摘要 |
A wheelchair T is driven by hybrid control of a fuel cell 3 and a rechargeable battery 5. The wheelchair is driven by a motor M to which electric power is supplied from the fuel cell 3 and the rechargeable battery 5. Electric power is supplied to the motor by hydraulic control based on load fluctuations corresponding to the travel conditions of the wheelchair T. The electric energy generated by the fuel cell 3 is kept at a constant level, and the energy of the lithium-ion battery 5 is additionally used when a high load is applied to the motor such as when the wheelchair is ascending a slope. When excess energy is generated by the fuel cell 3, the lithium-ion battery 5 is charged with the excess energy, thereby minimizing the possibility of exhaustion of the lithium-ion battery 5 so that the wheelchair can travel a long distance. By using a rechargeable battery that is resistant to load fluctuations, the wheelchair can be driven smoothly. By keeping the output of the fuel cell to a constant level, it is possible to prolong its life span. By charging the rechargeable battery with constant electric energy, the load on the rechargeable battery during charging is small, so that the life span of the rechargeable battery can be prolonged too. |