System and method of enhanced purge strategy for fuel cell in vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023261227-A1
Application number	US-202217669932-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Feb 11, 2022
Publication date	Aug 17, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes a fuel-cell system having a fuel cell, a purge valve, and a drain line extending from the purge valve. A controller is programmed to open the purge valve according to a baseline purge routine when the drain line slopes away from the purge valve, and open the purge valve according to an enhanced purge routine when the drain line slopes towards the purge valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a fuel-cell system including a fuel cell, a hydrogen supply, and a purge valve; and a controller programmed to:
responsive to a pitch of the vehicle being within a threshold, control the hydrogen supply and the purge valve according to a baseline purge routine, and
responsive to the pitch of the vehicle being outside of the threshold, control the hydrogen supply and the purge valve according to an enhanced purge routine.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the pitch is based on data from the accelerometer.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the fuel-cell system further includes a drain line extending from the purge valve.

4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the threshold corresponds to a change in sign of a slope of the drain line.

5 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the drain line slopes such that fluid gravity flows away from the purge valve when the pitch is within the threshold, and the drain line slopes such that the fluid gravity flows towards the purge valve when the pitch is outside of the threshold.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a duration of the enhanced purge routine is longer than a duration of the baseline purge routine.

7 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the duration of the enhanced purge routine is based on the pitch.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the duration of the enhanced purge increases as an absolute value of the pitch increases and decreases as the absolute value of the pitch decreases.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the purge valve is commanded open longer in the enhanced purge routine compared to the baseline purge routine.

10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
responsive to a request for freeze preparation and the pitch of the vehicle being within the threshold, control the hydrogen supply and the purge valve according to a baseline freeze-preparation routine, and responsive to the request for freeze preparation and the pitch of the vehicle being outside of the threshold, control the hydrogen supply and the purge valve according to an enhanced freeze-preparation routine.

11 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the purge valve is commanded open longer in the enhanced freeze-preparation routine compared to the baseline freeze-preparation routine.

12 . A vehicle comprising:
a fuel-cell system including a fuel cell, a hydrogen source, a hydrogen ejector, and a purge valve; and a controller programmed to:
responsive to a purge request and a pitch of the vehicle being less than a threshold, (i) open the hydrogen ejector and (ii) open the purge valve for a first duration of time, and
responsive to the purge request and the pitch of the vehicle exceeding the threshold, (i) open the hydrogen ejector and (ii) open the purge valve for a second duration of time that is longer than the first duration of time.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the pitch is based on data from the accelerometer.

14 . The vehicle of claim 12 further comprising a drain line connected in fluid communication with the purge valve, wherein the threshold corresponds to a change in sign of a slope of the drain line.

15 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the second duration of time is based on the pitch.

16 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
responsive to a request for freeze preparation and the pitch of the vehicle being less than the threshold, (i) open the hydrogen ejector and (ii) open the purge valve for a third duration of time, and responsive to a request for the freeze preparation and the pitch of the vehicle exceeding the threshold, (i) open the hydrogen ejector and (ii) open the purge valve for a fourth duration of time that is greater than the third duration of time.

17 . A vehicle comprising:
a fuel-cell system including a fuel cell, a purge valve, and a drain line extending from the purge valve; and a controller programmed to:
open the purge valve according to a baseline purge routine when the drain line slopes away from the purge valve, and
open the purge valve according to an enhanced purge routine when the drain line slopes towards the purge valve.

18 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein a duration of the baseline purge routine is shorter than a duration of the enhanced purge routine.

19 . The vehicle of claim 17 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine a slope of the drain line based on a data received from the accelerometer.

20 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
open the purge valve according to a baseline freeze-preparation routine when the drain line slopes away from the purge valve, and open the purge valve according to an enhanced freeze-preparation routine when the drain line slopes towards the purge valve.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Pryor Martin

Classifications

• H01M8/04228

  during shut-down · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04231

  Purging of the reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04843 Primary

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title