Fuel cell system and control method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10497995-B2
Application number	US-201715625294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2016
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

There is provided a fuel cell system. When receiving an instruction to start power generation of the fuel cell system, the fuel cell system is configured: (i) to obtain an output limit value of a secondary battery according to a predetermined relationship of a temperature of the secondary battery to the output limit value of the secondary battery by using the temperature of the secondary battery; (ii) to control a battery converter such as to increase a voltage of a smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter to a start-time target voltage that is higher than an open circuit voltage of a fuel cell, such that an output power of the secondary battery does not exceed the output limit value; and (iii) to operate the compressor such as to start supplying the cathode gas by the cathode gas supply system and to open the main stop valve such as to start supplying the anode gas by the anode gas supply system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell;
an FC converter connected with the fuel cell at an input side thereof and with a main wiring on an output side thereof;
a secondary battery;
a battery converter connected between the secondary battery and the main wiring, and configured to include a smoothing capacitor for boosting on a main wiring side thereof;
a battery sensor configured to measure a temperature of the secondary battery;
a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage of the smoothing capacitor;
a cathode gas supply system configured to include a compressor that is operated with supply of electric power from the main wiring and to supply a cathode gas to the fuel cell;
an anode gas supply system configured to include a main stop valve that is operated with supply of electric power from the secondary battery and to supply an anode gas to the fuel cell; and
a controller, wherein
when receiving an instruction to start power generation of the fuel cell system, the controller is programmed:
(i) to obtain an output limit value of the secondary battery according to a predetermined relationship of the temperature of the secondary battery to the output limit value of the secondary battery by using the temperature of the secondary battery;
(ii) to control the battery converter such as to increase the voltage of the smoothing capacitor to a start-time target voltage that is higher than an open circuit voltage of the fuel cell, such that an output power of the secondary battery does not exceed the output limit value; and
(iii) after the voltage of the smoothing capacitor becomes equal to or higher than the start-time target voltage, to operate the compressor such as to start supplying the cathode gas by the cathode gas supply system and to open the main stop valve such as to start supplying the anode gas by the anode gas supply system.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the start-time target voltage is a lower limit value of target voltage of the smoothing capacitor during ordinary operation of the fuel cell system.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the FC converter is configured to include a smoothing capacitor for boosting on an output side thereof, and
the controller is configured to control the battery converter such that a voltage VC(t) of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter satisfies either one of equations given below:
VC ( t )=α×[(2× W out × t )/( C 1+ C 2) + V 1 2 ] 1/2 , and

VC ( t )=[(2 ×α× W out × t )/( C 1 + C 2) + V 1 2 ] 1/2

where Wout denotes the output limit value of the secondary battery; C 1 denotes a capacitance of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the FC converter; C 2 denotes a capacitance of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter; V 1 denotes the voltage of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter before the battery converter is operated; α denotes a coefficient that is greater than 0 and is not greater than 1; and t denotes an elapsed time since a start of the battery converter.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the battery sensor has a function of calculating an SOC (State of Charge) of the secondary battery by measuring a voltage and a current of the secondary battery in addition to the function of measuring the temperature of the secondary battery, and
the controller is configured to obtain the output limit value of the secondary battery according to a predetermined relationship of the temperature and the SOC of the secondary battery to the output limit value of the secondary battery by using the temperature of the secondary battery and the calculated SOC.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the battery sensor has a function of calculating an SOC (State of Charge) of the secondary battery by measuring a voltage and a current of the secondary battery in addition to the function of measuring the temperature of the secondary battery, and
the controller is configured to obtain the output limit value of the secondary battery according to a predetermined relationship of the temperature and the SOC of the secondary battery to the output limit value of the secondary battery by using the temperature of the secondary battery and the calculated SOC.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the start-time target voltage is a predetermined voltage that is lower than a lower limit value of target voltage of the smoothing capacitor during ordinary operation of the fuel cell system.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the FC converter is configured to include a smoothing capacitor for boosting on an output side thereof, and
when Vtar 2 denotes a start-time target voltage of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter, the controller is configured to control the battery converter such that a voltage VC(t) of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter satisfies either one of equations given below until the voltage VC(t) reaches the start-time target voltage Vtar 2 :
VC ( t )=α×[(2 × W out × t )/( C 1+ C 2) + V 1 2 ] 1/2 , and

VC ( t )=[(2 ×α× W out × t )/( C 1+ C 2) + V 1 2 ] 1/2 ,

and the controller is configured to control the battery converter such that the voltage VC(t) of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter satisfies any of equations given below after the voltage VC(t) reaches the start-time target voltage Vtar 2 :
VC ( t )=β×[(2 ×( W out− P aux)( t−tx )/( C 1 + C 2) + V tar2 2 ] 1/2 ,

VC ( t )=[2×β×( W out− P aux)( t−tx )/( C 1 + C 2) + V tar2 2 ] 1/2 , and

VC ( t )=[2×(β× W out− P aux)( t−tx )/( C 1 + C 2) + V tar2 2 ] 1/2

where Wout denotes the output limit value of the secondary battery; C 1 denotes a capacitance of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the FC converter; C 2 denotes a capacitance of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter; V 1 denotes the voltage of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter before the battery converter is operated; α and β respectively denote coefficients that are greater than 0 and is not greater than 1; t denotes an elapsed time since a start of the battery converter; tx denotes an elapsed time until the voltage of the smoothing capacitor for boosting included in the battery converter reaches the start-time target voltage Vtar 2 after the start of the battery converter; and
Paux denotes power consumption during operations of the compressor and the main stop valve.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the battery sensor has a function of calculating an SOC (State of Charge) of the secondary battery by measuring a voltage and a current of the secondary battery in addition to the function of measuring the temperature of the secondary battery, and
the controller is configured to obtain the output limit value of the secondary battery according to a predetermined relationship of the temperature and the SOC of the secondary battery to the output limit value of the secondary battery by using the temperature of the secondary battery and the calculated SOC.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the battery sensor has a function of calculating an SOC (State of Charge) of the secondary battery by measuring a voltage and a current of the secondary battery in addition to the function of measuring the temperature of the secondary battery, and
the controller is configured to obtain the output limit value of the secondary battery according to a predetermined

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kakeno Yuji
• Umayahara Kenji
• Watanabe Takao

Classifications

• H01M8/04201 Primary

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M16/006

  of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/04947

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M8/04373

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners · CPC title

• H01M8/10

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title