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:
Dec. 30, 2008
Filed:
Jul. 06, 2005
Tomoki Kobayashi, Saitama-ken, JP;
Takuma Kanazawa, Wako, JP;
Yoshio Nuiya, Wako, JP;
Hiroshi Shimanuki, Utsunomiya, JP;
Tomoki Kobayashi, Saitama-ken, JP;
Takuma Kanazawa, Wako, JP;
Yoshio Nuiya, Wako, JP;
Hiroshi Shimanuki, Utsunomiya, JP;
Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A method for warming up a fuel cell system comprising; a fuel cell which generates electric current due to an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and which supplies the electric current to a load, an air supply pipe for supplying air to the fuel cell as an oxidant gas, an air exhaust pipe for discharging exhaust air from the fuel cell to an atmosphere, a compressor provided on either of air supply pipe and air exhaust pipe, which carries the air and a communication pipe which returns exhaust air to air supply pipe, and which communicates exhaust air pipe with air supply pipe to form a circulation cycle including compressor. The method of the present invention comprises: detecting a temperature of the fuel cell, and if the temperature of the fuel cell is lower than a first prescribed temperature, heating fuel cell by circulating the air, which has been heated by a heat generated due to adiabatic compression through compressor prior to supplying the electric current to the load from the fuel cell.