storage device, controls the output control device so that the output current of the fuel cell is restricted when the chargeable power is less than the regenerative electric power, and controls the output control device so that restriction on the output current of the fuel cell is canceled when the chargeable power is equal to or greater than the regenerative electric power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hibiki Saeki, Satoshi Aoyagi, Yoshinobu Hasuka
  • Patent number: 7438984
    Abstract: An electric system has a fuel cell for generating electric power by being supplied with a reactive gas, an electric storage device having a voltage lower than a voltage output from the fuel cell, a first power supply line connected to the fuel cell, a second power supply line connected to the electric storage device, and a first DC-to-DC converter for performing bidirectional voltage conversion between the first power supply line and the second power supply line. An inverter, a propulsive electric motor, and an air compressor are supplied with electric power from the first power supply line. An electrically operated air conditioner motor, windshield wiper motors, and power window motors, etc., which serve as a second electric accessory, are supplied with electric power from the second power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Hibiki Saeki, Hiroyuki Abe, Hiroaki Takanohashi
  • Patent number: 7436148
    Abstract: A method of determining voltage conditions of a fuel cell vehicle which includes a motor as a driving force source of the vehicle, a motor control device for controlling operation of the motor, a fuel cell, to which a reaction gas is supplied, for generating electric power by an electrochemical reaction, and a battery device which is charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell and sends and receives electrical energy to and from the motor by control of the motor control device. The method includes setting a voltage value, typically an average value, of an output voltage of the fuel cell within a range from a minimum value to a maximum value of an open circuit voltage of the battery device. Even when the fuel cell and the battery device are directly connected, overcharge or overdischarge can be prevented, thereby reducing frequency of voltage conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Inventors: Hibiki Saeki, Satoshi Aoyagi
  • Publication number: 20080248341
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system enabling an improvement in fuel consumption and a method for controlling thereof. A fuel cell system 1 includes a fuel cell 10, an air pump 21, an air supply channel, a hydrogen supply channel, a hydrogen tank, a hydrogen discharge channel, a hydrogen reflux channel, an air discharge channel, a purge valve 441, and a control device 30. The control device 30 includes a dilution judgment portion 31 judging whether dilution of hydrogen gas has been completed; an air increase portion 33 for increasing an air mass in the air discharge channel; a power production calculation portion 34 calculating an amount of power production based on the air mass increased; and a fuel cell drive portion 35 driving the fuel cell 10 to produce electric power to obtain the amount of power production calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Yuji Matsumoto, Satoshi Aoyagi, Takuya Shirasaka, Koichiro Miyata
  • Publication number: 20070275276
    Abstract: This power supply system of a fuel cell vehicle is provided with a load, a fuel cell, a power storage device, a first DC-DC converter, a second DC-DC converter, a current-measuring device, a voltage-measuring device, and a controller. The controller performs a feedback control of the first DC-DC converter such that input current or output current measured by the current-measuring device becomes a target current, and also performs a feedback control of the second DC-DC converter such that input voltage or output voltage measured by the voltage-measuring device becomes a target voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hibiki Saeki, Satoshi Aoyagi
  • Publication number: 20070199747
    Abstract: This control method for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a target motor output power obtaining step which obtains a target motor output power corresponding to an accelerator opening degree; and a high output power control step which controls operations of a first DC-DC converter and a second DC-DC converter, such that an output voltage of a power source becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined voltage that is required for securing a desired motor output power, when the target motor output power is larger than a predetermined output power threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Hibiki Saeki, Kenichiro Kimura, Hiroaki Takanohashi, Hiroyuki Abe
  • Publication number: 20070176762
    Abstract: This fuel efficiency display device for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a first interval vehicle efficiency obtaining device which obtains a first interval vehicle efficiency being a fraction of a generated traveling energy with respect to a consumed fuel amount in a predetermined first time-interval; a second interval traveling energy obtaining device which obtains a second interval traveling energy being a traveling energy generated in a predetermined second time-interval which is shorter than the first time-interval; and a second interval fuel efficiency obtaining device which obtains a second interval fuel efficiency being a fuel efficiency in the second time-interval, based on at least the first interval vehicle efficiency and the second interval traveling energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Kenichiro Kimura, Sachito Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20070129859
    Abstract: A control apparatus 20 is provided in order to improve the energy efficiency of a vehicle during regeneration by a propulsion motor. At the time of regenerative operation of a propulsion motor 15, calculates the regenerative electric power which can be generated based on the speed of the vehicle or the like, and calculates the chargeable power which can be charged to a capacitor 13 based on the detected value of the terminal voltage of the capacitor 13 or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hibiki Saeki, Satoshi Aoyagi, Yoshinobu Hasuka
  • Patent number: 7223489
    Abstract: A hydrogen purge control apparatus includes a fuel cell stack from which hydrogen is purged as necessary, a purged hydrogen dilution device which is disposed downstream of the fuel cell stack, and which has a chamber formed therein, a first inlet for purged hydrogen, a second inlet for air, and an outlet for diluted hydrogen, a regulator which is disposed between the fuel cell stack and the first inlet, and which is provided for regulating an amount of the purged hydrogen flowing into the purged hydrogen dilution device, and a control unit having a hydrogen concentration estimating section that is configured to estimate the hydrogen concentration at the outlet of the purged hydrogen dilution device based on an operating state of the fuel cell stack. The regulator is operated by the control unit depending on the hydrogen concentration estimated by the hydrogen concentration estimating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichiro Ueda, Masanori Hayashi, Akio Yamamoto, Yoshikazu Murakami, Satoshi Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 7164976
    Abstract: A control apparatus 20 is provided in order to improve the energy efficiency of a vehicle during regeneration by a propulsion motor. At the time of regenerative operation of a propulsion motor 15, calculates the regenerative electric power which can be generated based on the speed of the vehicle or the like, and calculates the chargeable power which can be charged to a capacitor 13 based on the detected value of the terminal voltage of the capacitor 13 or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hibiki Saeki, Satoshi Aoyagi, Yoshinobu Hasuka
  • Publication number: 20060286418
    Abstract: A fuel cell system installed in a fuel-cell movable body. The system includes a fuel cell for generating electric power using reaction gases; a plurality of sensors for measuring states of the fuel cell; an abnormal state detecting device for detecting an abnormal state of at least one of said plurality of sensors; a substitution possibility determining device for determining whether there are one or more substitution sensors from among said plurality of sensors, each substitution sensor outputting a signal value used for setting a substitutional value for a signal value output from the sensor whose abnormal state has been detected; and a predetermined operation control device for operating the fuel cell in a predetermined operation state when the abnormal state of the sensor is detected by the abnormal state detecting device and it is determined by the substitution possibility determining device that there is no substitution sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hibiki Saeki, Satoshi Aoyagi, Kuniaki Ojima
  • Publication number: 20060278450
    Abstract: A management ECU of a control unit predicts the reduction degree of a system voltage according to an operational state of a motor based on the temperature of a fuel cell and a number of rotations of the motor, sets motor output restriction start voltage and motor output restriction end voltage which are threshold values of the system voltage for triggering an execution start and an execution end of a processing to restrict an output of the motor, and outputs them to a motor ECU. The motor ECU sets an output restriction coefficient that is a restriction rate in restricting the output of the motor based on a detected value of the system voltage and the motor output restriction start voltage and the motor output restriction end voltage, and restricts the output of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Shirasaka, Satoshi Aoyagi, Asao Uenodai, Hibiki Saeki
  • Publication number: 20060222910
    Abstract: An electric system has a fuel cell for generating electric power by being supplied with a reactive gas, an electric storage device having a voltage lower than a voltage output from the fuel cell, a first power supply line connected to the fuel cell, a second power supply line connected to the electric storage device, and a first DC-to-DC converter for performing bidirectional voltage conversion between the first power supply line and the second power supply line. An inverter, a propulsive electric motor, and an air compressor are supplied with electric power from the first power supply line. An electrically operated air conditioner motor, windshield wiper motors, and power window motors, etc., which serve as a second electric accessory, are supplied with electric power from the second power supply line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Hibiki Saeki, Hiroyuki Abe, Hiroaki Takanohashi
  • Publication number: 20060222909
    Abstract: An electric system has a fuel cell and an electric storage device which are connected in parallel to each other with respect to a propulsive motor, and a DC-to-DC converter connected closer to the electric storage device than a junction where the fuel cell and the electric storage device are connected in parallel to each other. An electric power control system includes a power supply controller having a failure detector for detecting a failure of the DC-to-DC converter. When the failure detector detects a failure of the DC-to-DC converter, the response of electric power output from the fuel cell is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Hibiki Saeki, Kuniaki Ojima
  • Patent number: 7083017
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle can reduce the starting time while protecting the fuel cell. When starting the vehicle, a control apparatus execute an idle charging an output voltage (estimated output voltage) of the fuel cell immediately after the vehicle commences movement, in the condition where, while in the idle charging state at the time of starting the fuel cell vehicle, e.g., the state wherein generation of power by the fuel cell continues, and the value of the output current extracted from the fuel cell is being restricted to an appropriate value by a current and voltage controller, a capacitor is being charged with the restricted current. Then, the control apparatus, when detecting that the increased terminal voltage of the capacitor due to charging from the fuel cell has gone above the estimated output voltage, outputs to an output controller a control command to start power supply to a propulsion motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Hasuka, Hibiki Saeki, Satoshi Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 7060380
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel cell power supply device in which an I-V characteristics estimating unit estimates output current/voltage characteristics (I-V characteristics) of a fuel cell by substituting a linear function (V=F(I)) in which a gradient indicates an internal resistance of the fuel cell and an interception of an axis representing a voltage (V) indicates an open-circuit voltage of the fuel cell calculated by a fuel cell open-circuit voltage calculator for the I-V characteristics. On the basis of the I-V characteristics of the fuel cell estimated by the I-V characteristics estimating unit, a requested output voltage determining unit and a requested output current determining unit determine a requested output voltage and a requested output current, respectively, which are needed to obtain a target total electric energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Hibiki Saeki, Yutaka Asano
  • Publication number: 20060105206
    Abstract: A fuel cell power supply has a fuel cell and a capacitor which are connected parallel to each other, and controls the amount of a reacting gas supplied to the fuel gas based on a target supply current. A capacitor open voltage calculator calculates an open voltage (Vcap_O) of the capacitor from a detected current (Icap) of the capacitor, an output voltage (Vout) of the fuel cell, and an internal resistance (Rcap) of the capacitor. A corrective quantity calculator calculates a corrective quantity (Ifc_AM) for a target supply current (Ifc_REQ) based on the open voltage (Vcap_O) of the capacitor, the output voltage (Vout) of the fuel cell, and the target supply current (Ifc_REQ), so as to prevent an air compressor from operating excessively and also prevent the fuel cell from suffering a gas shortage, depending on current-voltage characteristic data (Icap?Vcap) of the fuel cell and current-voltage characteristic data (Ifc?Vcap) of the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Hibiki Saeki, Kazunori Watanabe, Kazuo Kotaka
  • Patent number: 7005204
    Abstract: A fuel cell power supply has a fuel cell and a capacitor which are connected parallel to each other, and controls the amount of a reacting gas supplied to the fuel gas based on a target supply current. A capacitor open voltage calculator calculates an open voltage of the capacitor from a detected current of the capacitor, an output voltage of the fuel cell, and an internal resistance of the capacitor. A corrective quantity calculator calculates a corrective quantity for a target supply current based on the open voltage of the capacitor, the output voltage of the fuel cell, and the target supply current, so as to prevent an air compressor from operating excessively and also prevent the fuel cell from suffering a gas shortage, depending on current-voltage characteristic data of the fuel cell and current-voltage characteristic data of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyagi, Hibiki Saeki, Kazunori Watanabe, Kazuo Kotaka