Startup control method and control system for fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019288307-A1
Application number	US-201816049009-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A startup control method for a fuel cell is provided. The method includes calculating available power of a high-voltage battery when a startup of the fuel cell is requested. An air compressor is then driven based on a calculated magnitude of the available power of the high-voltage battery and a low-voltage battery is charged with the power of the high-voltage battery after the driving of the air compressor is completed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A startup control method for a fuel cell, comprising:
calculating, by a controller, available power of a high-voltage battery when a startup of the fuel cell is requested; driving, by the controller, an air compressor based on a calculated magnitude of the available power of the high-voltage battery; and charging, by the controller, a low-voltage battery with the power of the high-voltage battery after the driving of the air compressor is completed.

2 . The startup control method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to the driving of the air compressor, comparing, by the controller, the calculated available power of the high-voltage battery with driving power required for the driving of the air compressor at a predetermined fixed target rotation speed, wherein in response to determining that the available power of the high-voltage battery is less than the driving power of the air compressor, a target rotation speed is varied to adjust the driving of the air compressor.

3 . The startup control method of claim 2 , wherein in response to determining that the available power of the high-voltage battery is equal to or greater than the driving power of the air compressor, the air compressor is operated at the predetermined fixed target rotation speed.

4 . The startup control method of claim 1 , wherein the available power of the high-voltage battery is calculated based on a temperature and a state of charge (SOC) of the high-voltage battery at the time of the startup request of the fuel cell.

5 . The startup control method of claim 2 , wherein the air compressor is driven at a target rotation speed varying in response to an increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor, and the increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor is determined based on the calculated magnitude of the available power of the high-voltage battery.

6 . The startup control method of claim 5 , wherein the increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor is determined to be increased as the magnitude of the available power of the high voltage battery is increased.

7 . The startup control method of claim 5 , wherein the driving of the air compressor further includes:
determining, by the controller, an opening degree of a pressure control valve formed in an air discharge line of the fuel cell in response to the determined increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor; and operating, by the controller, the pressure control valve based on the determined opening degree.

8 . The startup control method of claim 7 , wherein the opening degree of the pressure control valve is determined to be reduced as the increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor is increased.

9 . The startup control method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating, by a controller, a low-voltage converter disposed between the high-voltage battery to charge the low-voltage battery.

10 . A startup control system for a fuel cell, comprising:
a fuel cell; an air compressor configured to supply air to the fuel cell; a low-voltage battery configured to supply power to electric parts; a high-voltage battery configured to supply stored power to the air compressor or the low-voltage battery; and a controller configured to:
calculate available power of the high-voltage battery when the startup of the fuel cell is requested;
drive the air compressor based on a calculated magnitude of the available power of the high-voltage battery; and
charge the low-voltage battery using the power of the high-voltage battery after the driving control of the air compressor is completed.

11 . The startup control system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to drive the air compressor at a target rotation speed varying in response to an increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor, and the increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor is determined based on the calculated magnitude of the available power of the high-voltage battery.

12 . The startup control system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a pressure control valve disposed on an air discharge line of the fuel cell, wherein the controller is configured to determine an opening degree of a pressure control valve formed on an air discharge line of the fuel cell in response to the determined increasing rate of the rotation speed of the air compressor and operate the pressure control valve based on the determined opening degree.

13 . The startup control system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a low-voltage converter disposed between the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage battery, wherein the controller is configured to operate the low-voltage converter to charge the low-voltage battery with the power of the high-voltage battery.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Mi Sun
• Kim Dae Jong

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04626

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

• H01M8/04302 Primary

  applied during start-up · CPC title

• B60L50/75

  using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries · CPC title