Patent · US Expired

Fuel-cells system, electric vehicle with fuel-cells system, and method of controlling supply of electric power

US5929594A · kind A · utility

59Cited by
6References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 14, 1997
Grant dateJul 27, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 14, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02T90/40
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a fuel-cells system 10 including a stack of fuel cells 20 and a storage battery 30, the remaining charge of the storage battery 30 is measured by a remaining charge monitor 46. In case that the observed remaining charge of the storage battery 30 is less than a predetermined reference value, a control unit 50 outputs a driving signal to an inverter 80, in order to restrict the consumption of electric power by a motor 32. When it is determined that the output state of the storage battery 30 is in the discharging state, based on the output electric current of the storage battery 30 measured by a current sensor 90, the control unit 50 further limits the electric power consumed by the motor 32. These processes are repeatedly carried out to charge the storage battery 30 and recover the remaining charge of the storage battery 30 to a sufficient level.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.