Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-11
2001-07-24
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S044000, C700S056000, C700S085000, C700S258000, C700S260000, C700S264000, C701S023000, C318S568120, C414S005000, C414S730000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266576
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a legged moving robot, and more particularly to a system for controlling the amount of electric energy generated by a fuel cell on a legged moving robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, legged moving robots have been powered by an external power supply connected via a power cable or a secondary battery such as lithium-ion battery or the like. However, a legged moving robot that is powered by an external power supply connected thereto via a power cable suffers a serious problem in that the range of movement of the legged moving robot is limited by the power cable.
A legged moving robot that is powered by a secondary battery such as lithium-ion battery or the like carried thereon is free of limitations on the range of movement thereof. However, the energy storage capacity of the secondary battery is limited because of a limited weight which can be borne by the legged moving robot. Conventionally, the energy storage capacity of secondary batteries available for use on legged moving robots has limited the continuous walking time of the legged moving robots to about 30 minutes. Furthermore, the secondary batteries have been disadvantageous in that it takes a relatively long period of time to charge the secondary batteries.
One solution would be to install an engine-operated electric generator on legged moving robots. Since, however, the engine of the electric generator emits harmful exhaust gases and causes vibrations, the engine-operated electric generator is not suitable for use on legged moving robots particularly if they operate in such environments which demand cooperation with human beings.
According to one proposal, a fuel cell which has a greater energy storage capacity per weight than lithium-ion batteries and which neither emits harmful gases nor causes vibrations is installed as a power source on a legged moving robot. The output electric energy from the fuel cell varies depending on the amount of hydrogen supplied as a fuel to the fuel cell.
Hydrogen is generated by a reformer from a fuel such as methanol or the like by way of a chemical reaction. The amount of hydrogen generated by the reformer can be increased by increasing the temperature of a heater of the reformer or increasing both the amount of air supplied to the reformer and the amount of a fossil fuel supplied to the reformer to increase the pressure for thereby accelerating the chemical reaction. For this reason, after the reformer is instructed to increase the amount of hydrogen generated thereby, it takes a certain period of time or time delay before the amount of hydrogen generated by the reformer is actually increased.
When the load on an actuating system including a motor on the legged moving robot is abruptly increased as when the legged moving robot starts walking, the reformer is instructed to increase the amount of hydrogen generated thereby for enabling the fuel cell to generate electric energy large enough to meet the load. However, on account of the above time delay, the amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell does not immediately increase, possibly resulting in a shortage of electric energy supplied from the fuel cell to the actuating system.
In order to eliminate the above time delay, a reservoir tank for storing hydrogen may be connected to a fuel passage extending from the reformer to the fuel cell. The reservoir tank needs to be of a sufficiently large size to be able to supply an amount of fuel to the fuel cell which can meet the abrupt increase in the load as when the legged moving robot starts walking because the legged moving robot consumes largely different amounts of electric energy when it is at rest and when it is walking. The large-size reservoir tank requires a large installation space and is relatively heavy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a legged moving robot which does not have a large-size reservoir tank and which prevents a shortage of electric energy from a fuel cell when the load on an actuating system of the robot is abruptly increased.
To achieve the above object, there is provided in accordance with the present invention a legged moving robot having an action plan function to operate according to a predetermined action plan, comprising a fuel cell for supplying operating electric energy for the legged moving robot, operation control means for controlling operation of the legged moving robot according to the action plan, and electric generation managing means for monitoring a state of the fuel cell and contents of the action plan and for regulating an amount of electric energy generated by the fuel cell depending on the action plan.
The legged moving robot is controlled in its operation according to the action plan by the operation control means. The electric generation managing means monitors both a state of the fuel cell and contents of the action plan, and regulates an amount of electric energy generated by the fuel cell depending on the action plan. When the action plan is executed, the electric generation managing means control the amount of electric energy generated by the fuel cell so as not to bring about a shortage of the output electric energy from the fuel cell. The fuel cell which has a large energy storage capacity per weight can be used as the power supply of the legged moving robot.
The legged moving robot may further comprise raw material storage means for storing a raw material from which to generate a fuel for the fuel cell, and a reformer for generating the fuel for the fuel cell from the raw material supplied from the raw material storage means and supplying the generated fuel to the fuel cell, the electric generation managing means comprising means for directing a change in an amount of the fuel to be generated to the reformer depending on an amount of the fuel consumed by the fuel cell, analyzing the contents of the action plan before the action plan is executed, and, if it is recognized from the action plan that the legged moving robot will operate under a large load requiring at least a predetermined level of electric energy from the fuel cell, carrying out an anticipatory process to direct the reformer to increase the amount of the fuel to be generated thereby before the legged moving robot operates under the large load.
If it is recognized from the action plan that the legged moving robot will operate under a large load, then the electric generation managing means directs the reformer to increase the amount of the fuel to be generated thereby. Therefore, before the legged moving robot operates under the large load, the amount of the fuel supplied from the reformer to the fuel cell can be increased. In this manner, a shortage of the output electric energy from the fuel cell is prevented when the legged moving robot operates under the large load. A large-size reservoir tank for storing the fuel is not required to provide against the operation of the legged moving robot under the large load.
The legged moving robot may further comprise a reservoir tank for storing the fuel generated by the reformer and supplying the fuel to the fuel cell, the electric generation managing means comprising means for carrying out the anticipatory process so that a pressure in the reservoir tank will not exceed a predetermined upper pressure limit.
When the anticipatory process is performed, the pressure in the reservoir tank increases progressively due to the fuel supplied from the reformer. If the pressure in the reservoir tank exceeds an upper pressure limit of the reservoir tank, then the reservoir tank will be liable to be damaged.
The anticipatory process is carried out so that the pressure in the reservoir tank will not exceed the upper pressure limit, for thereby preventing the reservoir tank from being damaged. Since the pressure in the reservoir tank does not exceed the upper pressure limit in the anticipatory process, the reservoir tank may be of a minimum size required depending on the upper pressur
Ogawa Ken-ichi
Ogawa Naohide
Okada Yasushi
Ozawa Nobuaki
Takenaka Toru
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Cuchlinski, Jr. William A
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Marc McDieunel
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