Fuel cell range extender

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189463-B2
Application number	US-201615346056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2016
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle having an electric drive with a power accumulator, a fuel cell, and a control unit configured to control the operation of the fuel cell. The control unit has logic, at least partially including hardware configured to activate and deactivate the fuel cell as a function of a first characteristic map having a first input variable representing a present power demand of the hybrid vehicle which exists over a first defined observation time range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a fuel cell of a hybrid vehicle having an electric drive having a power accumulator configured to charge the fuel cell, the method comprising:
activating and deactivating the fuel cell as a function of a first characteristic map having a first input variable representing a present power demand of the hybrid vehicle which exists over a first defined observation time range, a second input variable of representing a present charge state of the power accumulator, and a third input variable representing a present vehicle velocity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first defined observation time range comprises between 1 second and 5 minutes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first defined observation time range comprises between 1 second and 60 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first defined observation time range comprises between 3 and 20 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the present vehicle velocity comprises a vehicle velocity existing over a second defined observation time range.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second defined observation time range comprises between 1 second and 5 minutes.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second defined observation time range comprises between 1 second and 30 seconds.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second defined observation time range comprises between 2 and 20 seconds.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic map has at least one first hysteresis, so that the characteristic curve for activating the fuel cell as a function of the first input variable is different from the characteristic curve for deactivating the fuel cell as a function of the first input variable.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell is operated at a requested power when the fuel cell is activated, which is a function of a second characteristic map.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a first input variable of the second characteristic map comprises a present power request by a driver of the hybrid vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first input variable of the second characteristic map comprises a present power request existing over a third defined observation time range.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second characteristic map has at least one first hysteresis, so that the characteristic curve for increasing the requested power of the fuel cell as a function of the first input variable is different from the characteristic curve for reducing the requested power of the fuel cell as a function of the first input variable.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic curve for increasing the requested power of the fuel cell as a function of the first input variable is formed stepped.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein a second input variable of the second characteristic map comprises a present charge state of the power accumulator.

16. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:
an electric drive;
a power accumulator for the electric drive;
a fuel cell configured to charge the power accumulator; and
a control unit having logic, at least partially comprising hardware configured to:
activate and deactivate the fuel cell as a function of a first characteristic map having a first input variable representing a present power demand of the hybrid vehicle which exists over a first defined observation time range, a second input variable of representing a present charge state of the power accumulator, and a third input variable representing a present vehicle velocity.

17. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:
an electric drive;
a power accumulator for the electric drive;
a fuel cell configured to charge the power accumulator; and
a control unit operatively connected, the control unit having logic, at least partially comprising hardware configured to:
operate the fuel cell, when activated, as a function of a characteristic map having a first input variable representing a present power request by a driver of the hybrid vehicle, the characteristic map also having at least one first hysteresis, so that a first characteristic curve for increasing the present power request of the fuel cell as a function of the first input variable is different from a second characteristic curve for reducing the requested power of the fuel cell as a function of the first input variable.

Assignees

• Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik Ag & Co Kg

Inventors

• Gutruf Philipp
• Goellner Julian
• Martin Michael

Classifications

• B60L58/31

  for starting of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• Y10S903/944

  Characterized by control of fuel cell · CPC title

• B60L58/40

  for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04298

  Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems · CPC title