US 11,938,840 B2
Control method for fuel cell system, and fuel cell system
Eisuke Fukushima, Kanagawa (JP); Hiroshi Takeda, Kanagawa (JP); and Hayato Chikugo, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., Yokohama (JP); and RENAULT s.a.s., Boulogne-Billancourt (FR)
Appl. No. 17/765,980
Filed by NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., Yokohama (JP); and RENAULT s.a.s., Boulogne-Billancourt (FR)
PCT Filed Oct. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/001155
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/064438, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0340047 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04303 (2016.01); B60L 58/34 (2019.01); H01M 8/0432 (2016.01); H01M 8/04701 (2016.01)
CPC B60L 58/34 (2019.02) [H01M 8/04303 (2016.02); H01M 8/0432 (2013.01); H01M 8/04701 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control method for a fuel cell system for a vehicle including a fuel cell and a heater configured to warm up the fuel cell, the method comprising:
executing a stop control of the fuel cell system when an operation stop request of the fuel cell system is received;
determining, after the operation stop request is received, whether a next operation start time of the vehicle has been set;
calculating a first energy cost and a second energy cost at predetermined intervals, in response to determining that the next operation start time of the vehicle has been set, wherein:
the first energy cost is an energy cost required in a case where the fuel cell stops operation at a present time and a warm-up of the fuel cell using the heater is performed prior to the next operation start time of the vehicle, and
the second energy cost is an energy cost required in a case where the fuel cell continues to operate to maintain a temperature of the fuel cell at a warm-up temperature from the present time until the next operation start time of the vehicle; and
controlling the fuel cell to continue operation to maintain the temperature of the fuel cell at the warm-up temperature as long as the first energy cost is larger than the second energy cost.