Patent ID: 7846568
Filing Date: 2010-12-07
Classification: H01M,H02M,Y02B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A power supply unit for supplying power to an electronic apparatus as a load, comprising: a fuel cell using methanol as fuel; a power storage unit; a DC/DC converter connected to a circuit including the fuel cell and power storage unit coupled in parallel with each other; and a control unit that controls the fuel cell and the power storage unit in response to at least one of a state information signal from the fuel cell, a state information signal from the power storage unit, and a control signal from the electronic apparatus, so as to provide a first period, a second period, and a third period enabling different control of the fuel cell and the power storage unit; wherein the DC/DC converter supplies electric power to the electronic apparatus as load; wherein the control unit controls the fuel cell and the power storage unit so that during the first period that begins immediately in response to turning on the electronic apparatus, power is supplied to the load from the power storage unit only; wherein the control unit further controls the fuel cell and the power storage unit so that during the second period that immediately follows the first period in response to a voltage value of the fuel cell becoming equal to a voltage value of the power storage unit, power is supplied to the load from both the power storage unit and the fuel cell through the DC/DC converter; wherein the control unit further controls the fuel cell and the power storage unit so that during the third period that immediately follows the second period in response to the fuel cell output power reaching a required power and/or voltage value for the load, power is supplied to the load from the fuel cell only, and at the same time the power storage unit is charged; and wherein by going through the first period, second period, and third period, the temperature of the fuel cell is raised to make the fuel cell ready for supplying a specified steady-state output.