Method for controlling a fuel cell of a work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025326329-A1
Application number	US-202318855095-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2023
Priority date	Apr 12, 2022
Publication date	Oct 23, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of controlling a fuel cell of a working machine is disclosed, the method including the following steps: determining an operating mode of the working machine from at least two operating modes as a function of at least one variable chosen from: a driver presence variable, a motor speed variable, a machine speed variable, a loading mode active variable, a stabilizer variable, a charging variable, and a control activity variable; determining a state of charge of the energy storage unit; and controlling the fuel cell using a predetermined set point as a function of the state of charge of the energy storage unit and the operating mode of the working machine so determined.

First claim

1 . A method of controlling a fuel cell of a working machine, the working machine including a load-handling device formed of an arm and a tool, at least one electric motor that is configured to move the working machine or to actuate the load-handling device, an energy storage unit configured to supply energy to the at least one electric motor, a fuel cell that is connected to the energy storage unit and configured to charge the energy storage unit, a first control member configured to control the electric motor, and a second control member configured to control the load-handling device, the method including the following steps:
determining an operating mode of the working machine as one of at least two operating modes as a function of at least one of the following variables: a driver presence variable representing the presence of a person on a driver's seat of the working machine; a loading mode active variable representing the activity of the load-handling device; a stabilizer variable representing a position of one or more stabilizers; a charging variable representing a state of a button actuating charging mode; and a control activity variable representing the activity of the first control member or of the second control member; determining a state of charge of the energy storage unit; and controlling the fuel cell using a predetermined set point as a function of the state of charge of the energy storage unit and the operating mode of the working machine so determined.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the determined operating modes is an idling mode that is determined by means of the driver presence variable and the control activity variable.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising the following steps:
receiving the driver presence variable and the control activity variable, the driver presence variable being a first presence value when a person is present on a driver's seat of the working machine and a second presence value when nobody is present on the driver's seat, the control activity variable being a first control activity value when the first control member and the second control member have not been activated by a user and a second control activity value when one of the first control member or the second control member has been activated by a user; and determining that the operating mode is the idling mode when the control activity variable is equal to the first control activity value and the driver presence variable is equal to the second presence value.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein one of the operating modes is a charging mode that is determined by means of the driver presence variable, the control activity variable, and the charging variable.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising the following steps:
receiving the driver presence variable, the control activity variable, and the charging variable, the driver presence variable being a first value when a person is present on a seat of the machine and a second value when nobody is present on the seat, the charging variable being a first charging value when the button actuating charging mode is in an active state and a second charging value when the button actuating charging mode is in an inactive state, the control activity variable being a first control activity value when the first control member and the second control member are in a neutral position and a second control activity value when the first control member or the second control member is in an active position; and determining that the operating mode is the charging mode when the control activity variable is equal to the first control activity value, the driver presence variable is equal to the first presence value, and the charging variable is equal to the first charging value.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the operating modes is a charging mode that is determined by means of a machine speed variable representing a speed of movement of the working machine, the control activity variable, and the loading mode active variable.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising the following steps:
receiving the machine speed variable, the control activity variable, and the loading mode active variable, the loading mode active variable being a first loading value in response to a hydraulic flow rate of a cylinder for tilting the tool being in a predetermined flow rate range for a duration greater than a predetermined duration threshold and to the detection of an angle of the arm in a predetermined angle range and a second loading value in response to the hydraulic flow rate of the cylinder not being in the predetermined flow rate range for a duration greater than the predetermined duration threshold and to the detection of the angle of the arm not being in the predetermined angle range, the control activity variable being a first control activity value when the first control member and the second control member are in a neutral position and a second control activity value when the first control member or the second control member is in an active position; comparing the machine speed variable to a predetermined machine speed threshold; and determining that the operating mode is the charging mode when the control activity variable is equal to the second control activity value, the machine speed variable is below the predetermined machine speed threshold, and the loading mode active variable is equal to the first loading value.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the operating modes is a handling mode determined by means of a machine speed variable representing a speed of movement of the working machine, the control activity variable, the loading mode active variable, and the stabilizer variable.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the following steps:
receiving the machine speed variable, the control activity variable, the loading mode active variable, and the stabilizer variable, the loading mode active variable being adapted to assume a first loading value in response to a hydraulic flow rate of a cylinder for tilting the tool being in a predetermined flow rate range for a duration greater than a predetermined duration threshold and to the detection of an angle of the arm in a predetermined angle range and a second loading value in response to the hydraulic flow rate of the cylinder not being in the predetermined flow rate range for a duration greater than the predetermined duration threshold and to the detection of the angle of the arm not being in the predetermined angle range, the stabilizer variable being a first stabilizer value when at least one stabilizer is in an operating position and a second stabilizer value when no stabilizer is in the operating position, the control activity variable being a first control activity value when the first control member and the second control member are in a neutral position and a second control activity value when the first control member or the second control member is in an active position; comparing the machine speed variable to a predetermined machine speed threshold; and determining that the operating mode is the handling mode when the control activity variable is equal to the second control activity value, the machine speed variable has a speed value below the predetermined machine speed threshold, the loading mode active variable is equal to the first loading value, and the stabilizer variable is equal to the second stabilizer value.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling the fuel cell cell includes the following sub-steps:
comparing the state of charge determined to a state of charge threshold; when the state of charge is above the state of charge thresh

Assignees

• Manitou Bf

Inventors

• Brehier Valentin
• Schell Xavier

Classifications

• E02F9/2091 Primary

  Control of energy storage means for electrical energy, e.g. battery or capacitors (energy recovery arrangements in hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2217) · CPC title

• B60L2260/22

  Standstill, e.g. zero speed · CPC title

• B60L2250/22

  by presence detection · CPC title

• B60L2200/42

  Fork lift trucks · CPC title

• B60L3/12

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title