Safety apparatus for portable power generation of fuel cell vehicle and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821665-B2
Application number	US-201514938418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Jun 15, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle and an operation method thereof are provided. The safety apparatus includes a fuel cell that supplies power required for driving a motor of the fuel cell vehicle and a battery used as an auxiliary power source of the fuel cell. A bidirectional power converter adjusts input power and output power of the battery. A connection port connects to a portable power generator positioned extraneous to the fuel cell vehicle and a relay is connected to the connection port to adjust supplying of power to the portable power generator. A fuel cell controller determines whether a vehicle state satisfies a portable power generation mode entering condition when start-up of the fuel cell vehicle is turned on and operates the relay based on a confirmation result to perform portable power generation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell configured to supply power required for driving a motor of the fuel cell vehicle;
a battery configured to be used as an auxiliary power source of the fuel cell;
a bidirectional power converter configured to adjust input power and output power of the battery;
a connection port configured to connect to a portable power generator positioned extraneous to the fuel cell vehicle;
a relay configured to be connected to the connection port to adjust the supplying of power to the portable power generator; and
a fuel cell controller configured to determine whether a vehicle state satisfies a portable power generation mode entering condition when start-up of the fuel cell vehicle is turned on and operate the relay based on a confirmation result to perform portable power generation.

2. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the connection port includes:
a pair of power terminals configured to supply operation power of the portable power generator;
a connection signal terminal configured to supply low voltage power to the portable power generator and transfer a connection signal used for sensing a connection state of the portable power generator;
a connection sensing terminal configured to receive a feedback of the connection signal; and
a ground terminal.

3. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the relay is positioned between the pair of power terminals and the fuel cell and the bidirectional power converter.

4. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell controller is configured to limit a manipulation of a shifting lever and stop a torque command for driving the motor when an operation mode of the fuel cell vehicle enters a portable power generation mode.

5. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell controller is configured to supply power of the fuel cell and power of the battery to the portable power generator in a portable power generation mode.

6. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell controller is configured to stop the portable power generation when an operation mode of the fuel cell vehicle is changed from a portable power generation mode into an electric vehicle (EV) mode.

7. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell controller is configured to stop supplying the power to the portable power generator when the start-up of the fuel cell vehicle is turned off in a portable power generation mode.

8. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell controller is configured to stop supplying the power to the portable power generator when a portable power generation stopping command is received in a portable power generation mode.

9. The safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell controller is configured to stop supplying the power to the portable power generator when the connection of the connection port is released in the portable power generation mode.

10. An operation method of a safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
determining, by a controller, whether a vehicle state satisfies a portable power generation mode entering condition when start-up of the fuel cell vehicle is turned on;
changing, by the controller, an operation mode of the fuel cell vehicle to enter a portable power generation mode when the vehicle state satisfies the portable power generation mode entering condition;
limiting, by the controller, a manipulation of a shifting lever and driving of a motor of the fuel cell vehicle when the operation mode of the fuel cell vehicle enters the portable power generation mode; and
supplying, by the controller, power to a portable power generator positioned extraneous to the fuel cell vehicle using a fuel cell and a battery when the manipulation of the shifting lever and the driving of the motor of the fuel cell vehicle are limited.

11. The operation method of a safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein in the determination of whether the vehicle state satisfies the portable power generation mode entering condition, a position of the shifting lever is determined, whether a connection port is connected is determined, and whether a portable power generation command is received is determined.

12. The operation method of a safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
changing, by the controller, the operation mode of the fuel cell vehicle from the portable power generation mode into an electric vehicle (EV) mode; and
stopping, by the controller, the supply of the power to the portable power generator when the operation mode of the fuel cell vehicle enters the EV mode.

13. The operation method of a safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
stopping, by the controller, the supply of the power to the portable power generator when the start-up of the fuel cell vehicle is turned off in the portable power generation mode.

14. The operation method of a safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
sensing, by the controller, a release of a connection to the portable power generator in the portable power generation mode; and
stopping, by the controller, the supply of the power to the portable power generator when the connection to the portable power generator is released.

15. The operation method of a safety apparatus for portable power generation of a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, by the controller, a portable power generation stopping command in the portable power generation mode; and
stopping, by the controller, the supply of the power to the portable power generator when the portable power generation stopping command is received.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ham Keun Bong
• Ryu Chang Seok
• Lee Kyu Il

Classifications

• B60L58/31

  for starting of fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L58/10

  for monitoring or controlling batteries · CPC title

• B60L1/006

  to power outlets · CPC title

• H01M16/006

  of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries · CPC title

• B60L50/72

  Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title