US 11,721,818 B2
Fuel cell system and method of controlling fuel cell system
Ryouichi Namba, Okazaki (JP); Toshiyuki Sanada, Okazaki (JP); Hiroyuki Tsunekawa, Seto (JP); Yoshihiro Ikogi, Toyota (JP); and Masahiro Ito, Toyota (JP)
Assigned to Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/88,108.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-004868 (JP), filed on Jan. 16, 2020; and application No. 2020-090428 (JP), filed on May 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0226235 A1, Jul. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 8/0444 (2016.01); H01M 8/0432 (2016.01); H01M 8/04537 (2016.01); H01M 8/04791 (2016.01); H01M 8/04225 (2016.01); H01M 8/04223 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04462 (2013.01) [H01M 8/0432 (2013.01); H01M 8/04225 (2016.02); H01M 8/04253 (2013.01); H01M 8/04552 (2013.01); H01M 8/04559 (2013.01); H01M 8/04805 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell in which cells are stacked;
a voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage in unit of one or more of the cells;
a control unit configured to calculate, among the stacked cells, the number of specific cells in which the voltage detected by the voltage sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined first reference voltage, and cause the fuel cell to operate based on the calculated number of the specific cells; and
a storage device storing a reference map in which a required heat generation amount is associated with the number of the specific cells such that an exhaust hydrogen concentration is equal to or less than a reference concentration, and the required heat generation amount decreases as the number of the specific cells increases, wherein
the control unit is configured to:
calculate the number of the specific cells based on the detected voltage;
acquire the required heat generation amount associated with the calculated number of the specific cells based on the reference map; and
cause the fuel cell to operate with the acquired required heat generation amount as a target value.
 
2. A method of controlling a fuel cell system including a fuel cell in which cells are stacked and a voltage sensor that detects a voltage in unit of one or more of the cells, the method comprising:
calculating, among the stacked cells, the number of specific cells in which the voltage detected by the voltage sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined first reference voltage; and
acquiring a required heat generation amount associated with the calculated number of the specific cells based on a reference map in which the acquired heat generation amount is associated with the number of the specific cells and the required heat generation amount decreases as the number of the specific cells increases, and causing the fuel cell to operate with the acquired required heat generation amount as a target value.