During Startup Or Shutdown Patents (Class 429/429)
  • Patent number: 10090537
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes at least two cell modules adjacent to each other, the at least two cell modules each being formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells into an integrated unit and a seal plate interposed in a cooling flow channel defined between separators of the at least two cell modules, the cooling flow channel configured to allow a cooling fluid to flow therethrough. The seal plate includes a manifold portion in which a plurality of manifold holes are formed to allow two power-generation gases to flow separately through the plurality of manifold holes and through the plurality of fuel cells and a seal member provided along a peripheral portion of each of the plurality of manifold holes to provide sealing for a corresponding one of the two power-generation gases flowing through the manifold hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Numao, Kazuhiro Kageyama, Shigetaka Uehara
  • Patent number: 10090546
    Abstract: A method for activating a fuel cell stack without using an electric load includes chemically adsorbing hydrogen into a catalyst of a cathode. Oxygen remaining in the stack is removed to seal and store the fuel cell stack while maintaining a negative pressure in the fuel cell stack. The method for activating a fuel cell stack does not require an electric load device, and therefore does not increase the number of activation equipment, thereby preventing the total production speed of the fuel cell stack from reducing in response to the stack activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Hyun Suk Choo, Sung Keun Lee, Dae Keun Chun, Hwan Soo Shin, Jae Hyuk Lee
  • Patent number: 10056628
    Abstract: A method for controlling startup of a fuel cell vehicle is provided. The method includes starting to adjust supply of hydrogen and air to a fuel cell and setting a control voltage of a side of a main bus end of a converter disposed between the main bus end and a high-voltage battery to a predetermined lowest control voltage. An output voltage of the side of the main bus end of the fuel cell and the control voltage of the side of the main bus end of the converter are then compared to adjust an amount of air supply to the fuel cell based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dae Jong Kim, Jung Jae Lee, Ki Chang Kim
  • Patent number: 10056633
    Abstract: A method for recovering the performance of a fuel cell stack mounted within a vehicle is provided. A method includes a recovery process of continuously applying a predetermined load using a load device when an air supply is stopped and hydrogen is supplied to a fuel cell stack to output current from the fuel cell stack. Further, protons and electrons generated by hydrogen oxidation reaction at an anode are moved to a cathode, to produce hydrogen at the cathode and simultaneously remove oxide on the catalyst surface of the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hyun Suk Choo, Dae Keun Chun, Hwan Soo Shin, Sung Keun Lee, Jae Hyuk Lee
  • Patent number: 10056624
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement of solid oxide cell stacks is disclosed. The sealing arrangement includes a gasket structure between a flow field plate and an electrolyte element, and between flow field plates of repetitious structures, with first sealing layers being in contact with the flow field plate and the gasket structure, the first sealing layers being overlaid over a selected area of the flow field plate and over a selected area of the gasket structure according to corrosion minimization criteria and on the basis of sealing function criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventors: Matti Noponen, Pauli Torri
  • Patent number: 10026980
    Abstract: A method and system for maintaining stability of a system of a fuel cell vehicle are provided to prevent malfunction of sensors of a low voltage DC-DC converter and the respective controllers. A start timing of a fault diagnosis for the low voltage DC-DC converter and the respective controllers is determined and a deviation between voltages of the sensors of the low voltage DC-DC converter and the respective controllers is detected to determine whether the low voltage DC-DC converter and the respective controllers fail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Seong Pil Ryu, Sung Suk Ok, Ji Tae Kim, Kyu Il Lee
  • Patent number: 10020522
    Abstract: An energy system having a fuel cell arrangement, wherein the fuel cell arrangement has at least one fuel cell and the fuel cell arrangement has at least one first electrical contact and at least one second electrical contact for tapping off electrically generated energy of the fuel cell arrangement. An electrical component for warming up the fuel cell arrangement is electrically connectable between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact. At least some of the electrical energy flow which is necessary to release the thermal energy can be fed back to the energy system by the electrical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Schoenbauer, Nils Kaiser
  • Patent number: 10014535
    Abstract: An object is to provide a technique of reducing a potential failure to start a fuel cell system due to a temperature decrease in a vehicle with the fuel cell system mounted thereon. There is provided a vehicle that comprises a fuel cell system, a battery, a motor, and a determiner configured to determine that the fuel cell system has a frozen part when temperature measured by a temperature measurement unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined first temperature and at least one of conditions (1) to (3) is satisfied: (1) no purging process is performed after a change from an on state of the vehicle to an off state of the vehicle; (2) ambient temperature decreases to or below a predetermined second temperature in the off state of the vehicle and no purging process is performed; and (3) an inclination of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined inclination at a time of change from the off state of the vehicle to the on state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Yohei Okamoto, Kazuo Yamamoto, Tomohiro Ogawa, Masashi Toida, Mitsuhiro Nada, Tomio Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 10000126
    Abstract: A power inverter includes a plurality of power modules that each have a frame defining a cavity, and a power stage disposed within the cavity. Each of the frames have a pair of engaging surfaces. The frames are arranged in a stack such that the engaging surfaces adjacent to each other abut. A plurality of seals are interleaved with the modules such that each of the seals is disposed between engaging surfaces of the frames abutting each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Guangyin Lei, Michael W. Degner, Edward Chan-Jiun Jih, Andreas R. Schamel
  • Patent number: 9985304
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stopping a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cell stack and to a system containing a fuel-cell stack implementing such a method. The system comprises a gas circuit and a stack of electrochemical cells forming a fuel-cell stack comprising a polymer ion exchange membrane, said circuit comprising: a fuel-gas supply circuit (11) connecting a fuel-gas tank to the anode of the fuel-cell stack; and an oxidant-gas supply circuit (12b) connecting an oxidant-gas tank, or atmospheric air, to the cathode of the fuel-cell stack; characterized in that the system furthermore comprises means able to completely eliminate hydrogen present at the anode of the fuel-cell stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Vincent Braillard, Gino Paganelli, Antonio Delfino
  • Patent number: 9985303
    Abstract: A system and method for determining whether a concentration estimation value of hydrogen gas in an anode sub-system of a fuel cell system is within a predetermined threshold of a valid hydrogen gas concentration, and if not, correcting the estimation value. The method includes providing a hydrogen gas concentration sensor value from a virtual sensor and calculating the hydrogen gas concentration estimation value using a gas concentration estimation model. The method also includes determining if a difference between the estimation value and the sensor value is greater than at least one threshold, and if so, causing an extended bleed event to occur that bleeds an anode exhaust gas to force the estimation value to be closer to the sensor value. The method also includes setting a diagnostic if multiple extended bleeds do not cause the estimation value and the sensor value to converge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jun Cai, Stephen D. Pace, Sergio E. Garcia, Elizabeth Dicocco
  • Patent number: 9966616
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a purge valve of a fuel cell vehicle are provided to reduce a consumption amount of hydrogen and improve fuel efficiency. In particular, whether oxygen concentration in a channel of an anode of a fuel cell stack exceeds a reference value is estimated while restarting the vehicle after the vehicle is parked. Then, an open time of a purge valve is adjusted based on a parking time of a vehicle when the hydrogen concentration is greater than the reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hyun Jae Lee, Hyo Seop Kim, Yei Sik Jeon, Bu Kil Kwon
  • 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: 9923217
    Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell, a tank that is configured to store a fuel gas filled through a filler port of fuel gas provided in an outer plate of a vehicle, and a main stop valve that is configured to change over between opening and closing to open and close a fuel passage arranged from the tank to the fuel cell. The method comprises controlling the main stop valve to change over from opening to closing in response to detection of an operation for gas filling to fill the fuel gas into the tank, when a control accompanied with opening of the main stop valve is performed during a stop of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nada, Yutaka Tano
  • Patent number: 9905864
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas supply/exhaust portion, an oxidant gas supply/exhaust portion, a cooling portion, and a controller. The controller performs at least one of a transient increase control process and a transient decrease control process. In the transient increase control process, the controller determines whether a temperature of a coolant is in a transient increase state. In the transient increase state, the controller performs an oxidant gas pressure increase process. In the transient decrease control process, the controller determines whether the temperature of the coolant is in a transient decrease state. In the transient decrease state, the controller performs at least one of the oxidant gas pressure increase process and an output increase process. In the output increase process, the controller controls the fuel cell to generate an output higher than a target output corresponding to a request output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaaki Matsusue
  • Patent number: 9876237
    Abstract: A fuel cell separator, a fuel cell stack having the fuel cell separator, and a reactant gas control method of the fuel cell stack are provided. That is, even when the fuel cell stack operates under the low load operation condition, a reactant gas is supplied to the reactant gas passages of the fuel cell separator, and thus, the length of the passage can be shortened by 50% as compared with the prior art having only one reactant gas passage. Therefore, the reactant gas can be effectively supplied without experiencing pressure loss. Further, in the high load operation of the fuel cell stack, the reactant gas is introduced into the first reactant gas passage of the fuel cell separator and utilized in half of the whole electrode area. Subsequently, the reactant gas is introduced into the second reactant gas passage and utilized in the remaining half of the electrode area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: DOOSAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sung-Jin Oh, Kyoung-Hwang Lee, Seung-Ho Baek, Sung-Hoon Lee, Il-Tae Park, Byung-Sun Hong, Mee-Nam Shinn
  • Patent number: 9853309
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fuel cell which enables organic matter of both an anode thereof and a cathode thereof to be removed efficiently is provided. A method of manufacturing a fuel cell, comprising a preparation step of preparing a fuel cell comprising a stack of a plurality of unit cells, each including polymer electrolyte and a catalyst layer, and a removal step of removing organic matter from the fuel cell, is provided. This removal step comprises: a first step of maintaining a voltage of the fuel cell at 0 V so as to desorb organic matter from the catalyst layer; a second step of raising a temperature inside the fuel cell so as to evaporate the desorbed organic matter; and a third step of exhausting the evaporated organic matter from the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sho Usami, Megumi Yaegashi
  • Patent number: 9843058
    Abstract: The fuel cell includes an anode chamber having a hydrogen inlet emerging into it. A wall separating the inside of the anode chamber from the outside thereof includes a main region having a first thermal conduction resistance between the outside and the inside of the anode chamber, and a region for promoting the condensation of water having a second thermal conduction resistance between the outside and the inside of the anode chamber strictly smaller than the first thermal conduction resistance so as to delimit a water condensation surface within the anode chamber. A channel for removing the condensed water connects the condensation area to the outside of the anode chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Vincent Faucheux, Antoine Latour, Jessica Thery, Bruno Valon
  • Patent number: 9812721
    Abstract: A device and method for improving cathode catalytic heating by allowing independently for a draining of a liquid and a purging of a gas in a fuel cell at cold starts via a system including an anode drain and a cathode catalytic heating system connected by a purge tube, a sump external to the purge tube, and a pintle having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony G. Chinnici, Bruce J. Clingerman, Chad A. Dammar
  • Patent number: 9806357
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a cathode pressure control unit configured to control a pressure of a cathode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack on the basis of a load of the fuel cell stack; and an anode pressure control unit configured to control a pressure of an anode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack to become higher than the pressure of the cathode gas so that a differential pressure between the pressure of the anode gas and the pressure of the cathode gas becomes a predetermined differential pressure or lower. The anode pressure control unit controls, at a time of recovery from idle stop, the pressure of the anode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack to a recovery-time pressure, the recovery-time pressure being obtained by adding the predetermined differential pressure to a predetermined pressure corresponding to an atmosphere pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Ikeda, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 9793557
    Abstract: A thermal management system and method for a fuel cell vehicle is provided. In particular, a radiator, a 3-way valve, a pump, a heater, and a stack are all connected in that order. The system is capable of selectively de-mineralizing and providing an increase in flow rate by connecting a de-mineralizer line to a port at a bypass line side of a 3-way valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sung Wook Na, Hun Woo Park
  • Patent number: 9786935
    Abstract: A controller (control portion) of a fuel cell system is provided with a flow path switching control device that switches a thermostat valve (flow path switching valve) so that, after a fuel cell has stopped generating electric power, coolant is supplied to a radiator circulation path until the coolant temperature becomes a second temperature threshold value that is lower than a first temperature threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichiro Furusawa, Nobutaka Nakajima, Kaoru Yamazaki, Kenichiro Ueda, Nobuki Koiwa, Kenji Taruya, Masakazu Hamachi
  • Patent number: 9768457
    Abstract: A driving control method and system of a fuel cell system are provided. The method includes determining, by a controller, a dry state of a fuel cell stack and stopping an air blower, which supplies air to the fuel cell stack, using different processes based on whether the fuel cell stack is in the dry state. Accordingly, the time for which an open circuit voltage (OCV) is maintained is reduced and durability of the fuel cell is improved by preventing dry-out of the fuel cell stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Sang Uk Kwon
  • Patent number: 9755254
    Abstract: An automated method or procedure for detecting a permeability state of a membrane of a fuel cell stack is provided. The procedure is sensitive enough to detect a defective membrane, and is accurate enough to enable correct maintenance of the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stack is formed of a stack of electrochemical cells each having an anode and a cathode sandwiching a polymeric ion-exchange membrane therebetween. The fuel cell stack includes a fuel gas supply system on the anode side of the electrochemical cells, and includes an oxidant gas supply system on the cathode side of the electrochemical cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: CAMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Gino Paganelli, Lionel Fragniere
  • Patent number: 9711813
    Abstract: A scavenging process is performed on the anode side by opening an air supply valve to remove liquid droplets in a fuel gas flow field using the compressed air from an air compressor. During the scavenging process, when a start up signal from an ignition switch is received, the start up of a fuel cell is prohibited until the gas in the fuel gas flow field is replaced completely by air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chihiro Wake, Koichiro Miyata
  • Patent number: 9680171
    Abstract: Purge valves that are manually turned ON but are automatically or electrically turned OFF as the fuel cell production of electricity reaches a predetermined level, e.g., steady state or thereabout are disclosed. The purge valve may be opened at system start-up, or may be opened at system shut-down so that the purge valve is armed and the fuel cell system is purged at the next start-up. Also disclosed is an integrated fluidic interface module that contains various fluidic components including one of these purge valves. The integrated fluidic interface module can operate passively or without being actively controlled by a processor. Methods of operating a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system is purged at system start-up, are also disclosed. The purging automatically stops when the anode plenum is fully purged and replaced with fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Iaconis
  • Patent number: 9666886
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for removing condensed water in a gas diffusion layer and a catalyst layer of a fuel cell. The method comprises steps of: a step of determining whether the condensed water is generated in the gas diffusion layer and the catalyst layer of the fuel cell; a step of reducing and supplying an amount of air supplied to a cathode of the fuel cell at a predetermined level, when it is determined that the condensed water is generated in the gas diffusion layer and the catalyst layer in the step of determining; a step of measuring a temperature of a stack of the fuel cell; and a step of increasing the amount of air supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell to an amount of air prior to being reduced at the predetermined operation level, when the measured temperature of the stack of the fuel cell is elevated to a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Nam Woo Lee, Sang Uk Kwon
  • Patent number: 9666887
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a current sensor of a fuel cell system includes calculating an estimated duty value of a hydrogen pressure control valve, corresponding to a sensing value of the current sensor, while operating the fuel cell system. The estimated duty value is compared with an actual duty value where the hydrogen pressure control valve is controlled during the operation of the fuel cell system, thereby calculating an error value between the estimated duty value and the actual duty value. The error value is compared with a critical value in a normal range, thereby determining whether a failure occurs in the current sensor. The hydrogen pressure control valve controls a pressure of hydrogen supplied to a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Sung Gone Yoon, Kyung Won Suh
  • Patent number: 9666888
    Abstract: The system includes an exhaust fuel gas line, an exhaust-fuel-gas supplying line, a recirculating line that circulates the exhaust fuel gas to the SOFC, a shut-off valve in a vent line that splits off on the upstream side of the branching point, an orifice on the downstream side of the shut-off valve, a water supplying portion that supplies water to the recirculating line, and a DPX that measures the system pressure difference of the SOFC, and, when stopping power generation by the SOFC or when power generation by the SOFC comes to an abnormal stop, the shut-off valve is opened, while causing a predetermined amount of pressure loss in the vent line by using the orifice, and thus, the water flow volume of the water supplying portion is controlled so that the pressure difference measured by the DPX reaches a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuma Nagai, Hiroyuki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 9660281
    Abstract: A method for controlling a startup of a fuel cell system is provided. The method includes comparing a voltage generated in a fuel cell stack when hydrogen is supplied to a fuel electrode of the fuel cell stack for a set period of time with a first reference voltage. A voltage of a unit cell of the fuel cell stack is compared with a second reference voltage for load connection when the voltage generated in the fuel cell stack is higher than the first reference voltage. A load is connected to the fuel cell stack when the voltage of the unit cell of the fuel cell stack is higher than the second reference voltage for load connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sang Uk Kwon, Soon Il Jeon
  • Patent number: 9656572
    Abstract: A method for starting a motor vehicle with a fuel cell system for providing electrical drive power in the vehicle is disclosed. A starting procedure can be started by a remote control unit independently of the presence of the user in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. The starting procedure only takes place by the remote control unit if a start signal from the remote control unit exists, and if simultaneously a sensed temperature in the vehicle, the fuel cell system and/or the surroundings of the vehicle is below a predetermined temperature threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventor: Hans-Joerg Heidrich
  • Patent number: 9653740
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a fuel supply source; a supply passage; a circulation passage; a gas-liquid separator; a discharge passage; a discharge valve; a differential pressure detecting portion; and a control unit, wherein the control unit estimates a flow rate of a fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 9643494
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell which generates electrical energy by reacting a hydrogen gas from a hydrogen gas supply source and an oxidizing agent gas from an oxidizing agent gas supply source, a hydrogen circulating pump which is provided in a hydrogen circulation path and transfers hydrogen gas of the hydrogen circulation path to the fuel cell, and control means. When the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen gas supply source to the fuel cell is discontinued, the control means discontinues the supply of oxidizing agent gas from the oxidizing agent gas supply source to the fuel cell and activates the hydrogen circulating pump such that electrical energy generated in the fuel cell is supplied to the hydrogen circulating pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9640815
    Abstract: Provided are air humidification device and method for a fuel cell. The air humidification device and method for the fuel cell may cool an air compressor and air compressed by the air compressor and easily humidify air supplied to the fuel cell by mixing water with air and injecting the mixture into an inlet of the air compressor. In particular, the air humidification device and method may easily humidify air supplied to a cathode of the fuel cell by bypassing a portion of the compressed air from an outlet of an air compressor supplying air to the cathode of the fuel cell and simultaneously by injecting condensed water discharged from a fuel cell system into an inlet of the air compressor using the bypassed compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hyuck Roul Kwon, Hyun Yoo Kim, Chang Ha Lee
  • Patent number: 9640812
    Abstract: The fuel cell system of the present invention comprises: an electric motor, a fuel cell stack, a fuel supply unit, and a controller that controls a power-plant including the fuel cell stack and the fuel supply unit. The controller comprises further: a stack output-response request computing unit to compute a stack output-response request requested for the fuel cell stack; a stack voltage setup unit during idle-stop to set up a lower limit of stack setup-voltage during idle-stop that is set up as a stack voltage during execution of idle-stop so as to be higher as the stack output-response request is larger, and so as to be lower as the request is smaller; and an operation unit of recovering a stack voltage during idle-stop to execute a recovery operation when an actual stack voltage becomes, during execution of idle-stop, lower than the lower limit of stack setup-voltage during idle-stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunori Kumada, Shinichi Makino, Yoshitomo Asai
  • Patent number: 9614240
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cooling system for a fuel cell (2), comprising a main heat-transfer-fluid circuit including a main circulation pump (6) and a heat exchanger (8) with the exterior, which feed an upstream pipe (12) supplying the fluid to the cells (4) of the fuel cell, said fluid leaving the cells via a downstream pipe (14) in order to return to the main pump. The system is characterised in that a secondary circuit, comprising a secondary circulation device (30) that circulates the fluid in an alternate manner, is connected in parallel with the main circuit to the upstream (12) and downstream (14) pipes and in that one or more controlled valves (10, 16) allow the main circuit and the secondary circuit to operate independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat A l'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Xavier Glipa, Guillaume Joncquet, Eric Pinton, Patrick Le Gallo, Sylvie Begot, Fabien Harel, Jean-Marc Le Canut
  • Patent number: 9586541
    Abstract: Methods and systems for identification of slave elements and/or cells in a communication system within a vehicle. In some implementations, such methods may comprise measuring a first voltage of a first slave device of a plurality of slave devices within the communication system, and measuring a second voltage of a second slave device of the plurality of slave devices within the communication system. A location of at least the first and second slave devices, which may be linked with respective cells, such as battery cells or fuel cells, may then be identified by comparing at least the first voltage with the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Berg, Kenneth L. Kaye
  • Patent number: 9564645
    Abstract: A containment vessel of a thin lithium-air battery with improved safety is provided. By using the containment vessel, an explosive reaction (ignition) of the electrolyte including lithium metal or ion can be suppressed. The containment vessel (1001) includes: a containment chamber (201) containing the thin lithium-air battery (101). It further includes: a first gas pipe (202B) and a second gas pipe (202D) communicated with an inside of the containment chamber (201); a third gas pipe (202A) and a fourth gas pipe (202C) communicated with an inside of the thin lithium-air battery (101); and a valve (204C) that is provided to the third gas pipe (202A) and controls opening and closing of communication to the containment chamber (201), wherein an inert gas supply source is provided to the first gas pipe (202B), and an air or oxygen supply source is provided to the third gas pipe (202A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE
    Inventors: Kimihiko Ito, Yoshimi Kubo
  • Patent number: 9564646
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates electric power using fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas and combusts fuel gas remaining unused for generation of electric power; a fuel gas supply line that supplies the fuel gas to the fuel cell; and an on-off valve disposed in the fuel gas supply line. A shutdown transition mode in which the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply line downstream from the on-off valve is supplied to the fuel cell at a flow rate smaller than that at a time of generation of electric power and is combusted therein after the on-off valve is closed, and a shutdown mode which is started after the shutdown transition mode are provided as an emergency shutdown mode in which the fuel cell undergoes emergency shutdown when the on-off valve of the fuel gas supply line is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Takashi Shigehisa, Eizou Matsui, Shinpei Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 9543603
    Abstract: In a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell that generates power in response to an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen contained in air, and a compressor that supplies air to the fuel cell, in which an idle stop is executed to stop power generation by the fuel cell when a required load falls to or below a predetermined value, and during the idle stop, air is supplied in accordance with a voltage condition between a cathode and a anode of the fuel cell, regardless of the required load, air is supplied during the idle stop while detecting an air supply amount, and when the air supply amount reaches a predetermined value, the air supply is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Sato, Mitsunori Kumada, Shinichi Makino
  • Patent number: 9537160
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing the corrosive effects of an air/hydrogen front in a fuel cell stack. The method includes shutting down the fuel cell stack and then initiating a hydrogen sustaining process where hydrogen is periodically injected into an anode side of the fuel cell stack while the stack is shut down for a predetermined period of time. The method determines that the hydrogen sustaining process has ended, and then purges the anode side and a cathode side of the fuel cell stack with air after the hydrogen sustaining process has ended and the stack is still shut-down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Steven G. Goebel
  • Patent number: 9520606
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes an ECU that sets the fuel cell stack to a state of idling stop by lowering both a revolution speed of an air pump and a discharge current value of the fuel cell stack to less than during idling power generation within a range larger than 0, in response to a predetermined idling stop initiation condition having been satisfied during idling power generation. The ECU decreases the discharge current value further as the lowest cell voltage value CV_low of the fuel cell stack decreases so that the lowest cell voltage value CV_low does not fall below a cancellation threshold B, with an event of the lowest cell voltage CV_low of the fuel cell stack having fallen below the cancellation threshold B as a cancellation condition of idling stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chihiro Wake, Yuji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9520605
    Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and a control apparatus which controls an output voltage of the fuel cell. If a target voltage of the fuel cell is set so as to be equal to or higher than a catalyst dissolution voltage at which a catalyst in the catalyst layer is dissolved and the amount of an oxide film formed on the catalyst layer is estimated to be less than a first predetermined amount, the control apparatus controls the output voltage of the fuel cell so as to be equal to an oxide film formation voltage, being lower than the catalyst dissolution voltage, until the amount of the oxide film is estimated to be equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount and then controls the output voltage so as to be equal to the target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Matsusue, Kotaro Ikeda, Yumi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9515332
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuel cell system for vehicles and a method for controlling the same which stably maintains an output of a fuel cell by precisely estimating a recirculated hydrogen amount to a stack. A fuel cell system according to the present invention may include: a stack comprising a plurality of unit cells for generating electrical energy by electrochemical reaction of a fuel and an oxidizing agent; a blower for recirculating a gas exhausted from the stack so as to supply the gas back to the stack; an ejector for recirculating the gas exhausted from the stack, receiving hydrogen so as to mix the hydrogen to the recirculated gas, and supplying the mixture to the stack; a sensor module for detecting a driving condition of the vehicle; and a control portion for controlling operations of the blower and the ejector by using the driving condition of the vehicle and performance maps of the blower and the ejector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hyun Joon Lee, Yong Gyu Noh, Bu Kil Kwon
  • Patent number: 9506775
    Abstract: An example method of providing a fuel alert to a user includes calculating a range for a transportation device based on a determined level of fuel and an average fuel efficiency. The method also includes for one or more candidate fuel stations, determining a distance of a route to each fuel station, and alerting a user when the range is less than any of the one or more distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Radhika Ranjan Soni, Vinay Krishna Roy, Sreeja Nair
  • Patent number: 9509000
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack assembly (30) comprises a fuel cell stack (31); an air flow plenum chamber (33) disposed on a face (4) of the stack (31) for delivering air to or receiving air from flow channels in the fuel cell stack (31), at least a part of the plenum chamber wall being defined by a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board having at least one aperture (37) therein; and a fan (36) mounted to the board adjacent the aperture (37) and configured to force air through the aperture into or out of the plenum chamber. The assembly provides integration of circuit boards essential or supportive to operation of the fuel cell assembly with the air flow plenum for forced ventilation of the fuel cells in the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited
    Inventors: Nathan Grange, Raymond Pinchin
  • Patent number: 9502724
    Abstract: A fuel cell system may be capable of reducing an adverse influence which acts on a fuel cell at the time of restarting the fuel cell after emergency shutdown of operation of the fuel cell. A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas supply unit, an oxygen-containing gas supply unit, a storage unit that stores whether shutdown of operation of the fuel cell is normal shutdown or emergency shutdown, and a control unit that controls at least the fuel gas supply unit and the oxygen-containing gas supply unit. The control unit, in emergency shutdown, controls the fuel gas supply unit at a time of restarting the fuel cell after the shutdown of the fuel cell so as to reduce an amount of fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell to be less than that at a time of restarting the fuel cell after normal shutdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Takashi Shigehisa
  • Patent number: 9490490
    Abstract: A measurement device for measuring voltages along a linear array of voltage sources, such as a fuel cell stack, includes at least one movable voltage probe that measures voltage transitions along an array element. The measured voltage is used to determine a distance of travel of the at least one voltage probe along the fuel cell stack from the speed of the probe and the timing of the transitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Matthew Fisher, David Higdon, Peter Andersen, Kevin Cheung
  • Patent number: 9484586
    Abstract: A driving control method and system of a fuel cell system are provided. The method includes monitoring an exterior temperature. In addition, the method includes increasing hydrogen pressure at an anode side of a fuel cell stack when the exterior temperature is less than a preset exterior temperature during the monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jae Jun Ko, Kwi Seong Jeong
  • Patent number: 9455462
    Abstract: In a method for deactivating a fuel cell system, low electric-power generation is performed prior to oxygen-consumption electric-power generation in a case where a state of charge in an electricity storage device provided in the fuel cell system is larger than a predetermined value when a stop switch provided in the fuel cell system is operated. After the state of charge in the electricity storage device is reduced to the predetermined value by compensating for a negative net output by discharging electricity from the electricity storage device, the oxygen-consumption electric-power generation in which oxygen remaining in a cathode system of the fuel cell is consumed to reduce oxygen concentration within the cathode system is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Go Kikuchi, Chihiro Wake