Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Tohoku Techno Arch Co., Ltd.

Other

Dowa Mining Co., Ltd.

Takahiro Kuriiwa

Yoshio Nuiya

Toshiaki Shimada

Masuo Okada

Ryoji Takenawa

Tomoki Kobayashi

Hirokazu Kuwabara

A fuel cell system having a fuel cell consuming the hydrogen stored in the high-pressure hydrogen tank as fuel gas, a hydrogen supply line connecting the high-pressure hydrogen tank to the fuel cell, a primary decompressing means provided on the hydrogen supply line, a secondary decompressing means provided in the downstream side of the primary decompressing means on the hydrogen supply line, a hydrogen storage alloy tank saving a hydrogen storage alloy and thermal-exchangeably connected to the fuel cell, a hydrogen pipe connected between the primary decompressing means and the secondary decompressing means, and supplied for hydrogen transfer between the hydrogen supply line and the hydrogen storage alloy tank is provided, and a controlling means for introducing the hydrogen of the first prescribed pressure into the hydrogen storage alloy tank from the hydrogen supply line through the hydrogen pipe during the warm-up of the fuel cell.

Fuel cell system

Hydrogen stored in a high-pressure tankis supplied to a metal hydride (MH) tankto be occluded. Cooling water of a cooling system Cfor a fuel cellis heated through the heat generated at this time to warm-up the fuel cell. By such a configuration, the fuel cell can be warmed up without consuming the valuable hydrogen.

Apparatus, mechanism and process for warming-up fuel cell

A hydrogen supplying apparatus mounted on an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle is driven by electricity generated at a fuel cell by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen stored in a hydrogen storage tank and oxygen. The hydrogen supplying apparatus includes: a hydrogen supply passage for supplying hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell; a bypass passage arranged in parallel with the hydrogen supply passage and for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell; a purifier provided in the bypass passage, the purifier purifying hydrogen to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a switch valve selectively switching the hydrogen supply passage and the bypass passage.

Hydrogen supplying apparatus for fuel cell

A fuel cell hydrogen recovery system comprises a primary hydrogen absorbing tank adapted for storing hydrogen discharged from a fuel cell and a secondary hydrogen absorbing tank adapted for storing part of hydrogen that is supplied to the fuel cell. The primary hydrogen absorbing tank and the secondary hydrogen absorbing tank are provided so that heat can be exchanged therebetween. Part of hydrogen that is supplied to the fuel cell is supplied to the secondary hydrogen absorbing tank, so that the primary hydrogen absorbing tank is heated by hydrogen absorbing heat generated when hydrogen is absorbed therein, whereby hydrogen absorbed in the primary hydrogen absorbing tank can be re-supplied to the fuel cell.

Fuel cell hydrogen recovery system

A method for absorbing and releasing hydrogen comprises applying repeatedly hydrogen pressurization and depressurization to a hydrogen storage metal alloy of a body-centered cubic structure-type phase exerting a two-stage or inclined plateau characteristic in a hydrogen storage amount vs hydrogen pressure relation in an appropriate fashion to absorb and release hydrogen. At least at one stage during the release of hydrogen, the temperature (T) of the above-mentioned hydrogen storage metal alloy is made higher than the temperature (T) of the hydrogen storage metal alloy during the hydrogen absorption process (T&#x3e;T). This enables the release and utilization of occluded hydrogen at a low-pressure plateau region or an inclined plateau lower region.

Hydrogen storage metal alloy, method for absorption and release of hydrogen using the said alloy and hydrogen fuel battery using the said method

A boil-off gas processing system for reliably burning a boil-off gas. The system processes a boil-off gas produced from a liquid hydrogen tank which is built in a hydrogen fueled vehicle. The system includes a mixing device for introducing air into a discharge passage through which the boil-off gas from the liquid hydrogen tank passes and for mixing the air and the boil-off gas and outputting a mixed gas; a catalytic combustor for burning the mixed gas which was mixed by the mixing device, the catalytic combustor having an inlet through which the mixed gas is introduced and an outlet for discharging combustion gas; an electric heater provided at the inlet side of the catalytic combustor; and a control section for controlling energizing of the electric heater.

Boil-off gas processing system using electric heater

A method for absorbing and releasing hydrogen comprises applying repeatedly hydrogen pressurization and depressurization to a hydrogen storage metal alloy of a body-centered cubic structure-type phase exerting a two-stage or inclined plateau characteristic in a hydrogen storage amount vs hydrogen pressure relation in an appropriate fashion to absorb and release hydrogen. At least at one stage during the release of hydrogen, the temperature (T ) of the above-mentioned hydrogen storage metal alloy is made higher than the temperature (T ) of the hydrogen storage metal alloy during the hydrogen absorption process (T >T ). This enables the release and utilization of occluded hydrogen at a low-pressure plateau region or an inclined plateau lower region.

Alloy for hydrogen storage, method for absorption and release of hydrogen using the alloy, and hydrogen fuel cell using the method

A hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell includes a hydrogen occlusion tank in which a hydrogen occlusion alloy is contained, the hydrogen occlusion alloy being capable of occluding and discharging hydrogen which is used as fuel for a fuel cell; a hydrogen tank in which hydrogen to be supplied to the fuel cell can be stored in a compressed state; a heating unit which supplies heat to the hydrogen occlusion tank; a hydrogen supply line through which a flow of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and a flow of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank can be merged to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a flow rate controlling device which controls a flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and/or a flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank.

Hydrogen supplying device for fuel cell

In a fuel cell system in which electricity is generated by a fuel cell supplied with the hydrogen gas created from a reforming reaction and the electricity is supplied to an external load , an electric buffer CAPA for storing surplus electricity or supplementing insufficient electricity is located between the fuel cell and the external load , and a hydrogen buffer MHB for accommodating surplus hydrogen gas and supplementing insufficient hydrogen gas is located between a reforming device and the fuel cell. Where electricity consumption in the load increases abruptly, necessary electricity is supplied with the assistance of the electric buffer CAPA and hydrogen buffer HMB.

Fuel cell system and method for operating the same

A hydrogen storage apparatus M stores a liquid hydrogen tank , hydrogen filling passage that fills liquid hydrogen in to the liquid hydrogen tank, a degassing passage provided with a relief valve V that opens when the pressure of hydrogen gasified in the liquid hydrogen tank reaches a predetermined level, and a hydrogen occlusive tank that accommodates a hydrogen occlusive alloy for storing the gasified hydrogen. When liquid hydrogen is being filled into the liquid hydrogen tank , the pressure in the hydrogen occlusive tank is lowered using a duct , a cooling fan , and a conduit for cooling the hydrogen occlusive tank . Accordingly, the filling time is shortened and the fuel efficiency is improved.

Hydrogen storage apparatus

In order to achieve optimal weight and volume of a hydrogen storage apparatus, there is provided a method of charging hydrogen to a hydrogen storage apparatus. The hydrogen storage apparatus includes a hydrogen storage means accommodating a hydrogen occlusive alloy (MH tank assembly) and a hydrogen tank (high-pressure hydrogen tank) that is provided separately from the hydrogen storage means and stores hydrogen in gaseous form. Hydrogen is filled so that a pressure in the hydrogen tank is higher than that in the hydrogen storage means. A decompressing means (charger regulator) is provided for reducing a pressure of hydrogen fed to the hydrogen storage apparatus to maintain the pressure in a predetermined pressure range. The hydrogen storage apparatus may include more than one of the hydrogen occlusive alloy tank (MH tank)

Hydrogen storage apparatus and charging method therefor

The object of the invention is to provide a high performance metal hydride tank apparatus, which is capable of discharging the hydrogen gas stored in the metal hydride in the tank from throughout the metal hydride efficiently and rapidly. In the process of the hydrogen gas discharge, the metal hydride contained near the inner circumferential surface of the tank absorbs the heats by the temperature raised tank and starts discharging the hydrogen gas. The discharged hydrogen gas absorbs the heat from the inner circumferential wall efficiently, flowing along the inner circumferential wall rapidly guided by the cylinder-like baffle. Further, the discharged hydrogen gas flows through the hydrogen gas flow channel, which is formed into sections by the cylinder-like baffle in the tank, and travels throughout the metal hydride, thus heating up the metal hydride rapidly and discharging the hydrogen gas efficiently from throughout the alloy.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Takahiro Kuriiwa