Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Aiaishi

Yasuyuki Muramatsu

Shuhei Adachi

Tsukasa Shimizu

Masatsugu Oishi

Masatoshi Takeshita

Haruhito Kurakake

Takashi Fujii

Toshiro Orimo

Shoji Nakamichi

Hiroshi Yamaoka

Hiroyuki Inagawa

Michael Guidry

Toshiki Mochizuki

Naoki Murota

Yoshihisa Tsujimura

Toru Kubo

Asaki Fujiwara

Yutaka Kondo

Mitsuhiro Okada

Ryosuke Yamasaki

Shintaro Goto

Ichiro Koba

A fuel cell system and a control method enables a smooth shift from a heat-up operation to a normal operation in a simple operating process. The fuel cell system includes a cell stack, an aqueous solution holding device having aqueous solution tanks which store aqueous methanol solution, and a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion which connect the aqueous solution tanks with each other, and a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the aqueous methanol solution. Based on a result of a temperature detection, a setting is made for one of a first mode where the aqueous methanol solution in the aqueous solution tank is circulated to the cell stack and a second mode where the aqueous methanol solution in the aqueous solution tanks is circulated to the cell stack.

Fuel cell system and control method therefor

A fuel cell system which is capable of reducing deterioration of fuel cells includes a cell stack, a CPU, a voltage detection circuit, a current detection circuit, an external air temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a concentration sensor and sonars. The CPU obtains a volume of a garage, an amount of temperature change, an amount of humidity change and an amount of methanol concentration change in external air, as well as an amount of output change in the cell stack based on detection results from the voltage detection circuit, the current detection circuit, the external air temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, the concentration sensor and the sonars. The CPU sets first through fifth duration times based on the volume of the garage and the various amounts of changes, selects the shortest duration time, and stops power generation in the cell stack when the selected duration time has passed.

Fuel cell system capable of reducing deterioration of fuel cell

A fuel cell system is arranged to charge a secondary battery, which is detachable from the fuel cell system, and to supply electric power to a load. The fuel cell system includes a cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells and a controller having a CPU. During power generation in the cell stack, the CPU determines whether or not the secondary battery has been removed from the fuel cell system based on a voltage drop in the cell stack. With the determination that the secondary battery has been removed, the CPU turns off a relay and power supply from the cell stack to the load is stopped. The fuel cell system reliably maintains its operation even after removal of the secondary battery.

A fuel cell system includes a cell stack, a secondary battery, and a controller including a CPU, a main switch, and a stop button. After the main switch is turned OFF, if there is no power generation stopping command from the stop button, the CPU stops power generation in the cell stack after continuing power generation in the cell stack until a charge rate of the secondary battery becomes not lower than a first threshold value. If the charge rate is not lower than a second threshold value and is lower than the first threshold value, generation in the cell stack is stopped in response to the power generation stopping command from the stop button. If the charge rate is lower than the second threshold value, power generation in the cell stack is continued to charge the secondary battery until the charge rate becomes not lower than the second threshold value.

Fuel cell system including charge status detector and operation method therefor

A fuel cell system and an operation method thereof are capable of re-starting the system reliably even after the system has been tilted to or beyond a predetermined limit. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode. A tilt sensor detects a tilt of the fuel cell system not smaller than a predetermined limit, and a memory stores a record that the fuel cell system was tilted to or beyond the predetermined limit. When the fuel cell is started thereafter, the fuel cell is started in a recovery mode if there is a record of a tilt not smaller than the predetermined limit in the memory. The fuel cell is not started, however, if a tilt time since the detection of the tilt of the fuel cell system not smaller than the predetermined limit is not smaller than a first predetermined value.

Fuel cell system and operating method thereof

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell which has an anode. A fuel supplying device circulates a supply of aqueous methanol solution to the anode in the fuel cell. The fuel supplying device includes an aqueous solution tank for storing the aqueous methanol solution. By moving aqueous methanol solution from the aqueous solution tank to a water tank, the amount of aqueous methanol solution which is in circulation at the time of start-up is made smaller than the amount for normal operation. The fuel cell system and a control method therefore are capable of shortening a time that is necessary for heating aqueous fuel solution to be supplied to the fuel cell to a predetermined temperature without reducing fuel utilization efficiency.

Fuel cell system and control method thereof

A fuel cell system and a starting method therefor are capable of setting a start-up mode which is appropriate to energy stored in a secondary battery so as to eliminate problems in starting the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery which is electrically connected with the fuel cell, a secondary-battery charge-amount detection unit which detects an amount of charge in the secondary battery, and a memory which stores at least one threshold value for determining the start-up mode of the fuel cell system. Stored electric energy which corresponds to the amount of charge in the secondary battery is calculated, and a start-up mode of the fuel cell system is determined based on the electric energy stored in the secondary battery and the threshold value stored in the memory.

Fuel cell system and starting method therefor

A fuel cell system and a starting method therefore prevent problems when the system is started. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery that is electrically connected with the fuel cell, and a cell temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the fuel cell. Energy which is necessary for starting the fuel cell system is calculated based on the temperature of the fuel cell detected by the cell temperature sensor. The calculated value is used as a threshold for determining a start-up mode of the fuel cell system.

A fuel cell system includes a cell stack, a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the cell stack, an outside air temperature sensor which detects an outside air temperature, and a CPU which controls a process in the fuel cell system. When the temperature of the cell stack is lower than a predetermined temperature, the fuel cell system performs a temperature raising operation of the cell stack by making the concentration of aqueous methanol solution in an aqueous solution tank higher than in a normal operation and by making an output of an aqueous solution pump greater than in the normal operation. The CPU sets a run time for the temperature raising operation based on a detection result from the outside air temperature sensor, a detection result from the temperature sensor, and a run time setting table which is stored in a memory. The fuel cell system is capable of raising a temperature of the fuel cell quickly and stably to the predetermined temperature.

Fuel cell system

A fuel cell system is capable of shifting to a normal operation quickly, and can be provided in transportation equipment such as a motorbike. The fuel cell system includes a cell stack which has a plurality of fuel cells; an aqueous solution tank which holds aqueous methanol solution to be supplied to the cell stack; a water pump which supplies water to the aqueous solution tank; an electric current detection circuit which detects an electric current value of the cell stack; and CPU which controls the fuel cell system. The CPU drives the water pump, and thereby starts a liquid amount adjustment if the electric current value detected by the electric current detection circuit becomes not lower than a predetermined value after power generation of the cell stack is started.

Fuel cell system and transportation equipment including the same

A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack is capable of raising the temperature of a fuel cell stack to a predetermined temperature within a short time without decreasing methanol fuel utilization efficiency. During system startup, the concentration of methanol aqueous solution which is to be supplied to the fuel cell stack is detected by a concentration sensor, and the temperature of the fuel cell stack is detected by a temperature sensor. A target concentration of methanol aqueous solution is determined by making reference to data stored in a memory, which indicates correspondence between the temperature of the fuel cell stack and the target concentration of methanol aqueous solution, and based on the temperature of the fuel cell stack detected by the temperature sensor.

A fuel cell system that is capable of handling gasified fuel in an aqueous solution tank includes an aqueous solution tank which holds fuel aqueous solution, a fuel cell including an anode supplied with the fuel aqueous solution from the aqueous solution tank, and a cathode provided with a catalyst containing platinum Pt, an air supplying unit including an air pump and arranged to supply air to the cathode in the fuel cell, and a gas guide arranged to add a gas containing gasified methanol from the aqueous solution tank to the air to be sent to the cathode.

Fuel cell system and transport equipment including the same

An electric motor-driven vehicle comprises a seat disposed centrally on a vehicle body, a loading platform located over a loading platform receiving frame and behind the seat, and a plurality of main frame rails connected to the loading platform receiving frame. The vehicle further comprises a fuel supply piping system, at least one battery, a fuel cell and at least one fuel tank, all disposed so as to efficiently use the space within the vehicle body, and all protected from external forces by the loading platform receiving frame. A plurality of partition walls separate the at least one battery and the fuel cell from the at least one fuel tank and provide additional protection against external forces to the fuel cell and the at least one fuel tank.

Small vehicle having fuel cell with damage protection

A number of embodiments of wheel locks for vehicle wheels having an opening are disclosed. In each embodiment, the lock includes a plurality of pivotally connected elongated members having end members that are provided with a locking means for locking them together. As a result, the lock can be inserted through the wheel and around a fixed object and locked like a chain. Various embodiments are disclosed for protecting the pivot pins of the pivotal connections from attack and for restraining the pivotal movement of the elongated members. In some embodiments, the pivotal movement is restrained by placing a frictional drag on the components so that the elements cannot freely pivot. In other embodiments the degree of pivotal movement in one direction is limited more than in another direction so that the lock can only be installed in the correct relationship.

Vehicle wheel lock

A filter device for cleaning water and having a reinforcing member for preventing reduction of filtering area due to deformation of filter membrane. The filter device comprises a generally cylindrical casing and a filter element contained in said casing for passing water from the primary side thereof to the secondary side thereof, the filter element including a corrugated filter membrane and a reinforcing member for supporting the corrugated filter membrane. The filter device is particularly suited for use together with a powdered absorbent such as activated carbon.

Growing community of inventors

Shizuoka, Japan

Yasuyuki Muramatsu