Turbo compressor path and rate control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10862143-B2
Application number	US-201916262792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2019
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices of a control system. The control system includes a fuel cell stack. The control system includes a compressor that is configured to control and provide a total air flow within the vehicle. The compressor has an air pressure ratio and an air flow rate and operates at a speed. The control system includes an electronic control unit coupled to the fuel cell stack and the compressor. The electronic control unit is configured to determine a path associated with one or more adjustments to the air pressure ratio or the air flow rate. The electronic control unit is configured to determine a rate associated with the one or more adjustments based on the path and control at least one of the air pressure ratio, the speed or the air flow rate to operate the compressor based on the path and the rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling air flow within a vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell stack configured to generate electrical energy;
a compressor configured to operate at a speed and provide a total air flow within the vehicle, the compressor having an air pressure ratio and an air flow rate; and
an electronic control unit coupled to the fuel cell stack and the compressor, and programmed to:
determine a path associated with one or more adjustments that transition the air pressure ratio to a target air pressure ratio and the air flow rate to a target air flow rate,
determine a rate associated with the one or more adjustments based on the path, and
control at least one of the air pressure ratio, the speed or the air flow rate based on the path and the rate.

2. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bypass path that directs air flow toward an exhaust and away from the fuel cell stack; and
a bypass valve that is configured to split the total air flow into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the total air flow is directed into the fuel cell stack and the second portion of the total air flow is directed toward the bypass path.

3. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the compressor provides the air flow that is sent to the fuel cell stack or the bypass path via the bypass valve.

4. The control system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a back pressure valve that is configured to create pressure back to the compressor, wherein to control the at least one of the air pressure ratio, the speed or the air flow rate the electronic control unit is programmed to:
control one or more positions of the back pressure valve or the bypass valve or the speed of the compressor to adjust the air flow rate.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is programmed to:
calculate a sensitivity between the pressure ratio and the air flow rate, wherein the sensitivity indicates a change in the pressure ratio relative to a change in the air flow rate when the speed is constant; and
determine the path and the rate further based on the sensitivity.

6. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the electronic control unit is programmed to:
optimize the path and the rate to minimize a response time; and
control the at least one of the air pressure ratio, the speed or the air flow rate further based on the optimized path and the optimized rate.

7. The control system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a back pressure valve that is configured to create pressure back to the compressor; and
a bypass valve that is configured to split the total air flow;
wherein to control the at least one of the air pressure ratio, the speed or the air flow rate the electronic control unit is programmed to:
adjust a position of the back pressure valve or the bypass valve, or
adjust the speed of the compressor.

8. A method for controlling air flow within a vehicle, comprising:
determining, by a processor and using one or more sensors, an air flow rate, a pressure ratio and a sensitivity that indicates an amount of change in the air flow rate that occurs relative to an amount of change in the pressure ratio;
determining by the processor, a sensitive region, a non-sensitive region and a sensitive boundary line that represents a boundary of the sensitive region and the non-sensitive region based on the sensitivity;
determining, by the processor, a target air flow rate and a target pressure ratio;
determining, by the processor, a path to transition the air flow rate to the target air flow rate and the pressure ratio to the target pressure ratio;
determining, by the processor, a rate based on the path and the sensitivity; and
controlling, by the processor, one or more actuators to adjust the air flow rate and the pressure ratio based on the rate and the path.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the path to transition the air flow rate to the target air flow rate and the pressure ratio to the target pressure ratio includes:
determining a sensitive region, a non-sensitive region, and a sensitive boundary line between the sensitive region and the non-sensitive region based on a path mapping; and
determining an optimal slope based on the air flow rate, the pressure ratio and the sensitive boundary line.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the optimal slope includes:
determining an intermediary target point on the sensitive boundary line that corresponds to an intermediary pressure ratio and an intermediary pressure air flow rate; and
determining the optimal slope based on the air flow rate, the pressure ratio and the intermediary pressure ratio and the intermediary pressure air flow rate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the intermediary target point is based on a path mapping.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a convergence slope based on a point that corresponds to the air flow rate and the pressure ratio and a target point that corresponds to the target air flow rate and the target pressure ratio; and
transitioning the optimal slope to the convergence slope when at least one of the air flow rate is within a threshold amount of the target air flow rate or the pressure ratio is within a threshold amount of the target pressure ratio.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the rate based on the path and the sensitivity includes:
determining a first step size along the optimal slope for a maximum change of pressure ratio and corresponding change of flow rate;
determining a second step size along the optimal slope for a maximum change of flow rate and corresponding change of pressure ratio; and
selecting the first step size as an allowable step size for the rate when the first step size is less than or equal to the second step size and the second step size as the allowable step size for the rate when the second step size is less than the first step size.

14. A control system for controlling air flow within a vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell stack configured to generate electrical energy;
a compressor configured to operate at a speed and provide a total air flow within the vehicle and having an air pressure ratio and an air flow rate;
a bypass valve that is configured to split the total air flow between a bypass path and the fuel cell stack; and
an electronic control unit coupled to the fuel cell stack and the compressor and programmed to:
determine a path associated with one or more adjustments that transition the air pressure ratio to a target air pressure ratio and the air flow rate to a target air flow rate,
determine a transition rate associated with the one or more adjustments based on the path, and
control the compressor or the bypass valve to adjust at least one of the air pressure ratio, the speed or the air flow rate based on the path and the transition rate.

15. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the compressor provides the air flow that is sent to the fuel cell stack or the bypass path via the bypass valve.

16. The control system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a back pressure valve that is configured to create pressure back to the compressor, wherein to control the at least one of the air pressure ratio, the speed or the air flow rate the electronic control unit is programmed to:
control one or more positions of the back pressure valve or the bypass valve or the speed of the compressor to adjust the air flow rate.

17. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the electronic control unit is progra

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Farnsworth Jared M
• Folick Daniel
• Hasegawa Shigeki
• Tomi Naoki

Classifications

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04753 Primary

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• F02D41/0007 Primary

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title