# US 10,312,538 B2 · Fuel cell system for vehicle and control method thereof

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- Number: US 10,312,538 B2
- Document ID: US10312538B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/843,377
- Filed: 2017-12-15
- Published: 2018-07-12
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-11
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Takao Watanabe; Shinji Aso; Akihiro Kamiya; Tomoya Ogawa; Junichi Matsuo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312538B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/04992: characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
- B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
- H01M 8/04932: {of the individual fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04947: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors}
- H01M 16/006: {of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries}
- B60L 2240/42: related to electric machines
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- H01M 2250/402: Combination of fuel cell with other electric generators
- H02P 29/40: Regulating or controlling the amount of current drawn or delivered by the motor for controlling the mechanical load
- Y02B 90/10: Applications of fuel cells in buildings
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A fuel cell system for a vehicle includes: a fuel cell; a plurality of loads that consumes power generated by the fuel cell and includes a vehicle driving motor; a secondary battery configured to be charged with excess power when an amount of power generated by the fuel cell is greater than an amount of power consumed by the loads and to discharge shortage power when the amount of power generated by the fuel cell is less than the amount of power consumed by the loads; and a control unit configured to control the amount of power generated by the fuel cell such that an amount of charging-discharging power of the secondary battery is maintained at a predetermined value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell system for a vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell;
a plurality of loads that consumes power generated by the fuel cell and includes a vehicle driving motor;
a secondary battery configured to be charged with excess power when an amount of power generated by the fuel cell is greater than an amount of power consumed by the loads and to discharge shortage power when the amount of power generated by the fuel cell is less than the amount of power consumed by the loads; and
a control unit configured to control the amount of power generated by the fuel cell such that an amount of charging-discharging power of the secondary battery is maintained at a predetermined value,
wherein the control unit is configured to estimate a consumed power value using a transfer function from a command power value for each of the loads,
wherein the control unit is configured to determine a command power value of the fuel cell by dividing a resultant value by a first transfer function of the fuel cell, the resultant value being obtained by subtracting a command power value of the secondary battery from a sum of the consumed power values estimated for the loads,
wherein the control unit is configured to compare an actual generated power value of the fuel cell with a generated power value of the fuel cell estimated using a second transfer function of the fuel cell and to sequentially update the second transfer function of the fuel cell, and
wherein the control unit is configured to restrict an upper limit of a command power value of the motor based on the command power value of the fuel cell at a current time point and the generated power value of the fuel cell at the current time point estimated using the updated second transfer function of the fuel cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to compare an actual consumed power value of the motor with the estimated consumed power value of the motor and to sequentially update the transfer function of the motor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to restrict the upper limit of the command power value of the motor based on a difference between the estimated generated power value of the fuel cell at the current time point and an ideal generated power value of the fuel cell obtained by subtracting the command power value of the secondary battery from a sum of the consumed power values estimated for the loads.

### Claim 4

A control method of a fuel cell system for a vehicle, the fuel cell system including a fuel cell, a plurality of loads that consumes power generated by the fuel cell and includes a vehicle driving motor, and a secondary battery configured to be charged with excess power when an amount of power generated by the fuel cell is greater than an amount of power consumed by the loads and to discharge shortage power when the amount of power generated by the fuel cell is less than the amount of power consumed by the loads, and controlling the amount of power generated by the fuel cell such that an amount of charging-discharging power of the secondary battery is maintained at a predetermined value, the control method comprising:
estimating a consumed power value using a transfer function from a command power value for each of the loads;
determining a command power value of the fuel cell by dividing a resultant value by a first transfer function of the fuel cell, the resultant value being obtained by subtracting a command power value of the secondary battery from a sum of the consumed power values estimated for the loads;
comparing an actual generated power value of the fuel cell with a generated power value of the fuel cell estimated using a second transfer function of the fuel cell and sequentially updating the second transfer function of the fuel cell; and
restricting an upper limit of a command power value of the motor based on the command power value of the fuel cell at a current time point and the generated power value of the fuel cell at the current time point estimated using the updated second transfer function of the fuel cell.