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  Control apparatus for fuel cell vehicleRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Vehicles, Navigation, And Relative Location, Vehicle Control, Guidance, Operation, Or Indication, Electric VehicleThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070129859. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This invention is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/723,942 filed Nov. 26, 2003 (allowed Jul. 11, 2006) and claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2002-347148, filed Nov. 29, 2002, which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] A solid polymer membrane fuel cell conventionally comprises, for example, cells formed by sandwiching a solid polymer electrolyte membrane between a fuel electrode (anode) and an oxygen electrode (cathode), with a plurality of such cells arranged in a stack. Hydrogen is supplied to the fuel electrode as fuel, and air is supplied to the oxygen electrode as oxidant, and hydrogen ions generated by a catalytic reaction at the fuel electrode pass through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and migrate to the oxygen electrode, causing an electrochemical reaction with the oxygen at the oxygen electrode, and generating electricity. [0006] As a fuel cell vehicle provided with such a fuel cell as a source of motive power, heretofore there is known a fuel cell vehicle, fitted with a capacitor comprising for example an electric double layer capacitor or an electrolytic capacitor or the like, and constructed so as to store the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell, and transfer electrical energy to the propulsion motor (see for example, Patent document 1). [0007] In such a fuel cell vehicle, the capacitor is connected in parallel to the fuel cell via an output controller which controls the output current and output voltage of the fuel cell, and output control action such as chopping action or the like of the output controller which comprises, for example, a chopper type power conversion circuit, is controlled corresponding to the state of, for example, the fuel cell vehicle, the fuel cell, or the capacitor. [Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-357865. [0008] In practice, at the time of travelling and the like of the fuel cell vehicle according to the example of the aforementioned technology, in the case of a condition where the output current extracted from the fuel cell is not restricted by the output controller, that is the fuel cell and the capacitor are in a directly connected condition, the terminal voltage of the capacitor and the output voltage of the fuel cell become the same value. [0009] Therefore, if for example the capacitor is charged by the regeneration of the propulsion motor, then both the terminal voltage of the capacitor and the output voltage of the fuel cell increase. At this time the setting is such that a command value for the output current corresponding to the increased output voltage based on predetermined power generation characteristics for the output current and output voltage, is input to the fuel cell, so that the relative relationship for the output current and the output voltage does not deviate from a predetermined power generation characteristic. [0010] However, in the case where during regeneration of the propulsion motor, the power generation of the fuel cell continues, and for example the regenerative electric power of the propulsion motor is greater than the chargeable power which can be charged to the capacitor, there is the possibility that unnecessary power generation continues, so that the energy efficiency of the fuel cell vehicle drops. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The present invention takes into consideration the above situation with the object of providing a control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle which can improve the energy efficiency of a fuel cell vehicle during regeneration by the propulsion motor. [0012] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the related object, a control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention is a control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle provided with: a propulsion motor capable of driving a vehicle; a fuel cell furnished with a plurality of fuel cell units made by clamping an electrolyte from both side with a fuel electrode and an oxygen electrode, and which generates electricity by supplying a reactant gas to give an electrochemical reaction; a capacitor which is charged by a generated output of the fuel cell and regenerated electric power of the propulsion motor; a reactant gas supply device (for example the S/C output controller 17, the air compressor 18, the hydrogen tank 19a, the hydrogen supply valve 19b, and the control apparatus 20 in the embodiment) which supplies the reactant gas to the fuel cell; and an output control device (for example the current and voltage controller 12 in the embodiment) which controls an output current and an output voltage of the fuel cell, characterized in comprising: a regenerative electric power calculating device (for example, step S04 in the embodiment) which calculates the regenerative electric power which can be generated by regenerative operation of the propulsion motor; and a chargeable power calculating device (for example, step S05 in the embodiment) which calculates the chargeable power which can be charged to the capacitor, and when the chargeable power is less than the regenerative electric power, the output control device restricts the value of the output current from the fuel cell to zero, and when the chargeable power is greater than the regenerative electric power, the output control device cancels the restriction on the output current of the fuel cell. [0013] According to the control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle of the above configuration, in the case where the chargeable power which can be charged to the capacitor is greater than the regenerative electric power which can be generated by the regenerative operation of the propulsion motor, the restriction on the output current of the fuel cell is cancelled, so that the capacitor can be promptly charged by the power generation of the fuel cell and by the regenerative operation of the propulsion motor. [0014] On the other hand, when the chargeable power is less than the regenerative electric power, the output current of the fuel cell is restricted to zero, to thereby prevent the capacitor being over charged by the power generation of the fuel cell, and thus enable the energy efficiency of the fuel cell vehicle during regenerative operation of the propulsion motor to be improved. [0015] Furthermore, a control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention is a control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle provided with: a propulsion motor capable of driving a vehicle; a fuel cell furnished with a plurality of fuel cell units made by clamping an electrolyte from both side with a fuel electrode and an oxygen electrode, and which generates electricity by supplying a reactant gas to give an electrochemical reaction; a capacitor which accumulates generated energy of the fuel cell and performs transfer of electrical energy with the propulsion motor; a reactant gas supply device (for example the S/C output controller 17, the air compressor 18, the hydrogen tank 19a, the hydrogen supply valve 19b, and the control apparatus 20 in the embodiment) which supplies the reactant gas to the fuel cell; an output control device (for example the current and voltage controller 12 in the embodiment) which controls an output current and an output voltage of the fuel cell, and an output control device (for example the current and voltage controller 12 in the embodiment) which controls an output current and an output voltage of the fuel cell, characterized in comprising: a regenerative electric power calculating device (for example, step S04 in the embodiment) which calculates the regenerative electric power which can be generated by regenerative operation of the propulsion motor; a chargeable power calculating device (for example, step S05 in the embodiment) which calculates the chargeable power which can be charged to capacitor; and a voltage detection device (for example the anode voltage sensor 22 in the embodiment) which detects the voltage of the reactant gas supplied to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell, and in the case where the chargeable power is less than the regenerative electric power and the pressure of the reactant gas at the fuel electrode of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined pressure, the reactant gas supply device stops supply of the reactant gas to the oxygen electrode of the fuel cell, and the output control device restricts the value of the output current of the fuel cell to zero, and in the case where the chargeable power is greater than the regenerative electric power, and the chargeable power is less than the regenerative electric power and the pressure of the reactant gas at the fuel electrode of the fuel cell is greater than a predetermined pressure, the output control device cancels the restriction on the output current of the fuel cell. [0016] According to the control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle of the above configuration, in the case where the chargeable power which can be charged to the capacitor is greater than the regenerative electric power which can be generated by the regenerative operation of the propulsion motor, the restriction on the output current of the fuel cell is cancelled, so that the capacitor can be promptly charged by the power generation of the fuel cell and by the regenerative operation of the propulsion motor. Furthermore, in the case where the pressure of the reactant gas at the fuel electrode of the fuel cell is greater than the predetermined pressure, even though the chargeable output power is less than the regenerative output power, the restriction on the output current of the fuel cell is cancelled, and reactant gas is supplied to the oxygen electrode by means of a power generation command corresponding to the pressure of the reactant gas at the fuel electrode. Moreover, by continuing the power generation, the electrode gap differential pressure due to the reactant gas between the fuel electrode and the oxygen electrode of the fuel cell can be prevented from increasing excessively. [0017] On the other hand, when the chargeable power is less than the regenerative electric power and the pressure of the reactant gas at the fuel electrode of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined pressure, supply of the reactant gas to the oxygen electrode of the fuel cell is stopped, and the output current of the fuel cell is restricted to zero. As a result, excessive charging of the capacitor due to the power generation of the fuel cell can be prevented, and the energy efficiency of the fuel cell vehicle at the time of regenerative operation of the propulsion motor can be improved. Furthermore, by restricting the output current to zero by means of the output control device, a situation where power generation stops due to the pressure of the reactant gas at the fuel electrode becoming less than the predetermined pressure, or an excessive current is extracted from the restricted fuel cell, can be prevented, so that the fuel cell can be maintained in an appropriate condition. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [0019] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an operation of the control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle shown in FIG. 1. [0020] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an operation of the control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle according to a modified example of the present embodiment. Continue reading... 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