The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 15, 2019
Filed:
Jan. 09, 2017
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Koji Katano, Toyota, JP;
Masahiro Imanishi, Gotemba, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Abstract
A controller of a fuel cell system performs a starting operation that switches on a first precharge circuit so as to reduce a voltage difference between a first smoothing capacitor and a second smoothing capacitor and subsequently turns on a first relay, when a start switch is turned on in a system off state that the first relay is off. Upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition including at least one of a condition that a difference between the voltage of the first smoothing capacitor and the voltage of the second smoothing capacitor is equal to or greater than a first reference value and a condition that the voltage of the first smoothing capacitor is equal to or higher than a second reference value, the controller uses a second converter to charge the second smoothing capacitor so as to bring the voltage of the second smoothing capacitor closer to the voltage of the first smoothing capacitor, and subsequently switches the first precharge circuit from off to on. This configuration reduces the electric current flowing through a precharge circuit at the time of starting the fuel cell system.