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. 27, 2016
Filed:
Apr. 23, 2014
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Shuya Kawahara, Gotemba, JP;
Keigo Suematsu, Toyota, JP;
Masashi Toida, Nagoya, JP;
Ryota Akaboshi, Toyota, JP;
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota-Shi, JP;
Abstract
A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell stack, a circulation flow path of a cooling medium, a pump provided in the circulation flow path, a supply-side temperature sensor provided to detect a supplied cooling medium temperature, a discharge-side temperature sensor provided to detect a discharged cooling medium temperature, and a cold-start controller configured to control a circulation volume of the cooling medium by the pump at a cold start of the fuel cell stack. The cold-start controller estimates a fuel cell internal temperature and selectively sets the circulation volume of the cooling medium between a reduced volume and a normal volume, based on a magnitude relationship between the internal temperature and the discharged cooling medium temperature. When the supplied cooling medium temperature becomes equal to the discharge cooling medium temperature after setting the circulation volume, the cold-start controller sets the circulation volume of the cooling medium to an increased volume (maximum circulation volume).