Patents by Inventor Tetsuya Bono

Tetsuya Bono 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: 20160141688
    Abstract: A fuel cell system, comprising: a measurer that measures an impedance of the fuel cell; a controller that controls an operation state of the fuel cell; and an acquirer that acquires a dryness degree of the fuel cell from the measured impedance when the operation state is a first operation state, and acquires the dryness degree of the fuel cell as a wet state when the operation state is a second operation state in which a water balance is more than the first operation state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi SHIOKAWA, Tetsuya Bono, Osamu Hamanoi
  • Publication number: 20160141674
    Abstract: An amount of power generation is increased in the case where a difference in water content between some and others of the cells is greater than a predetermined value. In the case of satisfaction of a first condition that the difference in water content between some and others of the cells is greater than the predetermined value, a fuel battery may be caused to perform an operation in which the amount of power generation exceeds that in the normal operation to reduce a cell voltage difference ?V between an average cell voltage Va and a minimum cell voltage Vb. The first condition is, for example, that the cell voltage difference ?V, which is a difference between the average cell voltage Va and the minimum cell voltage Vb, is greater than a first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Shiokawa, Tetsuya Bono, Osamu Hamanoi
  • Publication number: 20160133973
    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: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya BONO, Hiroyuki IMANlSHI
  • Publication number: 20160129808
    Abstract: A flow control valve 26 can adjust the percentage of the flow rate of cooling water to a radiator 23 to a predetermined value (50%) or smaller. When the temperature of the cooling water in a fuel cell 11 is determined to be a predetermined temperature (0° C.) or higher after the cooling water is supplied to the fuel cell 11 with the percentage of the flow rate of the cooling water to the radiator 23 set to the predetermined value (50%) or larger, a controller 41 performs a predetermined percentage supply operation for controlling the flow control valve 26 and a pump 22 to supply the cooling water to the fuel cell 11 with the percentage of the flow rate of the cooling water to the radiator 23 set to the predetermined value (50%) or larger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya BONO, Takashi YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20160133969
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising: an acquirer that acquires a total value of cell voltages of two or more cells included in a fuel cell; and a determiner that determines, when the total value is a first voltage value, abnormal power generation in which power generation by at least a part of the two or more cells is abnormal, that determines, when the total value is a second voltage value higher than the first voltage value, normal power generation in which power generation by the two or more cells is normal and that determines, when the total value is a third voltage value higher than the first voltage value but lower than the second voltage value, the normal power generation if a cathode gas is deficient or the abnormal power generation if the cathode gas is not deficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya BONO, Satoshi SHIOKAWA, Osamu HAMANOI
  • Publication number: 20160126574
    Abstract: The fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell 40 that receives supply of reactant gas to generate power; output characteristic updating means for updating an output characteristic of the fuel cell 40 based on output current and output voltage measured by a current sensor 140 and a voltage sensor 150; maximum power calculation means for calculating, using the output characteristic, the maximum power available at the fuel cell 40; and determination means for determining whether a value of the output characteristic is in an assumed situation where the output characteristic value is assumed to be temporarily lowered, wherein while the output characteristic value is determined by the determination means to be in the assumed situation, the maximum power calculation means calculates the maximum power using the output characteristic updated by the output characteristic updating means just before transition to the assumed situation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya BONO, Satoshi SHIOKAWA, Osamu HAMANOI
  • Publication number: 20160116539
    Abstract: A device for monitoring electricity generation comprising: an acquirer that acquires a total value of cell voltage from multiple cells including fuel cells; an increaser that increases the anode gas now rate to the multiple cells when the total value shows a possibility of negative voltage occurring in some of the multiple cells; and a judger that judges if negative voltage occurred in some of the multiple cells based on the total value following the increase of the anode gas flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi SHIOKAWA, Tetsuya Bono, Osamu Hamanoi
  • Patent number: 9153827
    Abstract: Even when the atmospheric pressure is lowered, a sufficient amount of oxidant gas is supplied to a fuel cell without causing any failure in a compressor. A control unit judges whether or not both the following conditions are satisfied: the accelerator opening degree detected by an accelerator opening degree sensor is equal to or larger than a predetermined opening degree; and the state where the atmospheric pressure detected by a pressure sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure value has been maintained for a predetermined time period or longer. If the judgment result is positive, the control unit changes the maximum rotation speed permitted in the compressor from a normal maximum rotation speed to an increased maximum rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8871402
    Abstract: In a fuel cell system, it is possible to suppress fixation of a fluid circulating device arranged in a fluid passage connected to a fuel cell main body. The fuel cell system is provided with a fuel cell stack, a system main body having respective elements for supplying a fuel gas and respective elements for supplying an oxidizing gas, and a control device. The control device includes a fluid circulating device drive processing unit having a function to forcibly drive the fluid circulating device after determining, based on a judgment related to one or more of a non-use time, an operation state of the system main body, a membrane impedance state of a fuel cell, a temperature of the fuel cell stack, and a background noise, whether or not forced driving to suppress sticking of the fluid circulating device is preferable at that time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeto Kajiwara, Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8642194
    Abstract: A fuel cell system has an inlet shutoff valve provided in a main route forming an oxidized gas supply flow path, a humidifier bypass valve provided in a humidifier bypass route which is a route bypassing the main route, a fuel cell bypass valve provided in a fuel cell bypass route bypassing a fuel cell stack, and fuel cell bypass valve controlling unit. Under abnormal conditions in which one of the inlet shutoff valve and the humidifier bypass valve does not function even if the pressure in a valve opening pressure chamber of the one of the valves is at a first pressure value, the fuel cell bypass valve controlling unit restrict the opening of the fuel cell bypass valve to increase the pressure in the valve opening pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Osada, Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8541142
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: an oxidizing gas supply shut valve; an oxidizing gas exhaust shut valve; a cathode pressure measuring unit as a pressure detection unit for detecting a cathode pressure value which is a pressure of a channel between the oxidizing gas supply shut valve and the oxidizing gas exhaust shut valve; a stop processing unit which closes the oxidizing gas supply shut valve and the oxidizing gas exhaust shut valve when operation of the fuel cell stack is stopped; and a judgment unit which judges whether the operations of the oxidizing gas supply shut valve and the oxidizing gas exhaust shut valve have failed according to the cathode pressure value upon stop when the operation of the fuel cell stack is stopped and the cathode pressure value upon start when the operation of the fuel cell stack is started after the stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8343679
    Abstract: While the operation of a fuel cell is stopped, a pressure decrease caused by a current sweep is suppressed from being misjudged as being the occurrence of a hydrogen leak or a cross leak, and the judgment accuracy of the hydrogen leak, etc. is improved. In order to realize this feature, during an intermittent operation, in which, when a load on the fuel cell system is low, electrical power is supplied from a power storage unit in the fuel cell system to a power-consuming apparatus and power generation of a fuel cell is temporarily stopped, in the situation where a current sweep for suppressing a degradation of the fuel cell is performed, a hydrogen pressure in an anode of the fuel cell is corrected based on hydrogen consumed by the current sweep, and a hydrogen leak judgment based on a pressure decrease or a cross leak judgment based on a pressure decrease is performed on the basis of the corrected hydrogen pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8343680
    Abstract: A shutoff value provided on the entrance side and exit side of a fuel cell system has a diaphragm. A valve closing-side pressure chamber is provided on the upper face side of the diaphragm, and a valve opening-side pressure chamber is provided on the lower face side of the diaphragm. With the valve closing-side pressure chamber of the shutoff valve pressurized, the pressure in the chamber is maintained by ViS, Vic, and ViO in an electrically non-conducted state. Also, the pressure in the valve opening-side pressure chamber of the shutoff valve is maintained released. By this, force acting in the direction of closing a valving element acts on it through the diaphragm, maintaining the shutoff valve closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Osada, Tetsuya Bono, Masahiro Takeshita
  • Patent number: 8293413
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided with an air compressor for supplying a fuel cell stack with air; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of air in the gas downstream from an intercooler, at the middle of an oxidation gas supplying channel; and a control section. The control section is provided with a cooling section abnormality determining unit for determining presence or absence of an abnormality of a first cooling water pump, and an air compressor operation controlling unit for controlling the rotational speed of the air compressor in accordance with the air temperature detected by the temperature sensor when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8252472
    Abstract: Fluid control valves, such as a humidifying module bypass valve, an inlet shutoff valve, an outlet shutoff valve are opened and closed by the pressure of air flowing in a fluid flow path. The pressure of air flowing in the fluid flow path is regulated, based on a drive demand pressure emitted to drive the flow control valves, by the flow rate of air discharged from an air compressor, the degree of opening of a fuel cell bypass valve, the degree of opening of an air pressure regulation valve, etc. The drive demand pressure for driving a shutoff valve is set such that, for example, the greater the absolute value of the negative pressure inside the fuel cell stack, the higher the drive demand pressure, and the air pressure is controlled to be the drive demand pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Osada, Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8206863
    Abstract: A fuel cell system having a fuel cell, coolant circulating means which circulates cooling water into the fuel cell, temperature sensors which detect a cooling water outlet temperature and a cooling water inlet temperature, and temperature adjusting means which adjusts a temperature of the fuel cell by controlling a flow rate of the coolant on the basis of the cooling water outlet temperature, is characterized by including abnormality determining means which determines whether or not abnormality occurs in the temperature sensor, and coolant temperature estimating means which, when the abnormality determining means determines that abnormality occurs in the temperature sensor, estimates the cooling water outlet temperature on the basis of physical information relating to operating states of the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8076036
    Abstract: In order to prevent the fuel economy from being lowered by a wasteful discharge of fuel gas, in the operation method of a fuel cell system capable of performing intermittent operation for temporarily stopping power generation of the fuel cell, in the case where the secondary pressure of the tank regulator becomes at least a first threshold during intermittent operation, the intermittent operation is stopped and the normal operation is returned. In the case where the intermittent operation is stopped a number of times, subsequent intermittent operation may be prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8057948
    Abstract: A fuel cell system (10) of the present invention has a fuel cell (20) which generates electric power by being supplied with reactive gas, an air compressor (C1) which supplies oxidizing gas to the fuel cell (20), a pressure sensor (P2) which detects the pressure of oxidizing gas, a pressure control valve (C2) which adjusts the pressure of oxidizing gas, and a control device (50) which adjusts the valve opening of the pressure control valve (C2) on the basis of the pressure detected by the pressure sensor (P2). When an abnormality in the pressure sensor (P2) is detected, the control device (50) opens the pressure control valve (C2) so that the valve opening thereof is equal to or larger than a predetermined opening. This arrangement ensures that the cell operation can be continued for a while instead of being immediately stopped in the event of abnormality in the pressure sensor (P2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sadao Takaki, Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8017277
    Abstract: An object is to provide a fuel cell system capable of suitably avoiding damage to the equipment caused by abnormally high pressure of fuel gas and appropriately discharge fuel gas at a safe concentration to the outside. The fuel cell system (1) includes a fuel gas passage (38) that feeds fuel gas to a fuel cell (2), a relief valve (57) that is provided in the fuel gas passage (38) and discharges fuel gas to the outside when fuel gas in the fuel gas passage (38) is pressurized to a predetermined pressure or higher, an external discharge passage (59) that is provided on the gas discharge side of the relief valve (57), and a gas processing device (19) that is provided in the external discharge passage (59) and reduces the concentration of fuel gas discharged from the relief valve (57).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono
  • Patent number: 8014949
    Abstract: A disclosed mobile body includes an energy generator configured to generate energy from a supplied fuel gas; a gas leakage detecting unit configured to detect leakage of the fuel gas out of the energy generator; a control unit configured to control power output of the energy generator; an information obtaining unit configured to obtain environmental information on an environment around the mobile body from a predetermined information source; and a power-control-manner determining unit configured to determine a power-control manner, in which the control unit controls the power output of the energy generator, based on the environmental information on the environment around the mobile body when leakage of the fuel gas is detected by the gas leakage detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Bono