Method for controlling fuel cell system, fuel cell vehicle, and fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12494497-B2
Application number	US-202217956354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2022
Priority date	Sep 30, 2021
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

An electronic control device of a fuel cell vehicle controls a generated power output that is electric power of a fuel cell, in a manner so that a stored power voltage of a power storage device does not fall below a generated power voltage of the fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling a fuel cell system, wherein
the fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell configured to generate a voltage that is a generated power voltage; a power storage device configured to generate a voltage that is a stored power voltage; a load that is formed from a motor and an inverter, the inverter including a direct current terminal connected to the power storage device, and an alternating current terminal connected to the motor; and a boost converter including an input terminal connected to the fuel cell, and an output terminal connected to the direct current terminal of the inverter and to the power storage device, the method comprising: acquiring the generated power voltage and the stored power voltage; and controlling a generated power output that is electric power of the fuel cell, in a manner so that the stored power voltage does not fall below the generated power voltage, wherein in controlling the generated power output, control is performed in a manner so that: in a low-output region of a load output, which is electric power required by the load, while the fuel cell is maintained in an idle state in which the generated power voltage of the fuel cell is held at a constant voltage incapable of covering the load output, the load output is covered only by a stored power output obtained by varying electric power of the power storage device: in a medium-output region of the load output, the load output is covered by the stored power output with a constant value and the generated power output obtained by varying the electric power of the fuel cell; and in a high-output region of the load output, the load output is covered by the generated power output with a constant value and a stored power output obtained by varying the stored power output.

2 . The method for controlling the fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
in the controlling of the generated power output, control is performed in a manner so that the load output, which is electric power required by the load, is covered by the generated power output and a stored power output of the power storage device in accordance with an output allocation basis determined in advance in accordance with a magnitude of the load output.

3 . The method for controlling the fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
in the controlling of the generated power output, the load output is transitioned from the low-output region to the medium-output region when a differential voltage obtained by subtracting the generated power voltage from the stored power voltage decreases to a threshold differential voltage determined in advance.

4 . The method for controlling the fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein
in the controlling of the generated power output, the load output is transitioned from the medium-output region to the high-output region when the generated power voltage decreases to a threshold voltage determined in advance or when a generated power current exceeds a threshold generated power current determined in advance.

5 . The method for controlling the fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
in the controlling of the generated power output, the load output is transitioned from the medium-output region to the high-output region when the generated power voltage decreases to a threshold voltage determined in advance or when a generated power current exceeds a threshold generated power current determined in advance.

6 . A fuel cell vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate a voltage that is a generated power voltage; a power storage device configured to generate a voltage that is a stored power voltage; a load that is formed from a motor and an inverter, the inverter including a direct current terminal connected to the power storage device, and an alternating current terminal connected to the motor; a boost converter including an input terminal connected to the fuel cell, and an output terminal connected to the direct current terminal of the inverter and to the power storage device; a memory; and a central processing unit configured to execute instructions recorded in the memory, wherein when the central processing unit controls the fuel cell, the power storage device, the motor, the inverter, and the boost converter, the central processing unit executes the instructions recorded in the memory to control a generated power output that is electric power of the fuel cell, in a manner so that the stored power voltage does not fall below the generated power voltage, wherein control is performed in a manner so that: in a low-output region of a load output, which is electric power required by the load, while the fuel cell is maintained in an idle state in which the generated power voltage of the fuel cell is held at a constant voltage incapable of covering the load output, the load output is covered only by a stored power output obtained by varying electric power of the power storage device: in a medium-output region of the load output, the load output is covered by the stored power output with a constant value and the generated power output obtained by varying the electric power of the fuel cell; and in a high-output region of the load output, the load output is covered by the generated power output with a constant value and a stored power output obtained by varying the stored power output.

7 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate a voltage that is a generated power voltage; a power storage device configured to generate a voltage that is a stored power voltage; a load that is formed from a motor and an inverter, the inverter including a direct current terminal connected to the power storage device, and an alternating current terminal connected to the motor; a boost converter including an input terminal connected to the fuel cell, and an output terminal connected to the direct current terminal of the inverter and to the power storage device; a memory; and a central processing unit configured to execute instructions recorded in the memory, wherein when the central processing unit controls the fuel cell, the power storage device, the motor, the inverter, and the boost converter, the central processing unit executes the instructions recorded in the memory to control a generated power output that is electric power of the fuel cell, in a manner so that the stored power voltage does not fall below the generated power voltage, wherein control is performed in a manner so that: in a low-output region of a load output, which is electric power required by the load, while the fuel cell is maintained in an idle state in which the generated power voltage of the fuel cell is held at a constant voltage incapable of covering the load output, the load output is covered only by a stored power output obtained by varying electric power of the power storage device: in a medium-output region of the load output, the load output is covered by the stored power output with a constant value and the generated power output obtained by varying the electric power of the fuel cell; and in a high-output region of the load output, the load output is covered by the generated power output with a constant value and a stored power output obtained by varying the stored power output.

8 . A method for controlling a fuel cell system, wherein
the fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell configured to generate a voltage that is a generated power voltage; a power storage device configured to generate a voltage that is a stored power voltage; a load that is formed from a motor and an inverter, the inverter including a direct current terminal connected to the power storage device, and an alt

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Kenichi
• Suzuki Kenta

Classifications

• H01M8/04567

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M8/04947

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04992

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

• H01M8/04932 Primary

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title