Controlling method and device of fuel cell system with multiple stack towers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020168921-A1
Application number	US-201816202335-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Nov 22, 2018
Publication date	May 28, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A controlling device of a fuel cell system with multiple stack towers and a controlling method thereof are provided. The controlling device comprises a temperature sensing equipment, a processor and a pulse width modulation circuit. The fuel cell system comprises multiple fuel cell stacks. The controlling method further comprises: calculating an average temperature of the fuel cell stacks based on the temperatures of the fuel cell stacks by the temperature sensing equipment; determining whether differences between the average temperature and the temperatures of the fuel cell stacks fall within a preset range of average temperature difference by the processor, and adjusting an output current of at least one of the fuel cell stacks by the pulse width modulation circuit commanded by the processor when the difference between the average temperature and the temperature of the at least one fuel cell stack falls outside the preset range of average temperature difference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A controlling method of a fuel cell system with multiple stack towers, with the fuel cell system having a plurality of fuel cell stacks, with the controlling method comprising:
measuring temperatures of the fuel cell stacks; calculating an average temperature of the fuel cell stacks according to the temperatures of the fuel cell stacks; determining whether a difference between the temperature of each of the fuel cell stacks and the average temperature falls within a preset range of average temperature difference; and adjusting an output current of at least one of the fuel cell stacks when the difference between the temperature of the at least one fuel cell stack and the average temperature falls outside the preset range of average temperature difference.

2 . The controlling method in claim 1 , decreasing the output current of the at least one fuel cell stack when the temperature of the at least one fuel cell stack is higher than the average temperature.

3 . The controlling method in claim 1 , increasing the output current of the at least one fuel cell stack when the temperature of the at least one fuel cell stack is lower than the average temperature.

4 . The controlling method in claim 1 , further comprising determining whether a difference between the average temperature and a preset operating temperature of the fuel cell system falls within a preset range of operating temperature difference before adjusting the output current of the at least one fuel cell stack, and adjusting an air flow rate of the fuel cell system when the difference between the average temperature and the preset operating temperature falls outside the preset range of operating temperature difference.

5 . The controlling method in claim 4 , raising the air flow rate of the fuel cell system when the difference between the average temperature and the preset operating temperature falls outside the preset range of operating temperature difference and the average temperature is higher than the preset operating temperature.

6 . The controlling method in claim 4 , lowering the air flow rate of the fuel cell system when the difference between the average temperature and the preset operating temperature falls outside the preset range of operating temperature difference and the average temperature is lower than the preset operating temperature.

7 . The controlling method in claim 1 , further comprising lowering an air flow rate of the fuel cell system after adjusting the output current of the at least one fuel cell stack.

8 . The controlling method in claim 7 , further comprising determining whether a difference between temperature rising rates of any two of the fuel cell stacks is lower than a preset threshold value after lowering the air flow rate, and adjusting the output current of the at least one fuel cell stack when the difference between the temperature rising rates of said any two of the fuel cell stacks is not lower than the preset threshold value.

9 . The controlling method in claim 8 , decreasing the output current of the at least one of the fuel cell stacks having a higher temperature rising rate when the temperature rising rate of the at least one fuel cell stack is higher than the temperature rising rates of other fuel cell stacks and the differences between the temperature rising rate of the at least one fuel cell stack having the higher temperature rising rate and the temperature rising rates of other fuel cell stacks are not lower than the preset threshold value.

10 . The controlling method in claim 8 , increasing the output current of the at least one of the fuel cell stacks having a lower temperature rising rate when the temperature rising rate of the at least one fuel cell stack is lower than the temperature rising rates of other fuel cell stacks and the difference between the temperature rising rate of the at least one fuel cell stack having the lower temperature rising rate and the temperature rising rates of other fuel cell stacks are not lower than the preset threshold value.

11 . A controlling device of a fuel cell system with multiple stack towers, with the fuel cell system having a plurality of fuel cell stacks and an air support tube connected to the fuel cell stacks, with the controlling device comprising:
a temperature sensing equipment configured to electrically connect to the fuel cell stacks so as to measure a temperature of each of the fuel cell stacks; an air flow rate sensor configured to connect to the air supply tube for measuring an air flow rate of the air supply tube; a processor, electrically connected to the air flow rate sensor and the temperature sensing equipment, with the processor calculating an average temperature of the fuel cell stacks according to the temperatures of the fuel cell stacks, and selectively adjusting the air flow rate according to the average temperature and the temperature of each of the fuel cell stacks; and a pulse width modulation circuit, electrically connected to the processor and the fuel cell stacks, with the processor selectively instructing the pulse width modulation circuit to adjust an output current of each of the fuel cell stacks according to the temperature of each of the fuel cell stacks and the average temperature.

12 . The controlling device in claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensing equipment comprises a plurality of temperature sensors, and the temperature sensors are connected to the fuel cell stacks respectively.

13 . The controlling device in claim 11 , wherein the pulse width modulation circuit outputs a pulse width modulation signal, the output current of the fuel cell stack receiving the pulse width modulation signal rises when a duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal is raised.

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Yang Cheng-Hao
• Chang Shing-Cheng
• Lin Heng-Ju
• Lee Chia-Hsin
• Hung Chien-Chang
• Chang Wen-Sheng

Classifications

• H01M8/04753 Primary

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/249

  comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies · CPC title

• H01M8/0491

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/0432 Primary

  Temperature; Ambient temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/04395

  of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title