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. 10, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 15, 2005
Naohiro Yoshida, Nisshin, JP;
Naohiro Yoshida, Nisshin, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
A fuel cell system () of the present invention comprises determination means () for consuming a fuel gas present at a gas leak detection portion of a fuel gas supply system () through the power generation of a fuel cell (), and performing a gas leak determination on the basis of a pressure decrease margin of the fuel gas present at the gas leak detection portion, and comprises discharge means (H) for reducing the pressure at the gas leak detection portion by purging the fuel gas present at the gas leak detection portion to the outside of the fuel gas supply system (). By not only consuming the fuel gas present at the gas leak detection portion through power generation, but also purging the fuel gas to the outside of the fuel gas supply system, the pressure at the gas leak detection portion can be brought close to a target pressure within a short time period, and the gas leak determination can be performed in a short period of time and with a high level of precision.