Device and method for controlling cold start of fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537162-B2
Application number	US-201414569746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A device and a method for controlling a cold start of a fuel cell system are provided and are capable of increasing a fuel cell load to reduce a cold start time using a kinetic energy storage method for a rotor of a motor for driving a fuel cell system. The method improves cold start performance by performing self-heating of a fuel cell stack based on an increase in an output current amount of a fuel cell and by restricting a motor torque simultaneously with generating the motor torque while applying a current to a motor when a vehicle stops to consume an output current of the fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for controlling a cold start of a fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell configured to output a current during a cold start condition of the fuel cell system;
an inverter electrically connected to the fuel cell to apply the output current of the fuel cell to the motor during the cold start condition of the fuel cell system;
a rotor of the motor to be rotated forward and reversely at a predetermined angle to generate a torque;
a torque restriction part configured to restrict a torque generated when a rotor of the motor rotates forward and reversely based on an application of current; and
a controller to perform a cold start command such that the output current of the fuel cell is applied to the motor and the rotor of the motor is repeatedly rotated forward and reversely within the predetermined angle range of the motor based on the application of current,
wherein output current consumption of the fuel cell is increased due to power consumed in the motor during the cold start condition.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the torque restriction part is a park (P) stage latch of a reduction gear restrictively fastened with an output shaft that extends from the rotor of the motor to a driving wheel.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the torque restriction part is a hydraulic brake apparatus of a driving wheel.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein in the increasing of the output current consumption of the fuel cell, during operation of the motor, power consumption which is a value obtained by multiplying a forward (+) rotation speed of the rotor by a positive (+) torque generated when the rotor rotates forward (+) is generated and power consumption which is a value obtained by multiplying a reverse (−) rotation speed of the rotor by a negative (−) torque generated when the rotor rotates reverse (−) is generated.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein in the restricting of the torque, shifting to a P stage is performed to restrictively fasten a P stage latch of a reduction gear with an output shaft from the rotor to a driving wheel.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein in the restricting of the torque, a hydraulic brake apparatus of a driving wheel is operated to restrict the driving wheel connected to the rotor via an output shaft.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the output current of the fuel cell is applied to the motor by a cold start command of an upper controller and the angle rotation is repeatedly performed forward and reversely within the predetermine angle range of the motor based on the application of current.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Soon Woo
• Lee Joon Yong

Classifications

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04225

  during start-up · CPC title

• H01M8/04302 Primary

  applied during start-up · CPC title

• H01M8/0491

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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