Method of recovering performance of fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11515549-B2
Application number	US-202016994876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of recovering performance of a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system of a vehicle. The method includes determining whether the fuel cell stack is in a state in which a stack performance recovery operation is possible based on information collected from the vehicle using a predetermined stack state determination criterion, determining whether the vehicle is in a state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible based on operation information of a fuel cell system, and performing the stack performance recovery operation upon determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible and that the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of recovering performance of a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by a controller, whether the fuel cell stack is in a state in which a stack performance recovery operation is possible based on information collected from the vehicle using a predetermined stack state determination criterion;
determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is in a state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible based on operation information of the fuel cell system; and
performing, by the controller, the stack performance recovery operation upon determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible and that the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible,
wherein the performing the stack performance recovery operation includes sweeping voltage of the fuel cell stack,
wherein the determining whether the fuel cell stack is in a state in which a stack performance recovery operation is possible comprises:
determining an integrated value of stack current obtained by integrating current output from the fuel cell stack during operation of the fuel cell system;
comparing the determined integrated value of stack current with a current integration reference value; and
determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible, when the determined integrated value of stack current is greater than the current integration reference value, which is the predetermined stack state determination criterion, and

wherein the determining whether the vehicle is in a state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible comprises
determining whether the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible based on a traveling state of the vehicle, a state of charge (SOC) and dischargeable power of a battery connected to a driving motor so as to supply power thereto, and a stack request output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller integrates only stack current having a predetermined lower limit value or more during the operation of the fuel cell system to determine the integrated value of stack current.

3. A method of recovering performance of a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by a controller, whether the fuel cell stack is in a state in which a stack performance recovery operation is possible based on information collected from the vehicle using a predetermined stack state determination criterion;
determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is in a state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible based on operation information of the fuel cell system; and
performing, by the controller, the stack performance recovery operation upon determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible and that the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible,
wherein the performing the stack performance recovery operation includes sweeping voltage of the fuel cell stack,
wherein the determining whether the fuel cell stack is in a state in which a stack performance recovery operation is possible comprises:
determining an accumulated traveling distance obtained by accumulating a vehicle traveling distance when output of the fuel cell stack is equal to or greater than a predetermined first output reference value during traveling of the vehicle and operation of the fuel cell system;
comparing the determined accumulated traveling distance with a distance reference value; and
determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible, when the determined accumulated traveling distance is greater than the distance reference value, which is the predetermined stack state determination criterion, and

wherein the determining whether the vehicle is in a state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible comprises
determining whether the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible based on a traveling state of the vehicle, a state of charge (SOC) and dischargeable power of a battery connected to a driving motor so as to supply power thereto, and a stack request output.

4. A method of recovering performance of a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by a controller, whether the fuel cell stack is in a state in which a stack performance recovery operation is possible based on information collected from the vehicle using a predetermined stack state determination criterion;
determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is in a state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible based on operation information of the fuel cell system; and
performing, by the controller, the stack performance recovery operation upon determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible and that the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible,
wherein the performing the stack performance recovery operation includes sweeping voltage of the fuel cell stack,
wherein the determining whether the fuel cell stack is in a state in which a stack performance recovery operation is possible comprises:
determining an integrated value of stack current obtained by integrating current output from the fuel cell stack and determining an accumulated traveling distance obtained by accumulating a vehicle traveling distance, when output of the fuel cell stack is equal to or greater than a predetermined first output reference value during traveling of the vehicle and operation of the fuel cell system;
comparing the determined integrated value of stack current with a current integration reference value, and comparing the determined accumulated traveling distance with a distance reference value; and
determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible, when the determined integrated value of stack current is greater than the current integration reference value or when the determined accumulated traveling distance is greater than the distance reference value, which is the predetermined stack state determination criterion, and

wherein the determining whether the vehicle is in a state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible comprises
determining whether the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible based on a traveling state of the vehicle, a state of charge (SOC) and dischargeable power of a battery connected to a driving motor so as to supply power thereto, and a stack request output.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
confirming, by the controller, a number of occurrences of fuel cell stop entries upon determining that the fuel cell stack is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible; and
determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is in the state in which the stack performance recovery operation is possible upon determining that a predetermined condition related to the confirming a number of occurrences of fuel cell stop entries is satisfied during operation of the fuel cell system,
the confirming a number of occurrences of fuel cell stop entries comprises:
determining whether a number of times, where a stack voltage when a fuel cell stop occurs within a predetermined time during the operation of the fuel cell system is equal to or less t

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Jeong Seong Cheol
• Kim Jong Gyun
• Kim Dae Jong
• Jung Jae Won

Classifications

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/04111

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• H01M8/04679

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• B60L58/12

  responding to state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• B60L58/40 Primary

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