Patent ID: 9048473
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: B60L,H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A vehicular power source unit mounted in a vehicle for supplying electric power to an electric load disposed in the vehicle, comprising: a fuel cell; a fuel cell controlling element configured to control a supply of reactant gas to the fuel cell; an electric accumulator; an external power source connector for detachably connecting to an external power source; a heater operated by the electric power supplied from the external power source via the external power source connector to heat the fuel cell; a recharger operated by the electric power supplied from the external power source via the external power source connector to charge the electric accumulator; a fuel cell state detecting element configured to detect a state of the fuel cell; an electric accumulator state detecting element configured to detect a state of the electric accumulator; and an external electric power supply controlling element configured to control the operation of the heater and the recharger operated by the electric power supplied from the external power source via the external power source connector according to the state of the fuel cell detected by the fuel cell state detecting element and the state of the electric accumulator detected by the electric accumulator state detecting element when the vehicle is halted, the supply of the reactant gas to the fuel cell by the fuel cell controlling element is stopped and the external power source connector is connected to the external power source, wherein the fuel cell controlling element performs a scavenging action which scavenges the reactant gas remaining in the fuel cell at a predefined timing after the supply of the reactant gas to the fuel cell is stopped, wherein the fuel cell state detecting element determines whether or not the scavenging action has been performed on the fuel cell and detects a temperature of the fuel cell, wherein the external electric power supply controlling element distributes the electric power supplied from the external power source via the electric power source connector to the heater and the recharger according to the state of the fuel cell and the state of the electric accumulator, and wherein, when the vehicle is halted, the supply of the reactant gas to the fuel cell by the fuel cell controlling element is stopped, and the external power source connector is connected to the external power source, the external electric power supply controlling element