# US 12,119,522 B2 · Fuel cell vehicle and method for controlling power generation for the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,119,522 B2 - Document ID: US12119522B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/821,033 - Filed: 2020-03-17 - Published: 2021-04-15 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-15 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Jeong Kyu Park; Jae Hoon Jeong; Sae Byeok Seung; Hyo Jun Kim; Sang Chul Yeom; Seung Yoon Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119522B2 ## CPC - B60L 58/30: for monitoring or controlling fuel cells - H01M 8/04626: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors} - B60L 50/75: using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries - B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells - H01M 8/04302: applied during start-up - H01M 8/04303: applied during shut-down - H01M 8/04932: {of the individual fuel cell} - H01M 8/0494: {of fuel cell stacks} - H01M 8/04947: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors} - H01M 8/04955: Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells - H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)} - H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H01M 10/46: Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H01M 10/48: Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) - H01M 16/006: {of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries} - B60K 6/28: characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors - B60L 2260/54: Energy consumption estimation - B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles - B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles - H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing} - 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 - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - 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 - 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 - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - 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 vehicle and a method for controlling power generation for the same are provided. The fuel cell includes a motor supplying driving power for driving the fuel cell vehicle, a fuel cell and a battery supplying electrical power for driving the motor, and a vehicle controller for operating the fuel cell in advance by predicting a shortage of discharge power of the battery by monitoring the discharge power of the battery. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel cell vehicle comprising: a motor configured to supply driving power for driving the fuel cell vehicle; a fuel cell and a battery configured to supply electrical power for driving the motor; and a vehicle controller configured to: predict a shortage of discharge power of the battery by monitoring the discharge power of the battery, and control an operation of the fuel cell before there is the shortage of the discharge power of the battery, when the shortage of the discharge power of the battery is predicted, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to determine a time point for instructing the operation of the fuel cell based on the following factors: 1) a time point at which the discharge power of the battery begins to decrease and 2) present maximum discharge power of the battery, when the shortage of the discharge power of the battery is predicted. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller determines that the shortage of the discharge power of the battery is predicted when the battery is discharged for a preset reference time or more with a preset reference current or more. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a fuel cell controller configured to control the operation of the fuel cell, wherein the vehicle controller transmits a fuel cell operation command to the fuel cell controller to operate the fuel cell controller when the shortage of the discharge power of the battery is predicted. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 3, wherein the vehicle controller determines the time point for instructing the operation of the fuel cell, based on the maximum discharge power of the battery and the present maximum discharge power of the battery. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 3, wherein the vehicle controller changes a discharge power decrease slope of the battery, based on the maximum discharge power of the battery and the present maximum discharge power of the battery. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle controller decreases the discharge power of the battery based on the discharge power decrease slope of the battery, at a time point at which the discharge power of the battery begins to decrease. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 6, wherein the vehicle controller determines whether the battery is able to discharge power as the maximum discharge power, and recovers the discharge power of the battery to a default value when the battery is able to discharge the power as the maximum discharge power. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller determines whether to stop the operation of the fuel cell by comparing a State of Charge (SOC) of the battery with a reference SOC. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 8, wherein the vehicle controller stops the operation of the fuel cell when the SOC of the battery exceeds the reference SOC. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The fuel cell vehicle of claim 8, wherein the vehicle controller maintains the operation of the fuel cell when the SOC of the battery does not exceed the reference SOC.