System and method for emergency starting of fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821664-B2
Application number	US-201314047266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for emergency starting of a fuel cell vehicle is provided. In particular, a high-voltage converter, a balance of power (BOP), and a controller are included in the system. The high-voltage converter is configured such that one side thereof is connected to a high-voltage battery via a battery switch and the other side thereof is connected in parallel to a plurality of fuel cells. The BOP is connected in parallel to the high-voltage converter and the fuel cells. The controller is configured to control the power supplied from the high-voltage battery to the BOP without conversion by connecting the battery switch upon the failure of the high-voltage converter or high-voltage battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for emergency starting of a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a voltage converter configured such that one side thereof is connected to a high-voltage battery via a battery switch and a remaining side thereof is connected in parallel to a plurality of fuel cells;
a balance of power (BOP) connected in parallel to the voltage converter and the fuel cells, wherein the BOP is at least one of high voltage auxiliary units and the fuel cells generate electric power when the BOP operates; and
a controller configured to control the supply of power from the high-voltage battery to the BOP without conversion of the voltage converter by connecting the battery switch upon a failure of the voltage converter or high-voltage battery,
wherein the BOP is an air blower and the controller controls a revolutions per minute of the air blower in proportion to a voltage of a high-voltage battery that is applied to the air blower.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when the voltage converter or high-voltage battery fails during idle stop of the fuel cells, maintains the connection of the battery switch, stops operation of the voltage converter, and releases the idle stop, thereby performing control so that the power of the high-voltage battery is supplied to the BOP without conversion.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller, when the starting of the plurality of fuel cells is completed, releases the connection of the battery switch and operates the vehicle solely in a fuel cell mode.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller, before starting of the plurality of fuel cells is completed, does not operate any auxiliary units other than the BOP.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when the voltage converter or high-voltage battery fails during starting, maintains the connection of the battery switch, stops operation of the high-voltage converter, and continues a starting process, thereby performing control so that the power of the high-voltage battery is supplied to the BOP without conversion.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller, when the voltage converter is operating normally and the high voltage battery has failed, does not stop operation of the high-voltage converter, and performs control so that the voltage converter has an output voltage equal to an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of the fuel cells.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when the voltage converter or high-voltage battery fails during EV mode operation, maintains the connection of the battery switch, eliminates a voltage from the fuel cells by performing a process of stopping generation of the fuel cells, and operates the BOP.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when the high-voltage battery fails during EV mode operation, maintains the connection of the battery switch, adjusts an output voltage of the voltage converter to an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of the fuel cells, and then operates the BOP.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when a SOC (state of charge) of the high-voltage battery is lower than a preset minimum SOC during EV mode operation, maintains the connection of the battery switch, adjusts an output voltage of the high-voltage converter to an OCV of the fuel cells, and then operates the BOP.

10. A method for emergency starting of a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
determining, by a controller, whether a high-voltage converter or a high-voltage battery has failed;
connecting, by the controller, a battery switch between the high-voltage converter and the high-voltage battery when the high-voltage converter or high-voltage battery has failed;
stopping, by the controller, operation of the high-voltage converter; and
supplying power from the high-voltage battery to a balance of power (BOP) without conversion of the high-voltage converter in response to connecting the battery switch,
wherein the BOP is connected in parallel to the voltage converter and the fuel cells and is at least one of high voltage auxiliary units, and the fuel cells generate electric power when the BOP operates,
wherein the BOP is an air blower, and
wherein, in the supplying step, the controller controls a revolution per minute of the air blower in proportion to a voltage of a high-voltage battery that is applied to the air blower.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
program instructions that determine whether a high-voltage converter or a high-voltage battery has failed;
program instructions that connect a battery switch between the high-voltage converter and the high-voltage battery when the high-voltage converter or high-voltage battery has failed;
program instructions that stop operation of the high-voltage converter; and
program instructions that control power supplied from the high-voltage battery to a balance of power (BOP) without conversion of the high-voltage converter in response to connecting the battery switch,
wherein the BOP is connected in parallel to the voltage converter and the fuel cells and is at least one of high voltage auxiliary units, and the fuel cells generate electric power when the BOP operates,
wherein the BOP is an air blower, and
wherein the program instructions that control power comprises program instructions that control a revolution per minute of the air blower in proportion to a voltage of a high-voltage battery that is applied to the air blower.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Sang Uk
• Suh Kyung Won
• Lee Nam Woo
• Kim Dae Jong
• Jeon Soon Il

Classifications

• H01M16/003

  of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers · CPC title

• H01M8/00

  Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof · CPC title

• B60W20/00

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title

• B60L3/0046 Primary

  relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title

• B60L58/40

  for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells · CPC title