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:
Nov. 09, 2010
Filed:
Jul. 28, 2006
Mikio Kizaki, Toyoake, JP;
Mikio Kizaki, Toyoake, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, JP;
Abstract
A high-precision gas leak judgment comparable to that when the fuel cell is operating normally is achieved even when a fuel cell is restarted. A gas leak judgment unit (for example ECU 13) for judging gas leak in a closed space formed in a fuel gas system refers to a gas leak judgment value based on pressure change in the closed space detected by a pressure sensor to judge gas leak and, in addition, varies the fuel gas leak judgment level in response to nitrogen concentration in a fuel electrode. The varying of gas leak judgment level in response to the nitrogen concentration takes into account a temporary rise in the nitrogen concentration in the fuel electrode that occurs when a fuel cell stack is restarted and, in this case, it is preferable that the gas judgment value be altered in response to the nitrogen concentration.