US 12,278,406 B2
Fuel cell system
Atsuo Iio, Nagoya (JP); Toshihiro Egawa, Okazaki (JP); Hisaya Fujioka, Aichi-ken (JP); and Makito Okumura, Nagoya (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/054,602.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-002449 (JP), filed on Jan. 11, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0223569 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04082 (2016.01); H01M 8/04089 (2016.01); H01M 8/04302 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04201 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04097 (2013.01); H01M 8/04302 (2016.02)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a first fuel cell stack;
a second fuel cell stack connected to the first fuel cell stack in parallel, a volume of the second fuel cell stack being larger than a volume of the first fuel cell stack;
a fuel tank configured to supply fuel gas to the first and second fuel cell stacks;
a housing accommodating the first and second fuel cell stacks;
a gas sensor configured to measure a gas concentration in the housing; and
a controller configured to start the first and second fuel cell stacks in response to a start command,
wherein the controller is configured to:
(1) start both of the first and second fuel cell stacks when a measured value of the gas sensor is lower than a first concentration;
(2) maintain both of the first and second fuel cell stacks stopped when the measured value is higher than a second concentration which is higher than the first concentration; and
(3) when the measured value is from the first concentration to the second concentration, supply the fuel gas to the first fuel cell stack while maintaining supply of the fuel gas to the second fuel cell stack stopped, thereafter stop supply of the fuel gas to the first fuel cell stack when a pressure in the first fuel cell stack reaches a pressure threshold, and thereafter start the first fuel cell stack when the pressure in the first fuel cell stack after a predetermined time is higher than a pressure lower limit.