System and method of controlling air blower for fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9847537-B2
Application number	US-201414546463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A system and method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle are provided. The method includes determining an operation amount of an air blower to secure a sufficient air flow rate under present operating conditions and obtaining information regarding clogging of an air channel or information regarding a back pressure using the operation amount of the air blower. In addition, a maximum operating range of the air blower is changed based on whether a present state is an air channel-clogged state or a back pressure-increased state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
determining, by a controller, an operation amount of the air blower to maintain a sufficient air flow rate under a present operating condition;
obtaining, by the controller, information regarding clogging of an air channel or information regarding a back pressure using the determined operation amount of the air blower;
changing, by the controller, a maximum operating range of the air blower in response to determining whether a present state is an air channel-clogged state or a back pressure-increased state;
reducing, by the controller, a stored maximum operating range of the air blower when a present state is determined to be the air channel-clogged state by comparing a measured value of a present air flow with an estimated value of an air flow rate; and
increasing, by the controller, the stored maximum operating range of the air blower when the present state is determined to be a back pressure-increased state by comparing a reference maximum output limit value of a fuel cell stack with a maximum output limit value at a present air flow rate.

2. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the clogging of the air channel is obtained by comparing an estimated value of an air flow rate and a measured value of an actual air flow rate of incoming air, and by determining whether a difference between the estimated value and the measured value is equal to or greater than a first predetermined reference value.

3. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 2 , wherein the air flow rate estimator is air flow rate map data in which an air flow rate with respect to a present operation amount of the air blower is mapped with an air flow rate at atmospheric pressure and room temperature.

4. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 3 , wherein the estimated air flow rate value is used to correct the air flow rate with respect to the present operation amount of the air blower by comparing the air flow map data based on atmospheric pressure and room temperature with an air flow rate at a present air pressure and a present air temperature.

5. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 2 , wherein the information regarding the clogging of the air channel is obtained by determining whether a state where a difference between the estimated value of an air flow rate and the measured value of an air flow rate is equal to or greater than the first predetermined reference value is maintained for a predetermined abnormal operation confirmation period.

6. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 2 , wherein when a present state is determined to be an air channel-clogged state based on a fact that the difference between the estimated value and the measured value is equal to or greater than the first predetermined reference value, a maximum operating range of the air blower is changed to a predetermined safe rotation count.

7. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 6 , further comprising:
outputting, by the controller, a warning signal for warning a driver of the air channel-clogged state is generated when the maximum operating range of the air blower is changed to the safe rotation count.

8. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 2 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, whether the difference between the estimated value of an air flow rate and the measured value of an air flow rate is equal to or smaller than a first predetermined safe standard value when the difference between the estimated value of an air flow rate and the measured value of an air flow rate is determined to be equal to or less than the first predetermined reference value.

9. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, whether a state where the difference between the estimated value of an air flow rate and the measured value of an air flow rate is equal to or less than the first predetermined safe standard value is maintained for a safety confirmation period, and changing, by the controller, the maximum operating range of the air blower to an operating range under initial conditions in response to determining that the state where the difference between the estimated value of an air flow rate and the measured value of an air flow rate is equal to or less than the first predetermined safe standard value is maintained for the safety confirmation period.

10. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the back pressure-increased state is obtained by determining the operation amount of the air blower as a maximum operating range under initial conditions, by comparing a reference maximum output limit value of a fuel cell stack under present operating conditions and a maximum output limit value at a present actual air flow rate of incoming air, and by determining a difference between the reference maximum output limit value and the maximum output limit value at the present actual air flow rate is equal to or greater than a second predetermined reference value.

11. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 10 , wherein when a present state is determined to be a back pressure-increased state based on a fact that the difference between the reference maximum output limit value and the maximum output limit value at the present actual air flow rate is equal to or greater than the second predetermined reference value, the maximum operating range of the air blower is changed to a corrected rotation count.

12. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, whether the difference between the reference maximum output limit value and the maximum output limit value at the present actual air flow rate is equal to or less than a second predetermined safe standard value when the difference between the reference maximum output limit value and the maximum output limit value at the present actual air flow rate is determined to be equal to or less than the second predetermined reference value.

13. The method of controlling an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, according to claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, whether a state where the difference between the reference maximum output limit value and the maximum output limit value at the present actual air flow rate is equal to or less than the second predetermined safe standard value is maintained for a normal operation confirmation period or longer; and changing the maximum operating range of the air blower to an operating range under initial conditions.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kwon Sang Uk
• Lee Nam Woo
• Lee Heon Joong

Classifications

• B60L50/50 Primary

  using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title

• H01M8/04104 Primary

  Regulation of differential pressures · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04664

  Failure or abnormal function · CPC title