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:
Jul. 11, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1998
Sogo Goto, Toyota, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
In a fuel-cells system 20, cooling water circulating through a cooling water flow path 28 is heated by heat exchange carried out in fuel cells 22, subsequently cooled down by a radiator 26, and fed again to the fuel cells 22. A cooling water pump 30 gives a driving force used for circulating the cooling water through the cooling water flow path 28. A control unit 50 of the fuel-cells system 20 measures an inlet cooling water temperature T1 and an outlet cooling water temperature T2 of the fuel cells 22 and calculates a difference .DELTA.T between the observed temperatures T1 and T2. When the difference .DELTA.T is not less than a reference value set equal to 5.degree. C., the control unit 50 determines that a distribution of internal temperature of the fuel cells 22 is in a predetermined non-uniform state. The control unit 50 then increases the driving voltage of the cooling water pump 30 to equalize the internal temperature of the fuel cells 22.