Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Masahiko Hibino

Osamu Yumita

Naohiro Yoshida

Toshiyuki Kondo

Yoshihiro Funayama

Hideaki Suganuma

Kazuhiro Sakurai

Kouji Yoshizaki

Shinji Ikeda

Kazunori Shibata

Ichiro Hosotani

A moving body, such as a vehicle, having one or more fuel cells mounted thereon. The fuel cells, which power the moving body, generate electricity and release water as a by-product. Accordingly, the moving body includes a water discharge module that releases water produced by the fuel cells to the atmosphere using a water outlet. The water outlet may be located in a front section of the moving body. The moving body may further include a water tank that temporarily stores water before releasing the water to the atmosphere.

Moving body

Water contained in exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack is separated by a gas-liquid separator and is accumulated in a recovery tank. The procedure of the invention sets a release amount of water and selects one or multiple positions for water release, based on the driving conditions including the vehicle speed and the acceleration, the turning state, activation or non-activation of skid reduction control, the distance from any object detected by clearance sonars, a distance from a subsequent vehicle measured by an extremely high frequency radar, and the presence of raindrops detected by a raindrop detection sensor, and releases the water accumulated in the recovery tank from water outlets at the selected one or multiple positions among water outlets at multiple different locations. This arrangement ensures adequate release of the water produced by the fuel cell stack to the atmosphere.

Moving body with fuel cells mounted thereon

Variation of the amount of power to be produced by a fuel cell unit is limited in accordance with a relationship between an output voltage of the full cell unit and an oxidization-reduction potential of catalyst of a fuel cell of the fuel cell unit. The amount of power to be used to charge or discharged from a battery is then corrected according to the limited variation of the amount of power to be produced by the fuel cell unit, so as to meet the required system power output.

Fuel cell apparatus, vehicle including the fuel cell apparatus, and power management method for a system equipped with fuel cell unit

Water contained in exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stackis separated by a gas-liquid separatorand is accumulated in a recovery tank. The procedure of the invention sets a release amount of water and selects one or multiple positions for water release, based on the driving conditions including the vehicle speed and the acceleration, the turning state, activation or non-activation of skid reduction control, the distance from any object detected by clearance sonarsthrough, a distance from a subsequent vehicle measured by an extremely high frequency radar, and the presence of raindrops detected by a raindrop detection sensor, and releases the water accumulated in the recovery tankfrom water outlets at the selected one or multiple positions among water outletsthroughat multiple different locations. This arrangement ensures adequate release of the water produced by the fuel cell stackto the atmosphere.

An electrically heated catalytic converter (EHC) and a battery are connected to an alternator via a changeover switch. The changeover switch connects either of the EHC and the battery to the alternator. The slip-detecting device detects the rotational speed of the alternator from the frequency of the ripple in the output voltage of the alternator when the EHC is connected to the alternator, i.e., when the battery is isolated from the alternator. When the battery is isolated from the alternator, the output voltage of the alternator is raised, and the amplitude of the ripple becomes large accordingly. Further, since the battery is isolated, the ripples in the output voltage are not smoothed by the battery. Therefore, the rotational speed of the alternator is accurately detected. The slip-detecting device detects the slip of the driving belt of the generator based on the rotational speeds of the driver and the alternator.

Slip-detecting device for a driving belt of a generator

In the control system for a power supply changeover switch, a battery and an electrically heated catalytic converter (EHC) are connected to an alternator in a parallel arrangement via a changeover switch. The changeover switch selectively takes either of a first position where the battery is connected to the alternator and a second position where the EHC is connected to the alternator. An electronic control unit (ECU) is provided for controlling the changeover switch and the alternator. When the changeover switch is to be switched between the first and the second position, the ECU first terminates the power generation of the alternator and, then, performs the switching of the changeover switch 25 after the electric current flowing through the changeover switch 25 decreases to a sufficiently low value. Since the switching of the changeover switch 25 is performed always in the condition where the electric current flowing through the changeover switch is low, a failure of the changeover switch 25 such as welding of the contacts in the switch caused by cutting off a large electric current does not occur.

Control system for a power supply changeover switch

In the power supply control system, an electrically heated catalytic converter (EHC) is connected to an alternator output terminal via a switch SW1, and a battery is connected to the alternator via a switch SW2 in parallel with the EHC. A control unit (ECU) for controlling the operation of the switches SW1 and SW2 is provided. When the engine has started, the ECU turns on the SW1 and turns off the SW2 to supply electric power to the EHC directly from the alternator. After the EHC is heated to the activating temperature and starts its catalytic action, the ECU turns on both the switches SW1 and SW2 to supply electric power to the EHC from the battery to maintain the temperature of the EHC. Since the electric power for raising the temperature of the EHC is supplied in the condition where the battery is disconnected from the alternator, the output voltage can be increased to a value higher than a normal output voltage for charging the battery. Therefore, a relatively large electric power can be supplied to the EHC without imposing an excessive load on the battery.

Power supply control system for an electrically heated catalytic

A battery and an electrically heated catalytic converter (EHC) are connected to an alternator in a parallel arrangement via a changeover switch. The changeover switch operates between a first position where it connects the battery to the alternator and a second position where it connects the EHC to the alternator. An electronic control unit (ECU) is provided for controlling the changeover switch and the alternator. When the changeover switch is to be switched between the first and the second position, the ECU first terminates the power generation of the alternator before it actually switches the changeover switch in order to reduce the electric current flowing through the switch. In the switching operation of the changeover switch from the first position to the second position, the ECU determines that sticking of the changeover switch at the first position occurs if the output voltage of the alternator does not become lower than a predetermined value when a predetermined time has lapsed after the switching operation started.

Failure detecting device for a power supply changeover switch

An apparatus for controlling an internal combustion engine having an electrically heated catalyst heats the catalyst with sufficient power without fluctuating the rotation speed of the engine. The apparatus has an alternator 2 driven by the engine 1, an intake controller 3 disposed in an intake system of the engine 1, to change the quantity of intake air, a battery 8 charged by the alternator 2, the catalyst 4 disposed in an exhaust system of the engine 1 and powered by the battery 8 and alternator 2, and a regulator 7 for changing the field current of the alternator 2, to change power to be generated by the alternator 2. When activating the catalyst 4, the intake controller 3 increases the quantity of intake air, and the regulator 7 increases power to be generated by the alternator 2. Increasing the field current of the alternator 2 is delayed behind increasing the quantity of intake air. Alternatively, increasing the quantity of intake air as well as the field current of the alternator 2 are carried out gradually.

Apparatus for controlling internal combustion engine having electrically

When an apparatus for supplying power to an EHC becomes faulty, the supply of power to the EHC is shut off by a means which is separate from a control relay to prevent the catalyst from being overheated. The control relay that is opened and closed by an ECU is provided in a circuit that supplies electric power from a power source to the EHC attached to an exhaust gas passage of an internal combustion engine, and power supplied to the EHC is controlled by the control relay. When the control relay is short-circuited, this short-circuiting fault is detected by some means, and the power supply circuit is forcibly shut off so that power will not be continuously supplied to the EHC from the power source in this state. Means for forcibly shutting off the power supply circuit may be a relay, a breaker or a fuse when the power source is a battery, and may be to suppress the amount of power generated by an alternator when the power source is the alternator.

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Toyota, Japan

Masahiko Hibino