# US 10,479,214 B2 · Method and system for controlling air flow supplied to vehicle fuel cell

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,479,214 B2
- Document ID: US10479214B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/214,638
- Filed: 2016-07-20
- Published: 2017-10-19
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-18
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Inventors: Dae Jong Kim; Jae Hoon Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479214B2

## CPC

- B60L 50/72: Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 58/12: responding to state of charge [SoC]
- B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
- H01M 8/04: Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M 8/04126: {Humidifying}
- H01M 8/04395: {of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04552: {of the individual fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04589: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/04649: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants}
- H01M 8/04828: Humidity; Water content
- H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/92: Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
- Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
- 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
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A method and system for controlling air flow is arranged to reduce power consumption of an air blower or an air compressor by controlling air flow, enhance stack performance by preventing stack dry-out that is more likely to occur in a low-flow range, and improve durability of the stack by decreasing frequency of exposure to high voltages.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling an air flow rate of an air blower, supplied to a fuel cell, through an air flow control system, the method being carried out by a program including program instructions executed by a control unit, configured to:
calculate a first current required in the fuel cell corresponding to the air flow rate of the air blower;
compare the first current with a predetermined second current;
calculate a first target air flow rate to be supplied to the fuel cell from the air blower, if the first current is less than the predetermined second current;
compare the first target air flow rate with a second air flow rate that is a minimum air flow rate measurable by a flow sensor;
control the first target air flow rate through one-to-one mapping of a third current required in the fuel cell corresponding to the first target air flow rate and a first revolutions per minute (RPM) of the air blower matched to the third current, if the first target air flow rate is less than the second air flow rate;
calculate a second target air flow rate, if the first current is greater than the predetermined second current; and
control the second target air flow rate through a proportional integral (PI) control of a fourth current and a second RPM required in response to the second target air flow rate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further configured to:
compare a first battery state of charge (SOC) generated from a battery with a predetermined second battery SOC, if the calculated first target air flow rate is greater than the second air flow rate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further configured to:
maintain the second air flow rate as a fixed target air flow rate, if the first battery SOC is less than the predetermined second battery SOC; and
control the fixed target air flow rate through a fifth current and a third RPM required in response to the fixed target air flow rate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further configured to:
calculated a third target air flow rate less than the second target air flow rate, if the first battery SOC is not less than the predetermined second battery SOC; and
control the third target air flow rate through a proportional integral (PI) control of a sixth current and a fourth RPM required in response to the third target air flow rate.