Method for inspecting a fuel cell unit

Abstract

To provide an inspection method for a fuel cell unit for easily maintaining and inspecting the fuel cell unit while the fuel cell unit is removed from a power supply target.SOLUTION: In an inspection method for a fuel cell unit 10 that includes a fuel cell stack 21, a hydrogen tank filled with fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack 21, an opening and closing unit capable of opening and closing the hydrogen tank, a first circuit CT1 operating at a first voltage, and a first voltage battery 26 producing a first voltage, the fuel cell unit 10 is connected to a control device 100 having a defect detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a defect, and the defect detection unit performs first inspection to detect whether there is a failure in the first circuit CT1 operated by the power supply of the first voltage battery 26 in a state in which the opening and closing unit is closed and the fuel cell stack 21 is not operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a fuel cell unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a fuel cell unit having a high-pressure tank filled with fuel gas, a fuel cell stack, multiple converters (DC / DC converters), and a battery (for example, Patent Document 1). In the conventional fuel cell unit, the power generated by the fuel cell stack using the fuel gas and the power from the battery are converted by the multiple converters into a low first voltage and a high second voltage, and are used as appropriate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-149621 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the fuel cell unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the fuel cell unit is maintained or inspected, it may be required to inspect the first circuit related to the first voltage and the second circuit related to the second voltage to ensure that they are both operating normally when the fuel cell unit is removed from the power supply target. However, from the perspective of the High Pressure Gas Safety Act, it may be difficult for the fuel cell stack to generate electricity with the high-pressure fuel gas tank in an open state when the fuel cell unit is removed from the power supply target. On the other hand, if the need for maintenance arises as a result of inspecting the fuel cell unit while it is mounted on the power supply target, it may be time-consuming to remove the fuel cell unit from the power supply target for the maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A method for inspecting a fuel cell unit that achieves the above-mentioned objective is a method for inspecting a fuel cell unit comprising a fuel cell stack, a fuel tank filled with fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack, an opening / closing unit capable of opening and closing the fuel tank, a first circuit that operates at a first voltage, and a first voltage battery that generates the first voltage, wherein a control device having a malfunction detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a malfunction is connected to the fuel cell unit, and the malfunction detection unit performs a first inspection to detect the presence or absence of a malfunction in the first circuit that operates by power supply from the first voltage battery when the opening / closing unit is in a closed state and the fuel cell stack is not in operation.

[0006] According to this configuration, the fuel cell unit can be easily maintained and inspected while remaining removed from the source of power supply. In the above-mentioned fuel cell unit inspection method, the first circuit has a first voltage system auxiliary that operates by the first voltage within the first circuit, and the malfunction may be a malfunction related to a failure and / or an open circuit or short circuit of the first voltage system auxiliary.

[0007] According to this configuration, maintenance and inspection can be performed to repair or inspect defective parts related to failures and / or breaks or short circuits in the first voltage system auxiliary. A method for inspecting a fuel cell unit that achieves the above-mentioned objective is a method for inspecting a fuel cell unit comprising a fuel cell stack, a fuel tank filled with fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack, an opening / closing part capable of opening and closing the fuel tank, piping connecting the fuel cell stack and the fuel tank, a first circuit that operates at a first voltage, and a second circuit that operates at a second voltage different from the first voltage, wherein a control device having a malfunction detection part that detects the presence or absence of a malfunction is connected to the fuel cell unit, and when the opening / closing part is in a closed state, the fuel cell stack generates electricity using hydrogen remaining in the piping to generate the second voltage, and when the opening / closing part is in a closed state, the malfunction detection part performs a second inspection to inspect the presence or absence of a malfunction in the second circuit that operates by the power supply from the fuel cell stack.

[0008] According to this configuration, the fuel cell unit can be easily maintained and inspected while remaining removed from the source of power supply. In the above-mentioned fuel cell unit inspection method, the fuel cell unit may further include a conversion unit that converts the second voltage to the first voltage, the conversion unit converts the power of the second voltage generated by the fuel cell stack into power of the first voltage, and the malfunction detection unit may further perform a first inspection to detect the presence or absence of a malfunction in the first circuit by supplying power to the conversion unit when the opening / closing unit is in a closed state.

[0009] According to this configuration, maintenance and inspection of the first circuit and the second circuit can be carried out efficiently while the fuel cell unit is removed from the power supply target. In the above-mentioned fuel cell unit inspection method, the fuel cell unit may further include a first voltage battery that generates the first voltage, and the malfunction detection unit may further perform a first inspection to detect the presence or absence of a malfunction in the first circuit that operates by power supply from the first voltage battery.

[0010] According to this configuration, maintenance and inspection of the first circuit and the second circuit can be carried out efficiently while the fuel cell unit is removed from the power supply target. In the above-mentioned fuel cell unit inspection method, the fuel cell unit includes a frame that defines a storage section that houses the fuel cell stack, the fuel tank, the first circuit, and the second circuit, a lid that covers the storage section, and an open / close detection section that detects whether the lid section is covering the storage section, and the malfunction detection section may perform the second inspection when the open / close detection section detects that the lid section is covering the frame.

[0011] According to this configuration, maintenance and inspection of the fuel cell unit can be carried out with the lid kept in the closed state. In the above-mentioned fuel cell unit inspection method, the second circuit may have a second voltage system auxiliary that operates by the second voltage within the second circuit, and the malfunction may be a malfunction related to a failure and / or an open circuit or short circuit of the second voltage system auxiliary.

[0012] According to this configuration, maintenance and inspection can be performed to repair or inspect defective parts related to failures and / or breaks or short circuits in the second voltage system auxiliary. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for inspecting a fuel cell unit, which allows easy maintenance and inspection of the fuel cell unit while it is removed from the power supply source. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fuel cell unit. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration relating to electrical system components of a fuel cell unit. [Diagram 3] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of an inspection of a first circuit. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an inspection of a second circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method for inspecting a fuel cell unit will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a fuel cell unit 10 is mounted on an industrial vehicle (not shown) and supplies power to various parts of the industrial vehicle. The industrial vehicle is an example of a "power supply target."

[0016] [Overall configuration] 1, the fuel cell unit 10 includes a lid 11, a frame 12, a fuel cell stack 21, an air compressor 15, a hydrogen tank 30, an opening / closing unit 40, piping 50, electrical system components described below, and an opening / closing detection unit 60. The piping 50 connects the fuel cell stack 21 to the opening / closing unit 40, and supplies hydrogen gas filled in the hydrogen tank 30 to the fuel cell stack 21 when the opening / closing unit 40 is in the open state. Hydrogen gas is an example of a "fuel gas," and the hydrogen tank 30 is an example of a "fuel tank."

[0017] Each part of the fuel cell unit 10 is fixed and housed in a case formed by a lid 11 and a frame 12. More specifically, the frame 12 has a housing section that houses each part of the fuel cell unit 10 and defines the housing section. The lid 11 is configured to cover the housing section. The open / close detection section 60 detects whether the lid 11 is attached to the frame 12 and is in a closed state in which the lid 11 covers the housing section. The open / close detection section 60 is realized, for example, by a switch that is pressed and becomes conductive when the lid 11 is attached to the frame 12. By removing the lid 11 from the frame 12, an inspector of the fuel cell unit 10 can visually check and directly touch each part of the fuel cell unit 10.

[0018] The air compressor 15 is an electric compressor driven by an electric motor. The air compressor 15 supplies air to the fuel cell stack 21. The amount of air supplied to the fuel cell stack 21 can be adjusted by controlling the voltage (rotation speed) of the electric motor. The opening / closing unit 40 can open and close the hydrogen tank 30. The opening / closing unit 40 is opened and closed by a tank valve (not shown). The opening / closing unit 40 is opened and closed under the control of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (not shown) provided in the industrial vehicle or a control device used when inspecting the fuel cell unit 10. When the opening / closing unit 40 is in the open state, hydrogen gas is supplied from the hydrogen tank 30 to the fuel cell stack 21, and when the opening / closing unit 40 is in the closed state, hydrogen gas is not supplied from the hydrogen tank 30 to the fuel cell stack 21.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell unit 10 includes a fuel cell stack 21 and, as electrical system components, a second voltage converter 22, a capacitor 23, a second voltage system auxiliary 24, a first voltage converter 25, a first voltage battery 26, and a first voltage system auxiliary 27. Among the components included in the fuel cell unit 10, the first voltage converter 25, the first voltage battery 26, and the first voltage system auxiliary 27 constitute a first circuit CT1 that operates at a first voltage. Among the components included in the fuel cell unit 10, the fuel cell stack 21 and, as electrical system components, the second voltage converter 22, the capacitor 23, and the second voltage system auxiliary 24 constitute a second circuit CT2 that operates at a second voltage. The first voltage and the second voltage are different voltages, and the first voltage is lower than the first voltage and the second voltage. The first voltage is, for example, a DC voltage of 12 [V], and the second voltage is, for example, a DC voltage of 48 [V].

[0020] The components of the first circuit CT1 are connected, for example, by a positive line PL1 and a negative line NL1. The components of the second circuit CT2 are connected, for example, by a positive line PL2 and a negative line NL2. The components of the industrial vehicle and the first voltage converter 25 are connected to the positive line PL2 and the negative line NL2, and power of the second voltage is supplied.

[0021] The fuel cell stack 21 is realized by stacking a plurality of fuel cell units. The fuel cell units are, for example, solid molecular fuel cells. The fuel cell stack 21 generates electricity through a chemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas. In the fuel cell stack 21, electricity is generated using hydrogen gas filled in a hydrogen tank 30 as the fuel gas and oxygen in the air supplied from an air compressor 15 as the oxidant gas.

[0022] The second voltage converter 22 is a DC / DC converter that converts the power generated by the fuel cell stack 21 into power of a second voltage. The capacitor 23 stores the power of the second voltage converted by the second voltage converter 22. The second voltage system accessories 24 are electrical components that are driven by the second voltage converted by the second voltage converter 22. The second voltage system accessories 24 include the air compressor 15, a hydrogen pump, and a cooling water pump.

[0023] The first voltage converter 25 is a DC / DC converter that converts the power of the second voltage converted by the second voltage converter 22 into power of the first voltage. The first voltage battery 26 stores the power of the first voltage converted by the first voltage converter 25. The first voltage system auxiliary 27 is an electrical component that is driven by the first voltage converted by the first voltage converter 25. The first circuit CT1 can be driven by the first voltage battery 26. That is, to perform the first inspection, the first circuit CT1 can be operated using the existing first voltage battery 26. The first circuit CT1 is a circuit that can operate without using the fuel cell stack 21 as a power source. The first voltage converter 25 is an example of a "conversion unit".

[0024] [Inspection of fuel cell unit 10] Under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act, when the fuel cell unit 10 is removed from the industrial vehicle, the opening / closing part 40 cannot be opened to supply hydrogen gas filled in the hydrogen tank 30 to the fuel cell stack 21. In the following explanation, we will explain a method of inspecting the fuel cell unit 10 when the fuel cell unit 10 is removed from the industrial vehicle, without opening the hydrogen tank 30 and using the hydrogen gas filled in the hydrogen tank 30.

[0025] A control device 100 used for inspection when inspecting the fuel cell unit 10 is connected to the fuel cell stack 21. The control device 100 has a malfunction detection unit. In this embodiment, the malfunction detection unit detects whether or not there is a malfunction in the first circuit CT1 and whether or not there is a malfunction in the second circuit CT2. The fuel cell stack 21 performs various inspections based on the control of the malfunction detection unit possessed by the control device 100. In the following description, the inspection of the first circuit CT1 will be referred to as the first inspection, and the inspection of the second circuit CT2 will be referred to as the second inspection.

[0026] [Inspection of the first circuit CT1] The following describes in detail the case where the first circuit CT1 is inspected when the fuel cell unit 10 has been removed from the industrial vehicle, with reference to Fig. 3. The flow chart in Fig. 3 shows the procedure for inspecting the first circuit CT1 of the fuel cell unit 10. When inspecting the first circuit CT1, the cover 11 may be in a closed state attached to the frame 12, or in an open state detached from the frame 12. Furthermore, when the fuel cell unit 10 has been removed from the industrial vehicle, the opening / closing part 40 is closed, and the hydrogen tank 30 is not supplying hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack 21.

[0027] First, the control device 100 instructs to execute a first inspection of the first circuit CT1 (step S100). Accordingly, the first voltage system auxiliary 27 of the first circuit CT1 operates using the power stored in the first voltage battery 26. The operation at this time is, for example, the same as the operation when the key of an industrial vehicle is turned on, and is various inspection operations performed at the start and during normal operation. In detail, the first voltage system auxiliary 27 includes, for example, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, various relays, a voltage sensor, and a current sensor. The various inspection operations are for detecting the presence or absence of malfunctions of sensors and relays, and are operations for checking, for example, whether various sensors are detecting normal values, whether welding of relays has occurred, whether various connections have not been broken or short-circuited, etc.

[0028] The malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 acquires the inspection results from the first circuit CT1 and detects whether or not there is a malfunction in the first circuit CT1 (step S102). For example, the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 detects, as a malfunction in the first circuit CT1, that various sensors are not detecting normal values ​​as a result of various inspection operations, that a relay has welded, or that various connections have been disconnected or shorted. If the control device 100 does not detect a malfunction in the first circuit CT1, it ends the process.

[0029] When the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 detects a malfunction in the first circuit CT1, the inspector inspects the malfunctioning part of the first circuit CT1 (step S104). The control device 100 may provide the information to the inspector by, for example, displaying information indicating the malfunctioning part on a display unit or the like provided in the control device. The information indicating the malfunctioning part is, for example, an error code. Furthermore, when the inspector inspects the malfunctioning part, the first circuit CT1 and the second circuit CT2 are controlled to a stopped state.

[0030] [Inspection of the second circuit CT2] The following describes in detail the case where the second circuit CT2 is inspected when the fuel cell unit 10 has been removed from the industrial vehicle, with reference to Fig. 4. The flow chart in Fig. 4 shows the procedure for inspecting the second circuit CT2 of the fuel cell unit 10. When inspecting the second circuit CT2, the cover 11 is attached to the frame 12 and in a closed state. Furthermore, when the fuel cell unit 10 has been removed from the industrial vehicle, the opening / closing part 40 is closed, and the hydrogen tank 30 is not supplying hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack 21.

[0031] First, the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 determines whether or not the lid portion 11 is in the closed state based on the detection result of the open / close detection unit 60 (step S200). If the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 determines that the lid portion 11 is not in the closed state, the inspector attaches the lid portion 11 to the frame 12 and closes it (step S202). For example, if the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 determines that the lid portion 11 is not in the closed state, the malfunction detection unit may notify the inspector that the lid portion 11 is in the open state by a notification unit or the like provided in the control device.

[0032] When the cover 11 is in the closed state, the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 instructs the execution of the second inspection of the second circuit CT2 (step S204). Hydrogen gas that was not used in the test run or the previous run remains in the piping 50. In response to the instruction of step S204, the fuel cell stack 21 of the second circuit CT2 generates electricity using the hydrogen gas remaining in the piping 50. Then, the second voltage converter 22 converts the electricity generated by the fuel cell stack 21 into electricity of the second voltage. The second voltage system auxiliary 24 is supplied with the electricity of the second voltage converted by the second voltage converter 22 via the capacitor 23 and operates. The operation at this time is the same as the operation when the key is turned on in an industrial vehicle, for example, and is various inspection operations performed at the time of start-up and normal operation. In detail, the second voltage system auxiliary 24 includes, for example, an air compressor 15, a hydrogen pump, a cooling water pump, and the like. The various inspection operations include, for example, operations to check whether power generation is normally performed, whether the air compressor 15, the hydrogen pump, and the cooling water pump are malfunctioning, and whether any breaks or short circuits have occurred.

[0033] The malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 acquires the inspection results from the second circuit CT2 and detects whether or not there is a malfunction in the second circuit CT2 (step S206). For example, the control device 100 detects a malfunction in the power generation operation as a malfunction of the second circuit CT2 as a result of various inspection operations. If the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 does not detect a malfunction in the second circuit CT2, it ends the process.

[0034] When the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 detects a malfunction in the second circuit CT2, the inspector responds by inspecting the malfunctioning part of the second circuit CT2 (step S208). The control device 100 may provide information to the inspector by displaying an error code or the like on a display unit or the like provided in the control device. In addition, when the inspector responds to the inspection of the malfunctioning part, the first circuit CT1 and the second circuit CT2 are controlled to a stopped state.

[0035] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the above embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) When the fuel cell unit 10 has been removed from the industrial vehicle, the malfunction detection section of the control device 100 performs a first test to detect whether or not there is a malfunction in the first circuit CT1, which operates using power supplied from the first voltage battery 26, with the opening / closing section 40 in the closed state and the fuel cell stack 21 not in operation.

[0036] Generally, when the first inspection of the first circuit CT1 is performed, the first circuit CT1 operates using electricity generated using hydrogen gas by the fuel cell stack 21. However, as described above, under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act, when the fuel cell unit 10 is removed from the industrial vehicle, the opening / closing part 40 of the hydrogen tank 30 cannot be opened to supply hydrogen gas filled in the hydrogen tank 30 to the fuel cell stack 21.

[0037] In this embodiment, when the fuel cell unit 10 is removed from the industrial vehicle, the first inspection of the first circuit CT1 is performed using the power stored in the first voltage battery 26. With this configuration, it is possible to easily perform maintenance and inspection without using the hydrogen gas filled in the hydrogen tank 30 and without returning the fuel cell unit 10 to the industrial vehicle while it is removed from the industrial vehicle.

[0038] (2) The first circuit CT1 has a first voltage system auxiliary 27 that operates by a first voltage within the first circuit CT1, and the malfunction is a malfunction related to a failure and / or a break / short circuit of the first voltage system auxiliary 27. According to this configuration, the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 can inspect the presence or absence of a malfunction related to a failure and / or a break / short circuit of the first voltage system auxiliary 27, and can perform maintenance and inspection of the defective part.

[0039] (3) When the fuel cell unit 10 is removed from the industrial vehicle, the malfunction detection section of the control device 100 detects via the open / close detection section 60 that the lid section 11 is covering the storage section, and when the open / close section 40 is in the closed state, the fuel cell stack 21 generates electricity using the hydrogen remaining in the piping 50, and a second test is performed to detect whether or not there is a malfunction in the second circuit CT2.

[0040] Generally, when the second inspection of the second circuit CT2 is performed, the second circuit CT2 operates using electricity generated using hydrogen gas by the fuel cell stack 21. However, as described above, under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act, when the fuel cell unit 10 is removed from the industrial vehicle, the opening / closing part 40 of the hydrogen tank 30 cannot be opened and the hydrogen gas filled in the hydrogen tank 30 cannot be supplied to the fuel cell stack 21.

[0041] In this embodiment, with the fuel cell unit 10 removed from the industrial vehicle, the second inspection of the second circuit CT2 is performed using electricity generated by the fuel cell stack 21 using hydrogen gas remaining in the piping 50. With this configuration, maintenance and inspection can be easily performed in the removed state without using the hydrogen gas filled in the hydrogen tank 30 and without returning the fuel cell unit 10 to the industrial vehicle.

[0042] In addition, when the fuel cell unit 10 is removed from the industrial vehicle, the cover 11 may be removed from the frame 12 and in an open state. In this case, when the second inspection of the second circuit CT2 is performed, an inspector may work in a state in which the components of the second circuit CT2 that operate with the high-voltage second voltage power, the positive electrode wire PL2, and the negative electrode wire NL2 are exposed. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the control device 100 performs the second inspection of the second circuit CT2 when the open / close detection unit 60 detects that the cover 11 is attached to the frame 12 in a closed state. Therefore, according to this configuration, the fuel cell unit 10 can be maintained and inspected while being removed from the industrial vehicle and with the cover 11 in a closed state.

[0043] (4) The second circuit CT2 has the second voltage system auxiliary 24 that operates by the first voltage within the second circuit CT2, and the malfunction is a malfunction related to a failure and / or a break / short circuit of the second voltage system auxiliary 24. According to this configuration, the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 can inspect the presence or absence of a malfunction related to a failure and / or a break / short circuit of the second voltage system auxiliary 24, and can perform maintenance and inspection of the defective part.

[0044] The above-described embodiments may be modified as follows: The above-described embodiments and the following examples may be combined with each other as long as they are not technically inconsistent. In the above, the first inspection for the first circuit CT1 and the second inspection for the second circuit CT2 are performed in separate procedures as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, but this is not limited to the above. The first inspection and the second inspection may be performed at the same time in a series of procedures. In this case, the process of step S100 is executed between step S202 and step S204, or between step S204 and step S206. In this case, step S206 detects whether or not there is a malfunction in the first circuit CT1, and detects whether or not there is a malfunction in the second circuit CT2. When the control device 100 detects a malfunction in at least one of the first circuit CT1 and the second circuit CT2, the process proceeds to step S208.

[0045] ○ If there is a large amount of hydrogen remaining in the piping 50, the fuel cell stack 21 may generate electricity using the hydrogen remaining in the piping 50, and the first and second inspections may be performed. In detail, the first voltage converter 25 converts the power of the second voltage generated by the fuel cell stack 21 using the hydrogen remaining in the piping 50 into power of the first voltage, and operates the first circuit CT1. The malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 performs the first inspection in a state in which the first circuit CT1 is operated using the power converted by the first voltage converter 25. On the other hand, there are cases in which the first voltage battery 26 has stored enough power to operate the first circuit CT1 to perform the first inspection. In this case, even if the fuel cell stack 21 generates electricity using the remaining hydrogen, the first circuit CT1 may be operated using the power stored in the first voltage battery 26. The malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 performs the first inspection in a state in which the first circuit CT1 is operated using the power stored in the first voltage battery 26. In addition, there may be a case where the first voltage battery 26 does not store enough power to operate the first circuit CT1 to perform the first inspection. In this case, the malfunction detection unit of the control device 100 may perform the first inspection in a state where the first circuit CT1 is operated using one or both of the power converted by the first voltage converter 25 and the power stored in the first voltage battery 26.

[0046] With this configuration, the fuel cell unit 10 can be safely maintained and inspected while remaining removed from the industrial vehicle, and the inspections can be carried out more efficiently than if the first and second inspections were carried out as separate procedures.

[0047] The configuration for housing the fuel cell unit 10 is not limited to the lid 11 and the frame 12, and may be another configuration. In particular, any configuration is acceptable as long as it can house each part of the fuel cell unit 10 and the parts cannot be touched from the outside except during maintenance and inspection.

[0048] In the above, the first test for the first circuit CT1 and the second test for the second circuit CT2 are performed when the open / close detector 60 detects that the lid 11 is covering the storage unit, but this is not limited to the above. Even when the lid 11 is in an open state in which it is detached from the frame 12, the first test for the first circuit CT1 and the second test for the second circuit CT2 may be performed.

[0049] In the above description, the fuel cell unit 10 supplies power to an industrial vehicle, but this is not limiting. The fuel cell unit 10 may be installed in a moving object other than an industrial vehicle, such as a passenger car, an aircraft, or a ship, or in a power supply facility, and may supply power to such equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10...fuel cell unit, 11...lid portion, 12...DC voltage, 12...frame, 21...fuel cell stack, 22...second voltage converter, 23...capacitor, 24...second voltage system auxiliary equipment, 25...first voltage converter, 26...first voltage battery, 27...first voltage system auxiliary equipment, 30...hydrogen tank, 40...opening / closing portion, 48...DC voltage, 50...piping, 60...opening / closing detection portion, 100...control device, CT1...first circuit, CT2...second circuit, NL1, NL2...negative wire, PL1, PL2...positive wire.

Claims

1. 1. A method for inspecting a fuel cell unit comprising: a fuel cell stack; a fuel tank filled with a fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack; an opening / closing unit capable of opening and closing the fuel tank; a pipe connecting the fuel cell stack and the fuel tank; a first circuit that operates at a first voltage; and a second circuit that operates at a second voltage different from the first voltage, comprising: A control device having a malfunction detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of a malfunction is connected to the fuel cell unit, When the opening / closing unit is in a closed state, the fuel cell stack generates electricity using hydrogen remaining in the pipe to generate the second voltage; the malfunction detection unit performs a second inspection to check for the presence or absence of a malfunction in the second circuit that is operated by the power supply from the fuel cell stack while the opening / closing unit is in a closed state.

23. A method for inspecting a fuel cell unit comprising:

2. the fuel cell unit further includes a conversion unit that converts the second voltage to the first voltage; the conversion unit converts the electric power of the second voltage generated by the fuel cell stack into electric power of the first voltage; The malfunction detection unit further performs a first inspection to detect the presence or absence of a malfunction in the first circuit by supplying power to the conversion unit when the opening and closing unit is in a closed state.

2. The method for inspecting a fuel cell unit according to claim 1.

3. the fuel cell unit further comprises a first voltage battery generating the first voltage; The malfunction detection unit further performs a first inspection to detect the presence or absence of a malfunction in the first circuit that operates by the power supply from the first voltage battery.

3. The method for inspecting a fuel cell unit according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the fuel cell unit includes a frame that defines an accommodation section that accommodates the fuel cell stack, the fuel tank, the first circuit, and the second circuit, a lid that covers the accommodation section, and an open / close detection section that detects whether the lid is covering the accommodation section, the defect detection unit performs the second inspection when the open / close detection unit detects that the lid is covering the frame.

2. The method for inspecting a fuel cell unit according to claim 1.

5. the second circuit includes a second voltage system auxiliary device that operates in the second circuit by the second voltage; The malfunction is a malfunction related to a failure and / or a short circuit of the second voltage system auxiliary.

5. The method for inspecting a fuel cell unit according to claim 3 or 4.

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