Power net system for fuel cell vehicle and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902285-B2
Application number	US-201514680258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A power net system for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a diode having a first end connected to an output stage of a fuel cell stack; a fuel cell load device branched and connected between the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the diode; a first relay positioned between the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell load device and configured to connect or separate the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell load device; and a second relay having a first end connected to a second end of the diode and a second end connected between the first relay and the fuel cell load device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power net system for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a diode having a first end connected to an output stage of a fuel cell stack; a fuel cell load device branched and connected between the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the diode; a first relay positioned between the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell load device and configured to connect or separate the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell load device; and a second relay having a first end connected to a second end of the diode and a second end connected between the first relay and the fuel cell load device,
wherein the first relay and the second relay are not simultaneously turned on.

2. The power net system of claim 1 , further comprising an inverter connected to a node configured to connect the second end of the diode and the first end of the second relay.

3. The power net system of claim 2 , further comprising a converter connected to a main bus stage between the fuel cell stack and the inverter and configured to control a voltage at the main bus stage.

4. The power net system of claim 2 , wherein energy attributable to regenerative braking of a motor connected to the inverter is consumed by the fuel cell load device, when the second relay is turned on and the inverter and the fuel cell load device are connected.

5. The power net system of claim 1 , wherein voltage at the fuel cell stack is reduced by the fuel cell load device, when the first relay is turned on and the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell load device are connected.

6. An operation method of the power net system for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 1 , the method comprising:
connecting the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell load device by turning on the first relay and simultaneously controlling voltage at an output stage of a converter connected to a high voltage battery so that the voltage at the output stage of the converter is lower than a voltage at the output stage of the fuel cell stack, when a collision involving the fuel cell vehicle occurs.

7. The operation method of claim 6 , further comprising blocking the electrical connection between the high voltage battery and the fuel cell stack by turning off a high voltage battery relay that connects the high voltage battery and the fuel cell stack, turning off the first relay, and turning on the second relay, when the voltage at the fuel cell stack is less than a predetermined voltage.

8. An operation method of the power net system for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 1 , the method comprising:
blocking an electrical connection between a high voltage battery and the fuel cell stack by turning off a high voltage battery relay that connects the high voltage battery and the fuel cell stack and connecting the output stage of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell load device by turning on the first relay, when a collision involving the fuel cell vehicle occurs and the high voltage battery is not in a chargeable state.

9. The operation method of claim 8 , further comprising determining whether the high voltage battery is not in the chargeable state by determining at least one of: whether the high voltage battery fails, whether a converter fails, whether a state of charge (SOC) of the high voltage battery has exceeded a safety limit, and whether a collision has been detected by a collision sensor adjacent to the high voltage battery.

10. An operation method of the power net system for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 1 , the method comprising:
blocking the electrical connection between a high voltage battery and the fuel cell stack by turning off a high voltage battery relay that connects the high voltage battery and the fuel cell stack, turning off the first relay, and turning on the second relay, when a collision involving the fuel cell vehicle occurs and the high voltage battery is not in a chargeable state.

11. An operation method of the power net system for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 1 , the method comprising:
determining whether a high voltage battery is in a chargeable state when regenerative braking is performed; and
turning off the first relay and turning on the second relay when the high voltage battery is determined not to be in the chargeable state.

12. The operation method of claim 11 , wherein a maximum value of regeneration braking energy generated by the regenerative braking is output consumed by the fuel cell load device.

13. The operation method of claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the high voltage battery is in the chargeable state by determining at least one of: whether the high voltage battery fails, whether a converter fails, and whether a state of charge (SOC) of the high voltage battery has exceeded a safety limit.

14. An operation method of the power net system for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 1 , the method comprising:
controlling a converter connected to a high voltage battery so that a voltage at an output stage of the converter is higher than a voltage at the output stage of the fuel cell stack and high voltage components connected to a high voltage battery are driven by only the high voltage battery, when a fuel cell system fails.

15. The operation method of claim 14 , wherein the fuel cell system includes the fuel cell stack, a hydrogen supply device supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell stack, an air supply device supplying air to the fuel cell stack, and a heat and water management system controlling an operating temperature of the fuel cell stack and performing a water management function.

16. The operation method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining whether a pressure of hydrogen on an anode side of the fuel cell stack is higher than a predetermined reference pressure when the fuel cell system fails; and
fixing the voltage at the output stage of the converter to a specific voltage when the pressure of hydrogen on the anode side is determined to be higher than the predetermined reference pressure,
wherein the specific voltage is a minimum voltage at which high voltage components connected to a main bus stage are operable or greater.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Sang Uk
• Lee Nam Woo

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

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

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/04888

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M8/04388

  of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title