Method for operating a fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020266463-A1
Application number	US-201816644908-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2018
Priority date	Sep 5, 2017
Publication date	Aug 20, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for operating a fuel cell system, and a correspondingly configured fuel cell system, comprising a fuel cell stack, an anode supply with a hydrogen reservoir, an anode supply path, connecting the hydrogen reservoir to the fuel cell stack, a recirculation path connecting a fuel cell outlet to the anode supply path, and a conveying device for conveying recirculated anode exhaust gas. The method provides for a tank mass flow supplied from the hydrogen reservoir to the anode circuit to be determined by balancing the material flows supplied to and discharged from the anode circuit, wherein the tank mass flow enters the balancing as a material flow supplied to the anode circuit.

First claim

1 . A method for operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack, an anode supply with a hydrogen reservoir, an anode supply path connecting the hydrogen reservoir to the fuel cell stack, a recirculation path connecting a fuel cell outlet to the anode supply path, and a conveying device for conveying recirculated anode exhaust gas, wherein the method comprises:
determining a tank mass flow supplied from the hydrogen reservoir to an anode circuit by balancing the material flows supplied to and discharged from the anode circuit, wherein the tank mass flow enters the balancing as a material flow supplied to the anode circuit.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein hydrogen consumed by the fuel cell stack enters the balancing as a material flow which is discharged from the anode circuit and which is calculated as a function of an electrical current generated by the fuel cell stack.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein an anode exhaust gas, discharged via valves, enters the balancing as a material flow discharged from the anode circuit.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein nitrogen diffused into the anode circuit enters the balancing as a material flow supplied to the anode circuit.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein mass flow signals and/or pressure signals which are obtained exclusively from mass flow sensors or pressure sensors arranged downstream of the jet pump are used for balancing the tank mass flow.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determined tank mass flow is used as the instantaneous consumption of the fuel cell system and displayed to a driver of a fuel cell vehicle, and/or is used for predicting a range of the fuel cell vehicle.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying device is designed as a jet pump which is connected to the hydrogen reservoir on the pressure inlet side, to the recirculation path on the suction side, and to the fuel cell stack on the outlet side, and the determined tank mass flow is used as an input parameter for modeling the jet pump and determining the recirculated material flow and/or the material flow at the inlet into the fuel cell stack.

8 . A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack and an anode supply with a hydrogen reservoir, an anode supply path connecting the hydrogen reservoir to the fuel cell stack, a recirculation path connecting a fuel cell outlet to the anode supply path, and a conveying device for conveying recirculated anode exhaust gas, the fuel cell system being configured to carry out a method comprising determining a tank mass flow supplied from the hydrogen reservoir to an anode circuit by balancing the material flows supplied to and discharged from the anode circuit, wherein the tank mass flow enters the balancing as a material flow supplied to the anode circuit.

9 . A vehicle comprising a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack and an anode supply with a hydrogen reservoir, an anode supply path connecting the hydrogen reservoir to the fuel cell stack, a recirculation path connecting a fuel cell outlet to the anode supply path, and a conveying device for conveying recirculated anode exhaust gas, the fuel cell system being configured to carry out a method comprising determining a tank mass flow supplied from the hydrogen reservoir to an anode circuit by balancing the material flows supplied to and discharged from the anode circuit, wherein the tank mass flow enters the balancing as a material flow supplied to the anode circuit.

Assignees

• Audi Ag
• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Hable Wolfgang
• Lucas Christian

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · 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

• B60L58/30

  for monitoring or controlling fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04097 Primary

  with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence) · CPC title