JP2020140918A - Fuel battery system - Google Patents

Abstract

To ensure the detection frequency and accuracy of valve opening defects of on-off valves provided in multiple fuel gas tanks connected in parallel to a fuel battery.SOLUTION: When multiple fuel gas tanks connected in parallel to a fuel battery is filled with gas, the temperature inside the tank is detected by a temperature sensor for each fuel gas tank from the start time of gas filling, and the gas pressure in a filling flow path for leading fuel gas from a gas filling source of fuel gas to the plurality of fuel gas tanks is detected by a gas pressure sensor. By using the detected in-tank temperature of the temperature sensor for each fuel gas tank and the detected gas pressure of the gas pressure sensor, the temperature change ΔT of the in-tank temperature with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the start time of gas filling of the fuel gas is calculated, and for a fuel gas tank whose calculated temperature change ΔT deviates from a predetermined range, it is output that the on-off valve has a valve opening failure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel cell system.

The fuel cell system stores fuel gas, for example, hydrogen gas, in a plurality of fuel gas tanks. Each fuel gas tank is equipped with an on-off valve that opens a pipeline for gas supply when the fuel cell generates electricity and closes the pipeline when the fuel cell does not generate electricity. If this on-off valve is stuck in the closed state and causes a valve opening failure, the gas supply from the fuel gas tank provided with the valve opening failure on-off valve will be stopped. Therefore, it is desired to detect a valve opening failure of the on-off valve. In Patent Document 1, the gas consumption calculated based on the amount of power generated by the fuel cell and the gas consumption calculated based on the gas pressure change in the gas supply flow path for supplying fuel gas from a plurality of fuel gas tanks to the fuel cell. A method of detecting that a valve opening failure has occurred in the on-off valve when the difference between and is large has been proposed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-85835

However, as the number of fuel gas tanks increases, even if the opening / closing valve of one fuel gas tank fails to open, the number of tanks that do not interfere with the gas supply is large, so that the change in gas pressure in the gas supply flow path can be small. Further, when the fuel gas is frequently filled by the user, the change in gas pressure in the gas supply flow path accompanying the gas supply from each fuel gas tank to the fuel cell can be reduced. Then, since the gas consumption calculated based on the gas pressure change in the gas supply flow path also becomes small, the difference from the gas consumption calculated based on the power generation amount of the fuel cell may not be so large. From these facts, it has been pointed out that there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of ensuring the detection frequency and detection accuracy of the valve opening failure of the on-off valve.

The present invention can be realized as the following forms.

(1) According to one embodiment of the present invention, a fuel cell system is provided. This fuel cell system is provided in each of a fuel cell that receives a fuel gas supply to generate power, a plurality of fuel gas tanks that store the fuel gas and are connected in parallel to the fuel cell, and the fuel gas tank. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the tank and a supply flow path for supplying the fuel gas from the plurality of fuel gas tanks to the fuel cell are provided for each fuel gas tank, and the supply flow path is opened when the fuel cell generates power. An on-off valve that is controlled to open and is controlled to close the supply flow path when the fuel cell is not generating power, and the fuel gas is guided from the gas filling source of the fuel gas to the plurality of fuel gas tanks. A gas pressure sensor provided in the filling flow path to detect the gas pressure in the filling flow path and a gas pressure sensor provided in the filling flow path for each fuel gas tank, the gas pressure of the filling flow path is higher than the gas pressure in the tank. In some cases, the check valve for guiding the fuel gas into the tank, the temperature inside the detection tank of the temperature sensor for each fuel gas tank, and the gas pressure detected by the gas pressure sensor are used to start filling the fuel gas. The temperature change ΔT of the temperature inside the tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the time point is calculated, and it is determined that the opening / closing valve in the fuel gas tank in which the calculated temperature change ΔT deviates from a predetermined range has a valve opening failure. It is provided with a valve opening failure output unit for output. According to this type of fuel cell system, it is possible to secure the detection frequency of the valve opening failure because the valve opening failure of the on-off valve in the fuel gas tank is determined each time the fuel gas is filled with gas. In addition, there are the following advantages.

If the on-off valves of all of the plurality of fuel gas tanks are not defective in opening, approximately the same amount of fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell from each of the plurality of fuel gas tanks during power generation of the fuel cell. Therefore, in each of the plurality of fuel gas tanks, the gas amount and gas pressure of the fuel gas in the tanks are almost the same. Since the fuel cell is not generating power when the fuel gas is filled with gas, the on-off valve is controlled to close so as to close the supply flow path. Therefore, the amount of gas and the gas pressure remain almost the same in each of the plurality of fuel gas tanks. When the gas filling of the fuel gas is started from this state and the gas pressure in the filling flow path becomes higher than the gas pressure in the tank, the fuel gas is guided into the tank through the check valve in each of the plurality of fuel gas tanks. Fuel gas is increased and stored almost evenly. Therefore, the temperature inside each of the plurality of fuel gas tanks rises in almost the same manner from the start of gas filling. Therefore, if there is no valve opening failure in the on-off valves for all of the plurality of fuel gas tanks, the temperature change ΔT of the tank internal temperature for each of the plurality of fuel gas tanks is the gas pressure in the filling flow path from the start of gas filling. It changes within a predetermined range with respect to the change ΔP.

On the other hand, if a valve opening failure occurs in which one or several fuel gas tank open / close valves are stuck in a closed state at a certain point in time, the valve opening failure occurs after this valve opening failure occurs. Gas is not supplied to the fuel cell in the fuel gas tank (hereinafter referred to as the valve opening defective tank) in which the problem occurs. Therefore, the valve opening defective tank remains the same as the gas amount and gas pressure at the time when the valve opening failure occurs. On the other hand, in a fuel gas tank having no valve opening failure (hereinafter referred to as a valve opening normal tank), gas is supplied to the fuel cell, so that the gas amount and gas pressure are reduced as compared with the valve opening failure tank. If the fuel gas is filled with gas in such a situation, the gas amount and the gas pressure of the fuel gas in the tank will be different between the valve opening defective tank and the valve opening normal tank at the time of this gas filling. Then, since the gas filling of the fuel gas is started with the gas amount and the gas pressure being different, the fuel gas is in the valve opening normal tank whose gas pressure is lower than the valve opening defective tank at the time of starting the gas filling of the fuel gas. Is guided into the tank via a check valve and filled with fuel gas. Therefore, the temperature inside each tank of the normal valve opening tank rises in almost the same manner from the start of gas filling, and the temperature change ΔT of the temperature inside each tank of the normal valve opening tank is the filling flow from the start of gas filling. It changes within a predetermined range with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the road. On the other hand, the fuel gas is not guided by the check valve and the fuel gas is not filled in the valve opening defective tank until the gas pressure in the filling flow path reaches the gas pressure of the valve opening defective tank. Therefore, the temperature change ΔT in the tank temperature of the valve opening failure tank from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas is not so much observed, and the temperature change ΔT of the tank temperature change of the valve opening failure tank is from the start of gas filling. It deviates from a predetermined range with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path. Therefore, according to the fuel cell system of the above-described embodiment, it is possible to accurately determine that the fuel tank in which the temperature change ΔT does not occur in the temperature inside the tank from the start of filling the fuel gas is a defective valve opening tank, and the opening / closing valve is opened. Defect detection accuracy is improved.

The present invention can be realized in various aspects. For example, it can be realized in the form of a gas filling method for a fuel cell system, a computer program for realizing the control method, a non-transitory storage medium for recording the computer program, or the like.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the structure of the fuel cell system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. This is a flow indicating a valve opening failure detection process executed by the control unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of the defect determination when there is no valve opening defect of the 1st open / close valve in all of tanks. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of the defect determination at the time of valve opening failure of the 1st open / close valve in one tank among a plurality of tanks. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of the defect determination at the time of valve opening failure of the 1st open / close valve in 2 tanks in a plurality of tanks.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a fuel cell system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fuel cell system 10 is mounted on the vehicle as a power source for the vehicle driven by the motor, and is also installed in the power generation facility. Examples of vehicles include passenger cars and buses. The fuel cell system 10 includes a fuel cell 50, a receptacle 100, a filling flow path 110, tanks TK1 to TK10, a supply flow path 200, and a control unit 300. The fuel cell system 10 includes a total of 10 tanks from tank TK1 to tank TK10. The tanks TK1 to TK10 are fuel gas tanks for storing hydrogen gas, which is a fuel gas, and are connected in parallel to the fuel cell 50. In FIG. 1, the tank TK1, the tank TK2, and the tank TK10 are shown, and the tanks TK3 to TK9 are not shown. In the following description, the reference numeral "TK" will be used when the ten tanks are collectively referred to, and any of the tanks TK1 to TK10 will be specified when the tanks are individually used. The same applies to the equipment configuration and flow path configuration for each tank, which will be described later.

The fuel cell 50 has a stack structure in which a plurality of single cells are stacked. Each single cell is configured by sandwiching a membrane electrode assembly having an anode and a cathode bonded to both sides of an electrolyte membrane having proton conductivity by a separator. The fuel cell 50 receives the supply of hydrogen gas and air, and generates electricity by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

The receptacle 100 is a filling port for hydrogen gas, which is a fuel gas, and is arranged in a lid of a vehicle (not shown). The receptacle 100 is equipped with a nozzle Gn of a hydrogen station, which is a gas filling source, when the fuel gas is filled. The receptacle 100 has a check valve 105. The check valve 105 prevents the backflow of the filled fuel gas.

The filling flow path 110 guides the fuel gas filled from the receptacle 100 to the tanks TK1 to TK10. The filling flow path 110 branches from the receptacle 100 toward each tank TK and is connected to the tank TK. A check valve Cv1 is provided in a flow path portion of the filling flow path 110 that branches toward the tank TK1. The check valve Cv1 prevents the fuel gas filled in the tank TK1 from flowing back toward the receptacle 100. The check valves Cv2 to Cv10 are check valves having the same configuration as the check valve Cv1 and are provided in the flow path portions of the filling flow path 110 branched toward the tanks TK2 to TK2 to 10. That is, the check valve Cv is provided in the filling flow path 110 for each tank TK, and when the gas pressure in the filling flow path 110 is higher than the gas pressure in the tank, the fuel gas is guided into the tank and the receptacle 100 is provided. Prevent gas backflow to the side.

Further, the filling flow path 110 is provided with a pressure sensor 115. The pressure sensor 115 detects the gas pressure P0 in the filling flow path 110 and outputs the detected gas pressure to the control unit 300. Since the filling flow path 110 and the tank TK are connected, the gas pressure P0 measured by the pressure sensor 115 is the filling gas pressure at the time of gas filling, and at the time of power generation of the fuel cell 50. It can be regarded as the gas pressure P in each of the tanks TK1 to TK10 that supply gas to the fuel cell 50.

The supply flow path 200 connects the tank TK to the fuel cell 50 so that hydrogen gas is supplied from the tanks TK1 to TK10 to the fuel cell 50, respectively. The supply flow path 200 includes a first flow path Fa1 to Fa10 connected to each of the tanks TK1 to TK10, a second flow path Fb in which the first flow paths Fa1 to Fa10 merge and are connected to the fuel cell 50. Has.

In the first flow paths Fa1 to Fa10 for each tank, a first opening / closing valve Va for switching the opening / closing of the first flow path Fa is provided for each tank. The first on-off valves Va1 to Va10 are pilot valves, and open the flow path against the differential pressure before and after the valve body with a force corresponding to the supplied electric power. The first on-off valves Va1 to Va10 are controlled by a control unit 300 described later, and valve opening control is performed so as to open the supply flow path 200, specifically, the first flow paths Fa1 to Fa10 for each tank at the time of power generation of the fuel cell 50. Then, the valve closing control is performed so as to close the supply flow path 200 (first flow path Fa1 to Fa10) when the fuel cell 50 does not generate power.

The second flow path Fb is provided with a second opening / closing valve Vb for switching the opening / closing of the second flow path Fb. Even in this second on-off valve Vb, under the control of the control unit 300 described later, the supply flow path 200, specifically, the first flow paths Fa1 to Fa10 for each tank merge during power generation of the fuel cell 50. The valve opening is controlled so as to open the path Fb, and the valve closing control is performed so as to close the supply flow path 200 (second flow path Fb) when the fuel cell 50 does not generate power. The opening / closing control of the second opening / closing valve Vb is performed in synchronization with the opening / closing control of the first opening / closing valves Va1 to Va10. A pressure sensor 215 is provided in the second flow path Fb. The pressure sensor 215 is a gas pressure sensor that detects the gas pressure PI in the supply flow path 200, and outputs the detected gas pressure to the control unit 300.

In addition, the fuel cell system 10 includes temperature sensors Ts1 to Ts10 in tanks TK1 to TK10. The temperature sensors Ts1 to Ts10 detect the respective tank internal temperatures T1 to T10, and output the detected tank internal temperature to the control unit 300.

The control unit 300 receives signals output from various sensors (not shown) in addition to the pressure sensors 215 and temperature sensors Ts1 to Ts10 provided in the fuel cell system 10, and controls the operation of each part of the fuel cell system 10. .. The control unit 300 controls the power supply from the battery (not shown) to the first opening / closing valves Va1 to Va10 and the second opening / closing valve Vb to open / close the first opening / closing valves Va1 to Va10 and to open / close the second opening / closing valve Vb. Control. The control unit 300 is configured as a computer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and is specifically an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

In the fuel cell system 10, all the first on-off valves Va1 to Va10 are opened when the fuel cell 50 is performing power generation. Therefore, if no valve opening failure has occurred in any of the first on-off valves Va, the gas pressure in the tanks in each tank TK at this time is almost the same.

FIG. 2 is a flow showing a valve opening failure detection process executed by the control unit 300. This valve opening failure detection process is repeatedly executed by the control unit 300, and first, it is determined whether or not the fuel gas filling has been started (step S100). For this start determination, a lid release signal of a lid open / close switch that is turned on when the lid of a vehicle (not shown) is opened, and a detection signal of a mounting detection sensor that detects that the nozzle Gn is mounted on the receptacle 100 are used. .. Then, when the control unit 300 determines that the fuel gas is not filled by the lid release signal of the lid open / close switch or the detection signal of the mounting detection sensor, the control unit 300 ends this routine without performing any processing.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S100 that the filling of the fuel gas has started, the control unit 300 determines that the tank internal temperatures T1 to T10 from the temperature sensors Ts1 to Ts10 for each tank and the pressure sensor in the filling flow path 110 The sensor detection value of the gas pressure P0 from 115 is acquired (step S110). The acquisition of the sensor detection value is continued until it is determined in step S120 that the gas filling is completed. At the end of gas filling, the gas filling source of the nozzle Gn connected to the receptacle 100 detects the completion of gas filling, and the detection signal is transmitted from the signal transmission terminal of the nozzle Gn to the control unit 300 via the signal reception terminal of the receptacle 100. It is judged by doing.

When it is determined in step S120 that the gas filling is completed, the control unit 300 determines that the gas pressure P0 (detected gas pressure) of the pressure sensor 115 in the filling flow path 110 and the tank temperature T1 to the temperature sensors Ts1 to Ts10 for each tank. Using T10 (detection tank temperature), the temperature changes ΔT of the tank temperatures T1 to T10 with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas are calculated for each tank (step S130). ). By calculating the temperature change ΔT for each tank, the transition of the temperature change ΔT of the tank internal temperatures T1 to T10 with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 from the start of gas filling can be monitored for each tank.

Following the calculation of the temperature change ΔT from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas for each tank (step S130), the control unit 300 performs each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas. It is determined whether or not the temperature change ΔT of the above is within a predetermined range from the lower limit threshold value α1 to the upper limit threshold value α2 (step S140). The lower limit threshold value α1 and the upper limit threshold value α2 are defined as follows.

If there is no valve opening failure in the first on-off valves Va1 to Va10 for all of the tanks TK1 to TK10, substantially the same amount of fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell 50 from each of the tanks TK1 to TK10 during power generation of the fuel cell 50. .. Therefore, in the tanks TK1 to TK10, the gas amount and the gas pressure of the fuel gas in the tank are substantially the same. Since the fuel cell 50 is not generating power when the fuel cell is filled with gas, the first on-off valves Va1 to Va10 are controlled to close the first flow paths Fa1 to Fa10 of the supply flow path 200. The gas amount and gas pressure of the tanks TK1 to TK10 remain almost the same.

When gas filling is started from this state and the gas pressure in the filling flow path 110 becomes higher than the gas pressure in the tank, fuel gas is guided into the tank via the check valves Cv1 to Cv10 in each of the tanks TK1 to TK10. , Fuel gas is increased and stored almost evenly. Therefore, the tank temperature T1 to T10 for each tank rises almost evenly from the start of gas filling. However, the tanks TK1 to TK10 are not equidistant from the receptacle 100, and there may be a slight difference in the allowable range even in the amount of gas in the tank before filling with gas. Further, even in the temperature sensors Ts1 to Ts10 for each tank, there may be a slight difference in the detection accuracy for each sensor. In addition to this, since the tanks TK1 to TK10 are not equidistant from the fuel cell 50 which is the heat generation source, the influence of the radiant heat from the fuel cell 50 is also different. In consideration of this, a lower limit threshold value α1 and an upper limit threshold value α2 in a predetermined range for determining the temperature change ΔT for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 are defined, and these threshold values are stored in the memory of the control unit 300. It is remembered. The lower limit threshold value α1 and the upper limit threshold value α2 are defined as different values according to the height of the gas pressure of the filling flow path 110 at the start of gas filling, that is, the height of the residual gas amount in the tanks TK1 to TK10. It may be. For example, the lower limit threshold value α1 and the upper limit threshold value α2 are defined as different values depending on whether the residual gas amount is 30% or less of the fully filled gas amount, 30 to 60%, or 60% or more. You may. In this way, whether or not the temperature change ΔT for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas is within a predetermined range can be finely determined according to the amount of residual gas.

When it is determined in step S140 that the temperature change ΔT for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP is within a predetermined range, the control unit 300 has no valve opening failure in the first opening / closing valves Va1 to Va10 for all of the tanks TK1 to TK10. As a result, this routine is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S140 that the temperature change ΔT for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP deviates from the predetermined range, the control unit 300 causes the temperature change ΔT to cause the deviation from the predetermined range. In the tank TK provided with the sensors Ts, it is determined that a valve opening defect in which the pipeline is fixed to the first opening / closing valve Va in the closed state has occurred, and a notification to that effect is given (step S150). After this determination / notification, the control unit 300 ends this routine. The process of step S130 for calculating the temperature change ΔT of the temperature inside the tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas for each tank and the temperature change ΔT for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP The control unit 300 executes the process of step S140 for determining whether or not the temperature is within the predetermined range, and the process of step S150 for notifying that the first on-off valve Va has a valve opening failure based on the determination result. The functional part of the above corresponds to the valve opening failure output part in the present invention. It should be noted that the notification of the valve opening failure can be made by turning on the warning light on the front panel in the vehicle interior. In addition, the occurrence of valve opening failure is stored in the memory area of the control unit 300, and the tank on which the valve opening failure has occurred is indicated on the car navigation screen during periodic inspections and defect resolution work. It is possible to notify the inspection worker.

As described above, the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment determines whether the first opening / closing valves Va1 to Va10 for each of the tanks TK1 to TK10 are defective each time the fuel gas is filled. .. Therefore, according to the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to secure the detection frequency of the valve opening defect of the first on-off valve Va by executing the defect determination each time the gas is filled. Hereinafter, the state of determining the valve opening failure will be described separately for the case where the first opening / closing valve Va has no valve opening failure and the case where there is no valve opening failure.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of defect determination when there is no valve opening defect of the first on-off valve Va in all of the tanks TK1 to TK10. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of defect determination when the tank TK3 of the tanks TK1 to TK10 has a valve opening defect of the first on-off valve Va. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of defect determination when the first on-off valve Va has a valve opening defect in the tanks TK3 and the tank TK10 among the tanks TK1 to TK10. In each figure, for tank TK1, tank TK3, and tank TK10, in addition to the transition of the gas pressure P in the tank and the transition of the temperature T in the tank, the temperature in the tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 from the start of gas filling. The temperature change ΔT (hereinafter, this temperature change is referred to as ΔT / ΔP) is shown before and after gas filling. In this case, the tank temperature T is the detection tank temperature of the temperature sensors Ts for each tank. The gas pressure P in the tank is the gas pressure detected by the pressure sensor 115 in the filling flow path 110 for the tank TK having no valve opening failure in the first opening / closing valve Va, and the tank having a valve opening failure in the first opening / closing valve Va. TK is the gas pressure in the tank when a valve opening failure occurs.

If there is no valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va in all of the tanks TK1 to TK10, as described above, the fuel gas passes through the check valves Cv1 to Cv10 in each of the tanks TK1 to TK10 from the start of gas filling. It is guided almost evenly into the tank. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the temperature T1 to T10 in each of the tanks TK1 to TK10 rises substantially evenly from the start of gas filling. Further, the gas pressures P1 to P10 in the tanks TK1 to TK10 also increase almost evenly from the start of gas filling, and the pressure value is obtained from the pressure sensor 115 of the filling flow path 110. Then, from the transition of the temperature T in the tank and the gas pressure P in the tank, as shown in FIG. 3, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the start of gas filling can be obtained. These transitions are obtained in the execution process of steps S110 to S140 shown in FIG.

When all of the tanks TK1 to TK10 have no valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the start of gas filling is as shown in FIG. , It is almost the same for each tank TK. Therefore, in step S140 of FIG. 2, it is determined that the range is within the predetermined range. As a result, it is found that all of the tanks TK1 to TK10 have no valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va. Since the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP after the start of gas filling changes almost uniformly in each tank, the time t0 several seconds after the start of gas filling. In, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP can also be obtained.

When the gas filling is completed, the gas pressure P in the tank of each tank TK remains at the full filling pressure. On the other hand, the temperature T in the tank of each tank TK gradually decreases due to the influence of cooling from the outside air.

If the tank TK3 has a valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va3, as shown in FIG. 4, the tank TK other than the tank TK3 has no valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va. As described above, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank changes with respect to the temperature T in the tank, the gas pressure P in the tank, and the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110. That is, in the other tank TKs other than the tank TK3, the gas amount and the gas pressure are reduced as compared with the tank TK3 due to the gas supply to the fuel cell 50 after the valve opening failure occurs in the first opening / closing valve Va3 of the tank TK3. Therefore, due to the gas filling from this situation, the above-mentioned transition of the temperature inside the tank T and the like occurs. On the other hand, in the tank TK3 having a valve opening failure of the first opening / closing valve Va3, the fuel gas is not filled due to the valve opening failure of the first opening / closing valve Va3 when the fuel gas is fully filled. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the gas pressure P3 in the tank does not change at the full filling pressure, and does not change at the time of gas filling even at the temperature T3 in the tank. Therefore, for the tank TK3, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 from the start of gas filling becomes a constant value close to zero and deviates from the predetermined range. Therefore, in step S150 of FIG. 2, it is determined that the first on-off valve Va3 has a valve opening failure in the tank TK3 provided with the temperature sensor Ts3 that outputs the detected tank temperature used for calculating the temperature change ΔT. , That fact is notified.

If the tank TK3 and the tank TK10 have a valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va, the other tanks TK other than the tank TK3 and the tank TK10 have no valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va. As described above, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank changes with respect to the temperature T in the tank, the gas pressure P in the tank, and the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110. On the other hand, in the tank TK3 in which the first on-off valve Va3 has a valve opening failure when the fuel gas is fully filled, the fuel gas is not filled, so that the gas pressure in the tank P3 is as shown in FIG. Does not change at full filling pressure, and does not change at the time of gas filling even at the tank internal temperature T3. Therefore, for the tank TK3, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the start of gas filling becomes a constant value close to zero and deviates from the predetermined range. Therefore, in step S150 of FIG. 2, it is determined that the valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va3 has occurred in the tank TK3 provided with the temperature sensor Ts3 that outputs the detection tank temperature used for calculating the temperature change ΔT. , That fact is notified.

In addition to this, in the tank TK10, which caused a valve opening failure in the first opening / closing valve Va10 in a situation where the gas supply to the fuel cell 50 progressed to some extent from the fully filled state, a valve opening failure occurred in the first opening / closing valve Va10. Since then, the gas has not been supplied to the fuel cell 50. Therefore, in the tank TK10, the gas pressure P in the tank remains higher than that of the other tanks TK without the valve opening failure of the first opening / closing valve Va. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, fuel gas is not guided to the tank TK10 by the check valve Cv10 until the time t1 when the gas pressure in the filling flow path 110 reaches the gas pressure P in the tank of the tank TK10. Not filled with gas. Therefore, from the start of filling the fuel gas to time t1, the gas pressure P10 in the tank for the tank TK10 does not change as the filling pressure when the first opening / closing valve Va10 has a valve opening failure, and the tank It does not change even at the internal temperature T10. As a result, for the tank TK10, the temperature change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP) for each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the start of gas filling becomes a constant value close to zero until the time t1 and falls within a predetermined range. Deviate. Therefore, in step S150 of FIG. 2, it is determined that the valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va10 has occurred in the tank TK10 provided with the temperature sensor Ts10 that outputs the detection tank temperature used for calculating the temperature change ΔT. , That fact is notified. As shown in FIG. 5, at time t1, the gas pressure in the filling flow path 110 becomes higher than the gas pressure P10 in the tank of the tank TK10. Therefore, after that, the gas pressure P10 in the tank and the temperature T10 in the tank However, this increase is not from the start of gas filling. Therefore, the tank TK10 that has caused a valve opening failure in the first opening / closing valve Va10 is not erroneously determined in steps S140 to S150 as not causing a valve opening failure. In order to surely avoid such an erroneous determination, the comparison in the predetermined range in step S140 may be performed at time t0 several seconds after the start of gas filling shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. In addition, the defect may be determined multiple times at intervals of several seconds.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, according to the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment, the temperature of each tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP in the filling flow path 110 from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas. Based on the change ΔT (ΔT / ΔP), the tank TK in which the valve opening failure has occurred in the first on-off valve Va can be accurately determined, and the detection accuracy of the valve opening failure in the first on-off valve Va is improved. Moreover, according to the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment, even if a valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va occurs in a plurality of tanks TK and the situation in which the valve opening failure occurs differs for each tank, the first It is possible to accurately determine the tank TK in which the opening / closing valve Va has a valve opening failure.

In the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment, the failure to open the first on-off valve Va is determined from the time when the nozzle Gn is connected to the receptacle 100 and the gas filling is started. Therefore, it is possible to determine the valve opening failure before the gas filling worker closes the lid. In other words, the timing of lid closing by the gas filling operator is various, but it is possible to accurately determine the valve opening failure of the first opening / closing valve Va regardless of the situation of lid closing by the gas filling operator. ..

In the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment, the first opening / closing valve Va causes a valve opening failure when the fuel gas is fully filled, and the first opening / closing is performed even if the gas pressure in the tank is a high pressure close to the full filling pressure. It is possible to determine whether or not the valve opening is defective in the valve Va. Further, even when a valve opening failure occurs in the first opening / closing valve Va in a situation where the fuel gas filling amount is small, it is possible to similarly determine the presence / absence of a valve opening failure in the first opening / closing valve Va. In addition, even if the fuel gas filling time is short or the gas filling is not performed until the full filling, it is determined that the first opening / closing valve Va is defective in opening from the time when the gas filling is started. Therefore (steps S140 to S150), it is possible to accurately determine the valve opening failure.

In the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment, since the detection value of the temperature sensor Ts for each tank TK is used to determine the valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va, the valve opening failure can be determined with high accuracy.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be realized by various configurations within a range not deviating from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the column of the outline of the invention may be used to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems, or one of the above-mentioned effects. It is possible to replace or combine as appropriate to achieve a part or all. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

The fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment includes 10 tank TKs, but a plurality of tank TKs other than 10 can also be provided.

In the fuel cell system 10 of the present embodiment, the case where one or two tank TKs out of the ten tank TKs have a valve opening failure of the first on-off valve Va has been described, but three or more tank TKs Even if there is a valve opening failure, the valve opening failure can be determined and notified.

10 ... Fuel cell system, 50 ... Fuel cell, 100 ... Receptacle, 105 ... Check valve, 110 ... Filling flow path, 115 ... Pressure sensor, 200 ... Supply flow path, 215 ... Pressure sensor, 300 ... Control unit, Cv1- Cv10 ... Check valve, Fa1 to Fa10 ... 1st flow path, Fb ... 2nd flow path, Gn ... Nozzle, TK1 to TK10 ... Tank, Ts1 to Ts10 ... Temperature sensor, Va1 to Va10 ... 1st on-off valve, Vb ... 2nd open / close valve

Claims (1)

It ’s a fuel cell system,
A fuel cell that generates electricity by receiving fuel gas supply,
A plurality of fuel gas tanks that store the fuel gas and are connected in parallel to the fuel cell.
A temperature sensor provided in each of the fuel gas tanks to detect the temperature inside the tank, and
Each fuel gas tank is provided in a supply flow path for supplying the fuel gas from the plurality of fuel gas tanks to the fuel cell, and valve opening control is performed so as to open the supply flow path when the fuel cell generates power. An on-off valve that is controlled to close the supply flow path during non-power generation.
A gas pressure sensor provided in a filling flow path for guiding the fuel gas from the gas filling source of the fuel gas to the plurality of fuel gas tanks and detecting the gas pressure in the filling flow path,
A check valve provided in the filling flow path for each fuel gas tank and guiding the fuel gas into the tank when the gas pressure in the filling flow path is higher than the gas pressure in the tank.
Using the temperature inside the detection tank of the temperature sensor and the detection gas pressure of the gas pressure sensor for each fuel gas tank, the temperature change ΔT of the temperature inside the tank with respect to the gas pressure change ΔP from the start of gas filling of the fuel gas. A valve opening failure output unit is provided, which outputs that a valve opening failure has occurred in the on-off valve in the fuel gas tank in which the calculated temperature change ΔT deviates from a predetermined range.
Fuel cell system.

Images