Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023402633-A1
Application number	US-202217974197-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 26, 2022
Priority date	Jun 9, 2022
Publication date	Dec 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell and a control method thereof includes a fuel cell, a hydrogen supply line connected to an inlet side of an anode of the fuel cell and supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell, a hydrogen supply pressure sensor configured for measuring pressure of the hydrogen supply line, and a controller electrically connected to the hydrogen supply pressure sensor and configured for deriving a correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor, supplying hydrogen after air supply is cut off during an operation of the fuel cell, measuring a pressure variation of the hydrogen supply line, and determining whether to use a correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor based on the measured pressure variation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell, the system comprising:
the fuel cell; a hydrogen supply line connected to an inlet side of an anode of the fuel cell to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell; a hydrogen supply pressure sensor configured for measuring pressure of the hydrogen supply line; and a controller electrically connected to the hydrogen supply pressure sensor and configured for deriving a correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor, supplying hydrogen after air supply is cut off during an operation of the fuel cell, measuring a pressure variation of the hydrogen supply line, and determining whether to use the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor based on the measured pressure variation.

2 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to induce charging of a battery until voltage of the fuel cell reaches below effective voltage when the air supply is cut off during an operation of the fuel cell, and to supply the hydrogen when the voltage of the fuel cell reaches below the effective voltage.

3 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to stop supplying the hydrogen when the pressure of the hydrogen supply line reaches a target pressure value when the hydrogen is supplied after the air supply is cut off, and to measure a pressure reduction amount of the hydrogen supply line for a reference time period from a time when the hydrogen supply is stopped, as a pressure variation.

4 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 3 , wherein the target pressure value is a pressure value which is greater than atmospheric pressure and is supplied to the fuel cell above a minimum pressure value required during the operation of the fuel cell.

5 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to store the measured pressure variation of the hydrogen supply line in a memory.

6 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 3 , further including:
a discharge line connected to an outlet side of the anode of the fuel cell to communicate with an outside thereof; and a discharge valve provided on the discharge line to control communication between the outlet side of the anode of the fuel cell and the outside, wherein the controller is configured to supply the hydrogen to the target pressure value after the operation of the fuel cell is terminated, and to open the discharge valve for a reference time period when the hydrogen supply is completed.

7 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to derive a pressure value of the hydrogen supply line detected by the hydrogen supply pressure sensor after the discharge valve is opened for the reference time period, and to determine a difference between the derived pressure value of the hydrogen supply line and the target pressure value, as a pressure error.

8 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to reflect a correction factor in the pressure variation stored in a memory, and to compare the pressure variation in which the correction factor is reflected with a magnitude of the pressure error, thus determining whether to use the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor.

9 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to measure a maximum opening amount and a maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve after the discharge valve is opened, and the correction factor is determined based on the maximum opening amount and the maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve.

10 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to use the maximum opening amount and the maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve measured based on a previously stored reference value of the discharge valve, and to determine the correction factor depending on the maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve when the measured maximum opening amount and maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve are available.

11 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to utilize the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor, when the determined pressure error is greater than a pressure variation value in which the correction factor is reflected.

12 . The hydrogen supply system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to not use the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor, and to eliminate the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor to derive the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor again, when the determined pressure error is smaller than a pressure variation value in which the correction factor is reflected.

13 . A method of controlling a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell, the method comprising:
deriving, by a controller, a correction value of a hydrogen supply pressure sensor electrically connected to the controller; supplying, by the controller, hydrogen after air supply is cut off during operation of the fuel cell; and measuring, by the controller, a pressure variation of a hydrogen supply line of the hydrogen supply system after the hydrogen is supplied and determining whether to use the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor based on the measured pressure variation.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein, in the supplying the hydrogen after the air supply is cut off, the controller is configured to supply the hydrogen so that pressure of the hydrogen supply line reaches a target pressure value.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein, in the determining whether to use the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor, the controller is configured to stop supplying the hydrogen when the pressure of the hydrogen supply line reaches the target pressure value, to measure the pressure variation of the hydrogen supply line for a reference time period from a time when the hydrogen supply is stopped, and to store the measured pressure variation in a memory.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein, in the determining whether to use the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor, the controller is configured to reflect the correction factor in the pressure variation stored in the memory, to open a discharge valve of the hydrogen supply system for the reference time period, then to derive a pressure value of the hydrogen supply line detected by the hydrogen supply pressure sensor, and to compare the pressure variation in which the correction factor is reflected with a difference between the derived pressure value of the hydrogen supply line and the target pressure value, as a pressure error, thus determining whether to use the correction value of the hydrogen supply pressure sensor.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to measure a maximum opening amount and a maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve after the discharge valve is opened, and the correction factor is determined based on the maximum opening amount and the maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to use the maximum opening amount and the maximum opening arrival time of the discharge valve measured based on a previously stored reference value of the discharge valve, and to determine the correction factor depending on the maximum opening arrival time of the di

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Park Hyo Jin
• Kim Won Jung
• Shim Jae Young
• Kim Min Taek

Classifications

• H01M8/04753 Primary

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04388 Primary

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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