Advanced shutdown strategy to improve safety and efficiency of fuel cell vehicles
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsReiner Wilpsbaeumer, Sebastian Lienkamp, Andreas Voigt
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode reactant source and a shut-off valve that selectively prohibits anode reactant flow from the anode reactant source to the fuel cell stack through a conduit. A control module initiates closure of the shut-off valve to prohibit anode reactant flow through the conduit and determines a shutdown schedule based on a residual mass of the anode reactant within the conduit. The control module operates the fuel cell system using the residual mass and based on the shutdown schedule.
Claims12
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell stack;
- an anode reactant source;
- a shut-off valve that selectively prohibits anode reactant flow from said anode reactant source to said fuel cell stack through a conduit;
- and
- a control module that initiates closure of said shut-off valve to prohibit anode reactant flow through said conduit, that determines a shutdown schedule based on a residual mass of said anode reactant within said conduit and that operates said fuel cell system using said residual mass and based on said shutdown schedule.
A method of shutting down a fuel cell system, comprising:
- closing a shut-off valve to prohibit anode reactant flow through a conduit that connects an anode reactant source and a fuel cell stack;
- determining a shutdown schedule based on a residual mass of an anode reactant within said conduit;
- and
- operating said fuel cell system using said residual mass and based on said shutdown schedule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.