Method and motor vehicle for supplying at least one fuel cell with fuel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11302944-B2
Application number	US-201916383189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2019
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A method for supplying at least one fuel cell of a fuel cell system of the motor vehicle with fuel includes ascertaining or predicting an indication value which is indicative of the real and/or possible mass flow of the withdrawal of fuel from a pressure-vessel system of the motor vehicle and closing at least one tank shut-off valve when the indication value is equal to or falls below a limiting value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for supplying a fuel cell of a fuel-cell system of a motor vehicle with fuel, comprising the act of:
ascertaining or predicting an indication value that is indicative of a real and/or a possible mass flow of a withdrawal of fuel from a pressure-vessel system of the motor vehicle;
wherein a limiting value of the indication value during a phase of non-use of the motor vehicle is a limiting value of non-use, wherein the phase of non-use of the motor vehicle is an inactive phase of the motor vehicle during which the motor vehicle actively receives no instruction from a user of the motor vehicle that requires an operation of the fuel cell of the fuel-cell system of the motor vehicle or of the motor vehicle, wherein the limiting value of the indication value during a phase of use of the motor vehicle is a limiting value of use, and wherein the limiting value of non-use is lower than the limiting value of use.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the act of closing or keeping closed a tank shut-off valve when the indication value is equal to or falls short of the limiting value of non-use.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the indication value is ascertained on a basis of:
a fuel pressure in the pressure-vessel system;
a change of density in the pressure-vessel system; and/or
a power of the fuel cell that the fuel cell provides in operation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the indication value is predicted.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the predicting is made by taking into consideration:
an exchange of heat between a pressure vessel of the pressure-vessel system and the environment during the phase of non-use; and/or
a predicted consumption of fuel during the phase of non-use.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the act of deactivating a fuel-consuming function of the motor vehicle during the phase of non-use of the motor vehicle if the indication value lies below the limiting value of non-use or is approaching the limiting value of non-use.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the act of outputting an item of information if the indication value is equal to or falls short of the limiting value of non-use.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the act of outputting an item of information to a user of the motor vehicle and/or to a third party if the indication value lies below the limiting value of non-use.

9. The method as claimed claim 1 , wherein the prediction is made before a beginning of the phase of non-use.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the acts of:
outputting an item of information during the phase of non-use when the indication value is less than or equal to the limiting value of non-use; and
withdrawing fuel from the pressure-vessel system and supplying the withdrawn fuel to the fuel-cell system, or checking whether a reduction of electrical load of the motor vehicle is advisable, during the phase of non-use when the indication value is above the limiting value of non-use.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Pelger Andreas
• Schott Stefan

Classifications

• B60L58/30

  for monitoring or controlling fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04992 Primary

  characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L2240/36

  Temperature of vehicle components or parts · CPC title