Fuel cell vehicle with power modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518652-B2
Application number	US-201815938724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A method of operating a vehicle includes, using a master power control module, and in response to a propulsion demand global to the vehicle, operating a master-assigned motor to which a wheeled drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy a share of the propulsion demand. The method additionally includes, using a slave power control module, and in response to the propulsion demand, operating a slave-assigned motor to which the drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy a remaining share of the propulsion demand.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing:
a master power control module including instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
monitor for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on actual information about the vehicle, and thereby identify a propulsion demand global to the vehicle; and
in response to identifying the propulsion demand:
operate a master-assigned motor to which a wheeled drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy a share of the propulsion demand; and
generate simulated information about the vehicle for a slave power control module, the simulated information about the vehicle indicative of a remaining share of the propulsion demand; and

a slave power control module including instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
independently monitor for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on the simulated information about the vehicle, and thereby identify only the remaining share of the propulsion demand; and
in response to identifying the remaining share of the propulsion demand;
operate a slave-assigned motor to which the drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy the remaining share of the propulsion demand.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the master-assigned motor and the slave-assigned motor support a common output coupling to which the drivetrain is mechanically connected.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion demand is a demand to power at least one wheel in the drivetrain.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the master power control module includes instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
in response to a demand to generate electrical energy global to the vehicle, operate a master-assigned fuel cell stack to which the master-assigned motor is electrically connected to satisfy a share of the demand to generate electrical energy; and

the slave power control module includes instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
in response to the demand to generate electrical energy, operate a slave-assigned fuel cell stack to which the slave-assigned motor is electrically connected to satisfy a remaining share of the demand to generate electrical energy.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein by satisfying the share of the demand to generate electrical energy, the master-assigned fuel cell stack generates electrical energy usable to operate the master-assigned motor, and by satisfying the remaining share of the demand to generate electrical energy, the slave-assigned fuel cell stack generates electrical energy usable to operate the slave-assigned motor.

6. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein:
the master power control module includes instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
monitor for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on actual information about the vehicle, and thereby identify the demand to generate electrical energy; and
in response to identifying the demand to generate electrical energy:
operate the master-assigned fuel cell stack to satisfy the share of the demand to generate electrical energy; and
generate simulated information about the vehicle for the slave power control module, the simulated information about the vehicle indicative of the remaining share of the demand to generate electrical energy; and

the slave power control module includes instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
independently monitor for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on the simulated information about the vehicle, and thereby identify only the remaining share of the demand to generate electrical energy; and
in response to identifying the remaining share of the demand to generate electrical energy:
operate the slave-assigned fuel cell stack to satisfy the remaining share of the demand to generate electrical energy.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the master power control module includes instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
monitor for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on actual information about the vehicle, and thereby identify an auxiliary demand global to the vehicle; and
in response to identifying the auxiliary demand:
identify a master-assigned auxiliary demand and a slave-assigned auxiliary demand;
operate a master-assigned auxiliary element to satisfy the master-assigned auxiliary demand; and
generate simulated information about the vehicle for the slave power control module, the simulated information about the vehicle indicative of the slave-assigned auxiliary demand, but not the master-assigned auxiliary demand; and

the slave power control module includes instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
independently monitor for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on the simulated information about the vehicle, and thereby identify only the slave-assigned auxiliary demand; and
in response to identifying the slave-assigned auxiliary demand:
operate a slave-assigned auxiliary element to satisfy the slave-assigned auxiliary demand.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the slave power control module includes instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
in response to identifying the master-assigned auxiliary demand:
operate the master-assigned auxiliary element to satisfy the master-assigned auxiliary demand; and
in response to operating the master-assigned auxiliary element, conduct an operational status check on the master-assigned auxiliary element.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the master-assigned auxiliary element and the slave-assigned auxiliary element each belong to at least one of a braking system, a steering system, a heating/cooling system and an accessory system.

10. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:
using a master power control module:
monitoring for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on actual information about the vehicle, and thereby identifying a propulsion demand global to the vehicle; and
in response to identifying the propulsion demand:
operating a master-assigned motor to which a wheeled drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy a share of the propulsion demand; and
generating simulated information about the vehicle for a slave power control module, the simulated information about the vehicle indicative of a remaining share of the propulsion demand; and

using a slave power control module:
independently monitoring for vehicle demands global to the vehicle based on the simulated information about the vehicle, and thereby identifying only the remaining share of the propulsion demand; and
in response to identifying the remaining share of the propulsion demand:
operating a slave-assigned motor to which the drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy the remaining share of the propulsion demand.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
using the master power control module:
in response to a demand to generate electrical energy global to the vehicle, operating a master-assigned fuel cell stack to which the master-assigned motor is electrically connected to satisfy a share of the demand to generate electrical energy; and

using the slave power control module:
in response to the demand to gen

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Brown Sheldon Z
• Zoia Giorgio L
• Yokoo Takehito

Classifications

• B60L58/40

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

• B60L50/75

  using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/0494

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• B60L3/12

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60L50/90

  using propulsion power supplied by specific means not covered by groups B60L50/10 - B60L50/50, e.g. by direct conversion of thermal nuclear energy into electricity · CPC title