IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0629586
(2003-07-30)
|
등록번호 |
US-7285344
(2007-10-23)
|
우선권정보 |
JP-2003-221387(2002-07-30); JP-2003-165381(2003-06-10) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Imamura,Tomonori
- Osaki,Akimasa
- Kawai,Toshiyuki
- Izuhara,Hideshi
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
2 |
초록
▼
A plurality of individual fuel cells are connected in series with each other to construct the fuel cell. The fuel cell is diagnosed on the basis of an average output voltage Va of the individual cells, their standard deviation σ, individual output voltages, their variances σ2 of vibration
A plurality of individual fuel cells are connected in series with each other to construct the fuel cell. The fuel cell is diagnosed on the basis of an average output voltage Va of the individual cells, their standard deviation σ, individual output voltages, their variances σ2 of vibration components and their voltage drop speed of their non-vibration components. For example, if Va is within a normal range and moreover at least one of the individual output voltages is not within a normal range, it is diagnosed that water blocks the fuel electrode. If Va is not within a normal range and moreover σ is within a normal range, it is diagnosed that the electrolyte film is dried. Further, if Va is not within a normal range and moreover σ is not within a normal range, it is diagnosed that the fuel (hydrogen) supply is insufficient.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel cell control system for controlling a fuel cell stack constructed by a plurality of individual cells each of which generates an electric power by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, said fuel cell control system comprising: output voltage measuring mean
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel cell control system for controlling a fuel cell stack constructed by a plurality of individual cells each of which generates an electric power by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, said fuel cell control system comprising: output voltage measuring means for measuring output voltages of all or a part of said individual cells; and diagnosing means for diagnosing said fuel cell stack on the basis of the measured output voltages and their statistics, and for diagnosing at least whether or not an amount of water involved in said fuel cell stack is excessive based on said output voltage and an average voltage of said output voltages, wherein said operation of said fuel cell control system is controlled according to said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means, and wherein said fuel cell control system calculates the average voltage based on the output voltage of each individual cell measured by the output voltage measuring means and a standard deviation of the output voltages of said individual cells, and wherein said fuel cell control system causes the amount of water in said fuel cell stack to increase when the average voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage and the standard deviation is within a predetermined range, and causes the amount of hydrogen supplied to said fuel cell stack to increase when the average voltage exceeds the predetermined voltage and the standard deviation is out of the predetermined range. 2. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the hydrogen electrode is blocked by water, if said average voltage is within a prescribed range and at least one of said measured output voltages is not within a prescribed range. 3. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the electrolyte film is dried, if said average voltage is not within a prescribed range and said standard deviation is within a prescribed range. 4. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the hydrogen supply is insufficient, if said average voltage is not within a prescribed range and said standard deviation is not within a prescribed range. 5. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, wherein said measured output voltages are traced in time. 6. The fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein each traced measured output voltage is decomposed into a vibrating component and non-vibrating component. 7. The fuel cell control system according to claim 6, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the water supply becomes excessive, if said non-vibrating component becomes decreased and said vibrating component is within a prescribed range. 8. The fuel cell control system according to claim 6, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the electrolyte film becomes dried, if said non-vibrating component becomes decreased and said vibrating component is not within a prescribed range. 9. The fuel cell control system according to claim 6, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the hydrogen supply becomes insufficient, if said non-vibrating component becomes decreased and a speed drop of said non-vibrating component is greater than a prescribed speed. 10. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, which further comprises temperature measuring means for measuring temperatures of all or a part of individual cells, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses said fuel cell stack on the basis of statistically estimated output voltages (Vesh, Vesl) of the highest temperature individual cell and lowest temperature individual cell, respectively. 11. The fuel cell control system according to claim 10, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the water supply is excessive, if the output voltage (Vtmin) of said lowest temperature individual cell is lower than the output voltage (Vtmax) of said highest temperature individual cell and (Vtmin) is smaller than (Vesl) defined when said water supply is reasonable. 12. The fuel cell control system according to claim 10, wherein said diagnosing means diagnoses that the water supply is insufficient, if the output voltage (Vtmax) of said highest temperature individual cell is lower than the output voltage (Vtmin) of said lowest temperature individual cell and moreover (Vtmax) is smaller than (Vesh) defined when said water supply is reasonable. 13. The fuel cell control system according to claim 10, wherein said highest and lowest temperature individual cells are selected among those which are provided with said temperature measuring means. 14. The fuel cell control system according to claim 10, wherein said highest and lowest temperature individual cells are selected by an interpolation on the basis of measured temperatures of said part of said individual cells. 15. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, further comprising a fuel line joined between a hydrogen cylinder for storing hydrogen and said fuel cell stack, and a recycle line joined between a downstream side of said fuel cell stack and a middle point of said fuel line, wherein through said recycle line, reacted gas including residual non-reacted hydrogen exhausted from said fuel cell stack is mixed with the hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen cylinder, and said mixed hydrogen gas is supplied to said fuel cell stack. 16. A fuel cell control system for controlling a fuel cell stack constructed by a plurality of individual cells each of which generates an electric power by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, said fuel cell control system comprising: output voltage measuring means for measuring output voltages of all or a part of said individual cells; and diagnosing means for diagnosing said fuel cell stack on the basis of the measured output voltages and their statistics, and for diagnosing at least whether or not an amount of water involved in said fuel cell stack is excessive based on said output voltage and an average voltage of said output voltages; wherein: said operation of said fuel cell control system is controlled according to said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means, when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said amount of water involved in said fuel cell stack is excessive, a supply pressure of said hydrogen as a fuel gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack is relatively increased to a supply pressure of said oxygen as an oxidizing gas, and when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said amount of water involved in said fuel cell stack is insufficient, said supply pressure of said fuel gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack is relatively decreased to said supply pressure of said oxidizing gas. 17. The fuel cell control system according to claim 16, further comprising a humidifier that humidifies said oxidizing gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack, wherein when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said water involved in said fuel cell stack is excessive, said humidifier ceases to humidify said oxidizing gas, and when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said water involved in said fuel cell stack is insufficient, said humidifier increases an amount of humidification to said oxidizing gas. 18. A fuel cell control system for controlling a fuel cell stack constructed by a plurality of individual cells each of which generates an electric power by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, said fuel cell control system comprising: output voltage measuring means for measuring output voltages of all or a part of said individual cells; and diagnosing means for diagnosing said fuel cell stack on the basis of the measured output voltages and their statistics, and for diagnosing at least whether or not an amount of water involved in said fuel cell stack is excessive based on said output voltage and an average voltage of said output voltages; wherein: said operation of said fuel cell control system is controlled according to said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means, said diagnosing means diagnoses whether or not a supply pressure of said hydrogen as a fuel gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack is insufficient, when a diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said supply pressure of said fuel gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack is insufficient, the fuel cell control system is controlled to increase said supply pressure of said fuel gas, when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said water involved in said fuel cell stack is excessive, a supply pressure of said hydrogen as a fuel gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack is relatively increased to a supply pressure of said oxygen as an oxidizing gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack, and when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said water involved in said fuel cell stack is insufficient, said supply pressure of said fuel gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack is relatively decreased to said supply pressure of said oxidizing gas. 19. The fuel cell control system according to claim 18, further comprising a humidifier that humidifies said oxidizing gas to be supplied to said fuel cell stack, wherein when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said water involved in said fuel cell stack is excessive, said humidifier ceases to humidify said oxidizing gas, and when said diagnosis result of said diagnosing means indicates that said water involved in said fuel cell stack is insufficient, said humidifier increases an amount of humidification to said oxidizing gas.
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