Device and method for controlling operation of fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016380281-A1
Application number	US-201514960420-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 6, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device and a method are provided for controlling an operation of a fuel cell system to improve a momentary output of a fuel cell system and decrease a performance deviation between fuel cells. The device momentarily reduces a cell voltage of a fuel cell or changes a fuel cell system to a state close to a shut-down, return the fuel cell system to a normal condition again, and then enable the fuel cell system to be operated normally by applying the “saw-tooth phenomenon” and the “hysteresis phenomenon.” Thus, a momentary output of the fuel cell system is improved to performance of a highest output level or more expressible in a previous state and a performance deviation between fuel cells is decreased.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for controlling an operation of a fuel cell system, comprising:
a detection unit configured to determine a time, at which improvement of a performance of a fuel cell and a decrease a performance deviation between cells are required; a controller configured to change an operation mode of the fuel cell system to an auxiliary power mode and simultaneously adjust a cell voltage of the fuel cell to be reduced to a specific voltage or less at the time, improvement of a performance of a fuel cell and a decrease a performance deviation between cells are required, and then change the operation mode of the fuel cell system to a normal operation mode again; and a voltage reducing device configured to reduce the cell voltage of the fuel cell to the specific voltage or greater by a command of the controller.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein when a total voltage of the fuel cells for each operation current of the fuel cell system is equal to or less than a threshold value, and an average voltage of the fuel cells is equal to or less than a threshold value, the detection unit is configured to determine a requirement to improve the performance of the fuel cell at this time.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein when a cell deviation, which is a difference between an average voltage of the fuel cells and a minimum cell voltage, is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the detection unit is configured to determine a requirement to decrease the performance deviation between the cells at this time.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein any one selected from the group consisting of: a resistor, a diode, and a battery, which reduce the voltage of the fuel cell to the specific voltage or less by consuming a current of the fuel cell after blocking air for a cathode of the fuel cell, is adopted as the voltage reducing device.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a hydrogen purge line for a cathode is adopted as the voltage reducing device and wherein the hydrogen purge line in configured to reduce the cell voltage to a specific voltage or less by decreasing an air supply flow rate for the cathode of the fuel cell to a minimum flow rate range, and simultaneously supplying hydrogen to the cathode.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein an additional power supply is adopted as the voltage reducing device and wherein the additional power supply is configured to reduce the cell voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined level or less by applying a high current to a fuel cell during a normal operation of the fuel cell.

7 . A method for controlling an operation of a fuel cell system, comprising:
determining, by a sensor, a time, at which improvement of a performance of a fuel cell and a decrease a performance deviation between cells are required; changing, by a controller, an operation mode of the fuel cell system to an auxiliary power mode and simultaneously adjusting a cell voltage of the fuel cell to be reduced to a specific voltage or less at the time, improvement of a performance of a fuel cell and a decrease a performance deviation between cells are required; and when the operation mode is changed to the auxiliary power mode, adjusting, by the controller, the operation mode of the fuel cell system to a normal operation mode.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein when a total voltage of the fuel cells for each operation current of the fuel cell system is equal to or less than a threshold value, and an average voltage of the fuel cells is equal to or less than a threshold value a requirement to improve the performance of the fuel cell at this time is determined.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein when a cell deviation, which is a difference between an average voltage of the fuel cells and a minimum cell voltage, is equal to or greater than a threshold value a requirement to decrease the performance deviation between the cells at this time is determined.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the adjusting of the cell voltage of the fuel cell to be reduced to the specific voltage or less is performed by consuming, by any one selected from the group consisting of: a resistor, a diode, and a battery, a current of the fuel cell after blocking air for a cathode of the fuel cell.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the adjusting of the cell voltage of the fuel cell to be reduced to the specific voltage or less is performed by decreasing an air supply flow rate for the cathode of the fuel cell to a minimum flow rate range, and simultaneously supplying hydrogen to the cathode using a hydrogen purge line for the cathode.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the adjusting of the cell voltage of the fuel cell to be reduced to the specific voltage or less is performed by a process of reducing a cell voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined level or less by applying a high current to a fuel cell during a normal operation of the fuel cell.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Im Se Joon

Classifications

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M8/04953

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

• H01M8/0488 Primary

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04559

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title