Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Denso Corporation

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho

Other

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Toyota Jidoshi Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Technical Development Corporation

Nobuo Fujita

Hidehito Kubo

Naohiro Yoshida

Keiji Toh

Hiroyuki Mitsui

Kenji Kurita

Tadaichi Matsumoto

Hiroaki Mori

Kimihide Horio

Shinya Sakaguchi

Taisuke Miyamoto

Mituhiro Satou

Hiroyuki Sekine

Hiroshi Aoki

Toshiyuki Kondo

Hiroyuki Yumiya

Masayoshi Miura

Sadatoshi Takahashi

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell body that generates electricity through electrochemical reaction of a first reactive gas and a second reactive gas, a first gas supply passage and a second gas supply passage supplying the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas to the fuel cell body, a first gas discharge passage and a second gas discharge passage discharging an off-gas of the first reactive gas and an off-gas of the second reactive gas from the fuel cell body, and a branch passage branching out from one of the first gas discharge passage or the second gas discharge passage. The off-gas discharged by the other one of the first gas discharge passage or the second gas discharge passage is arranged to flow through the branch passage.

Fuel cell system with anti-freeze structure

A fuel cell system comprises a fuel gas supply conduit which supplies fuel gas to a fuel cell, a circulation conduit which returns discharged fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell to the fuel gas supply conduit, and a control device. When the control device determines that freezing may occur, the control device releases the discharged fuel gas from a water discharge valve of a gas-liquid separator provided in the circulation conduit to the outside, and reduces the flow volume of the discharged fuel gas returned to the fuel gas supply conduit in order to reduce moisture contained in the gas. Consequently, freezing can be prevented using a simple structure.

Fuel cell system

An ion exchange resin memberthat serves as an impurity remover for removing impurities from fluid F discharged from a fuel cellis placed in a discharge passage for the fluid F to flow through, and a dispersion means for dispersing the fluid F over, and making the fluid F flow to, an entry-side surfaceof the ion exchange resin memberis placed upstream from the ion exchange resin member. Also, a gas discharge part and a liquid discharge part are placed downstream from a fluid outlet of the ion exchange resin member, and a liquid-movement-preventing means for preventing a liquid in the fluid discharged from the fluid outlet from moving toward the gas discharge part is placed between the ion exchange resin memberand at least either the gas discharge part or the liquid discharge part.

Fuel cell system with antifreeze structure

A cooling device for a fuel cell is provided which can maintain the electric conductivity of a liquid coolant within the predetermined range even if a load suddenly changes. In the cooling device for a fuel cell (), the parameters (T, T) relating to the coolant temperature can be controlled so that the electric conductivity (S) at a target set temperature is maintained within a target electric conductivity range (S-S) based on the correlation between the parameters relating to the coolant temperature and the electric conductivity of the coolant. Because the electric conductivity is feed-forward controlled based on the correlation between the parameters relating to the coolant temperature and the electric conductivity of the coolant, the electric conductivity of the coolant can be reliably maintained within the target range even when electric conductivity with a comparatively poor responsiveness is controlled.

Cooling device and cooling method for fuel cell

When a vehicle mounted with a fuel cell system travels using electric power supplied from the system, a predetermined portion forming the system, such as a fuel cell, is prevented from being frozen by the relative wind. The fuel cell system is mounted on a vehicle and has the fuel cell for generating electric power by using fuel gas and oxidized gas as fuel and also has a control section for controlling the system. When the speed of the vehicle is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold and predetermined conditions determined by physical quantities relating to power generation conditions of the fuel cell are satisfied, the control section determines that freeze prevention processing is necessary even if the fuel cell is generating electric power and performs the processing.

Fuel cell system and vehicle mounted with fuel cell system

The fuel cell system is provided which detects a freeze among specific components and portions thereof by evaluating various conditions upon starting operation of the fuel cell system. If a freeze is detected through those evaluations, the start of the system is prohibited in order to prevent some deterioration in the fuel cell system.

Fuel cell system and method of controlling the same fuel cell system

In a fuel cell which includes a plurality of stacks in which a plurality of cells, which cause reaction gases to undergo electrochemical reaction and generate electricity, are stacked in layers; and an electrically conductive member which electrically connects together end portions of the stacks, so that the stacks constitute a series circuit, there is also provided a first relay which electrically connects together some cell other than one at an end portion of a stack, and a cell of another stack. This first relay can create a bypass for cutting out a cell whose cell voltage value has become less than or equal to a predetermined value from the series circuit of the fuel cell.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell body, a gas passage supplying reactive gas to the fuel cell body and discharging the reactive gas from the fuel cell body, and an adjustment part adjusting a flowing condition of the reactive gas in the gas passage. The fuel cell system includes at least two scavenging passages which scavenge a part of the gas passage, wherein a first scavenging passage is formed to contain the fuel cell body and a second scavenging passage is formed to bypass the fuel cell body.

Fuel cell system and method of stopping the same

There is disclosed a Roots type pump in which two rotors are rotated synchronously in a pump chamber to compress fluid therein, wherein respective stop positions of the rotors in the pump chamber at a time of stopping the pump are determined independently of each other.

Roots type pump and fuel cell system

As a freezing judgment mechanism, comprised in a gas-liquid separator are electrodes and, an iron core, a magnetic absorption substance located within the water, and guides and for controlling the operation of the magnetic absorption substance. The control unit applies a voltage to the electrodes, changing the iron core to an electromagnet by the magnetic field generated between the electrodes. When not frozen, the electromagnet and the magnetic absorption substance are pulled together, the contact points A and B close, and a conductive state is achieved. When frozen, even if the electromagnet and the magnetic absorption substance are pulled together, ice exists between the two items, so it is difficult for the magnetic absorption substance to float upward. After voltage is applied to the electrodes, the control unit judges the water Wa within the gas-liquid separator to be frozen when a conductive state is not detected even after a specified time has elapsed.

An abnormality detecting device of a fuel cell system according to the invention includes a hydrogen off-gas circulation passage for making hydrogen off-gas discharged from a fuel cell flow back to an anode; a discharge passage for discharging part of the hydrogen off-gas, which is circulated through the hydrogen off-gas circulation passage, from the hydrogen off-gas circulation passage; a hydrogen discharge valve provided in the discharge passage; abnormality determining means for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in opening/closing of the hydrogen discharge valve and gas state quantity detecting means for detecting a gas state quantity of the hydrogen off-gas, the gas state quantity detecting means being provided in the discharge passage at a position downstream from the hydrogen discharge valve. The abnormality determining means determines whether an abnormality has occurred in opening/closing of the hydrogen discharge valve based on the gas state quantity of the hydrogen off-gas.

Abnormality detecting device of fuel cell system

A fuel cell system () capable of securely removing moisture in particulate form floating in an exhaust gas passage along with impurities mixed in the moisture, enhancing the performance of a fuel cell, and extending the service life of the fuel cell. The fuel cell system () includes a gas circulation system for recirculating and resupplying an exhaust gas to a fuel cell (). This gas circulation system is equipped with an ion exchange resin member () that adsorbs impurity components contained in the moisture particles mixed in the exhaust gas flowing through the gas circulation system. The gas circulation system resupplies fluid that has passed through the ion exchange resin member () to the fuel cell ().

A cooling system for a fuel cell is provided with a cooling apparatus that regulates the temperature of the fuel cell by supplying the fuel cell with a cooling liquid via a cooling liquid passage by means of a water pump; an impurity-removing device which is provided in the cooling liquid passage and which removes impurities from within the cooling liquid; and flow generating means for causing the cooling liquid in the cooling liquid passage to flow through the impurity-removing device when the fuel cell is not operating.

Fuel cell cooling system and method for controlling circulation of cooling liquid in fuel cell

A water trap having a discharge valve is disposed in a gas flow passage of a fuel cell system. It is judged whether or not water is accumulated inside the water trap based on pressure variation inside the gas flow passage when the discharge valve is kept open.

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Nobuo Fujita