Shutdown control method and shutdown control system of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11245123-B2
Application number	US-201916574853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A shutdown control method of a fuel cell is provided. The method includes applying power to a controller in a shutdown state and determining, by the controller to which the power is applied, a possibility of moisture freezing based on an estimated outdoor temperature or the temperature of a fuel cell stack. A shutdown of the fuel cell is executed by performing moisture removal from the fuel cell stack in response to determining the possibility of moisture freezing after restart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shutdown control method of a fuel cell, comprising:
applying power to a controller in a shutdown state;
determining, by the controller to which the power is applied, a possibility of moisture freezing based on an estimated outdoor temperature, a temperature of a fuel cell stack, or a measured outdoor temperature; and
executing, by the controller, a shutdown of the fuel cell by performing moisture removal from the fuel cell stack in response to determining the possibility of moisture freezing after restart,
wherein the determining of the possibility of moisture freezing includes determining, by the controller, that there is a possibility of moisture freezing when a temperature difference of the measured outdoor temperature minus an outdoor temperature measured in the shutdown state is less than a preset reference value, and
wherein the preset reference value is preset to increase as a change in time from the time of shutdown to a time of measurement of the outdoor temperature increases.

2. The shutdown control method of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the applying of the power to the controller includes activating the controller by applying power to the controller at preset wake-up time intervals in the shutdown state.

3. The shutdown control method of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the possibility of moisture freezing includes receiving, by the controller, the estimated outdoor temperature for a preset estimated time from an outside and determining that them is a possibility of moisture freezing when the estimated outdoor temperature decreases to below a preset first temperature within the preset estimated time.

4. The shutdown control method of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the possibility of moisture freezing includes measuring, by the controller, the temperature of the fuel cell stack and determining that there is a possibility of moisture freezing when the measured temperature of the fuel cell stack decreases to below a preset second temperature.

5. The shutdown control method of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the possibility of moisture freezing includes determining, by the controller, that them is a possibility of moisture freezing when an outdoor temperature is reduced in the shutdown state based on the measured outdoor temperature and an outdoor temperature measured in the shutdown state.

6. The shutdown control method of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the shutdown of the fuel cell includes omitting moisture removal control of the fuel cell stack in response to determining that there is no possibility of moisture freezing.

7. The shutdown control method of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the shutdown of the fuel cell includes discharging, by the controller, moisture out of the fuel cell stack by operating an air compressor configured to supply air to the fuel cell stack at a preset rotation speed when moisture removal control of the fuel cell stack is performed.

8. A shutdown control system of a fuel cell, comprising:
an input device configured to input an estimated outdoor temperature from an outside;
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a fuel cell stack or an outdoor temperature; and
a controller configured to determine a possibility of moisture freezing based on the estimated outdoor temperature input via the input device or the temperature of the fuel cell stack or the outdoor temperature measured by the temperature sensor when power is applied in a shutdown state and to execute a shutdown of the fuel cell by performing moisture removal from the fuel cell stack in response to determining the possibility of moisture freezing after restart,
wherein the controller is configured to determine that there is a possibility of moisture freezing when a temperature difference of the measured outdoor temperature minus an outdoor temperature measured in the shutdown state is less than a preset reference value, and the preset reference value is preset to increase as a change in time from the time of shutdown to a time of measurement of the outdoor temperature increases.

9. The shutdown control system of the fuel cell of claim 8 , further comprising:
a battery configured to apply power to the input device, the temperature sensor, or the controller to activate the input device, the temperature sensor, or the controller at preset wake-up time intervals in the shutdown state.

10. The shutdown control system of the fuel cell of claim 8 , wherein the input device is configured to receive the estimated outdoor temperature for a preset estimated time, and the controller is configured to determine that there is a possibility of moisture freezing when the estimated outdoor temperature decreases to below a preset first temperature within the preset estimated time.

11. The shutdown control system of the fuel cell of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that there is a possibility of moisture freezing when the temperature of the fuel cell stack measured by the temperature sensor decreases to below a preset second temperature.

12. The shutdown control system of the fuel cell of claim 8 , further comprising:
an air compressor configured to supply air to the fuel cell stack,
wherein the controller is configured to perform moisture removal control of the fuel cell stack to discharge moisture out of the fuel cell stack by operating the air compressor configured to supply air to the fuel cell stack at a preset rotation speed in response to determining that there is a possibility of moisture freezing.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Yang Sung Ho
• Jang Jae Hun
• Cho Sung Mun
• Jeon Kang Sik

Classifications

• H01M8/0432

  Temperature; Ambient temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04955

  Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04253 Primary

  Means for solving freezing problems · CPC title