# US 2025/0145014 A1 · Fuel cell power management system

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- Number: US 2025/0145014 A1
- Document ID: US20250145014A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/503,094
- Filed: 2023-11-06
- Published: 2025-05-08
- Earliest claimed: 2023-11-06
- Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Inventors: Jared M. Farnsworth; Andrew G. Sata; Daniel C. Folick
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250145014A1

## CPC

- B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
- B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
- H01M 8/0494: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 16/006: {of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries}
- H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC]
- 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
- 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
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC 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 vehicle includes a fuel cell power management system including: a fuel cell; a battery; a charge sensor operatively coupled to the battery; a speedometer; and a processor that includes a memory. The processor is configured to calculate a mapping of desired fuel cell power output as a function of the battery charge and the speed of the vehicle and, using the mapping, the battery charge, the speed of the vehicle, and a motor power request, calculate the desired traction power output of the fuel cell. The processor then sets the traction power output of the fuel cell to the desired traction power output of the fuel cell, sets the desired traction power output of the battery to the motor power request minus the traction power output of the fuel cell, and sets the traction power output of the battery to the desired traction power output of the battery.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle comprising a fuel cell power management system, the system comprising:
a fuel cell;
a battery;
a charge sensor operatively coupled to the battery and configured to measure a battery charge of the battery;
a speedometer configured to measure a speed of the vehicle;
a processor comprising a memory and configured to:
calculate a mapping of desired fuel cell power output as a function of the battery charge and the speed of the vehicle;
using the mapping, the battery charge, the speed of the vehicle, and a motor power request, calculate a desired traction power output of the fuel cell;
set a traction power output of the fuel cell to the desired traction power output of the fuel cell;
set a desired traction power output of the battery to the motor power request minus the traction power output of the fuel cell; and
set a traction power output of the battery to the desired traction power output of the battery.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, if the desired traction power output of the battery exceeds a maximum power output of the battery, increase the desired traction power output of the fuel cell by an amount equal to the exceedance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to, if the increased desired traction power output of the fuel cell exceeds a maximum power output of the fuel cell, set the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the maximum power output of the fuel cell.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, if the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is greater than a first threshold value, set the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the first threshold value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first threshold value is associated with a fuel cell voltage of 0.7 volts.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, if the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is less than a second threshold value, set the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the second threshold value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the second threshold value is associated with a fuel cell voltage of 0.8 volts.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, if the battery charge exceeds a third threshold value, setting the desired traction power output of the fuel cell to zero.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the third threshold value is 75%.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to, if the battery charge does not exceed the third threshold value, using at least some of the traction power output of the fuel cell to charge the battery, and setting the traction power output of the fuel cell at a level that will charge the battery within a specified amount of time.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the specified amount of time is 600 seconds.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is sufficient to overcome an actual road load of the vehicle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the desired traction power output of the battery is sufficient to accelerate the vehicle.

### Claim 14

A method for fuel cell power management, the method comprising:
with a processor comprising a memory:
measuring a battery charge of a battery of the vehicle;
measuring a speed of the vehicle;
calculating a mapping of desired fuel cell power output as a function of the battery charge and the speed of the vehicle;
using the mapping, the battery charge, the speed of the vehicle, and a motor power request, calculating a desired traction power output of a fuel cell of the vehicle;
setting a traction power output of the fuel cell to the desired traction power output of the fuel cell;
setting a desired traction power output of the battery to the motor power request minus the traction power output of the fuel cell; and
setting a traction power output of the battery to the desired traction power output of the battery.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
if the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is greater than a first threshold value associated with a fuel cell voltage of 0.7 volts, setting the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the first threshold value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising: if the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is less than a second threshold value associated with a fuel cell voltage of 0.8 volts, setting the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the second threshold value.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is sufficient to overcome an actual road load of the vehicle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the desired traction power output of the battery is sufficient to accelerate the vehicle.

### Claim 19

A fuel cell power management system, the system comprising:
a vehicle;
a fuel cell disposed within the vehicle;
a battery disposed within the vehicle;
a charge sensor operatively coupled to the battery and configured to measure a battery charge of the battery;
a speedometer configured to measure a speed of the vehicle;
a processor disposed within the vehicle and comprising a memory and configured to:
calculate a mapping of desired fuel cell power output as a function of the battery charge and the speed of the vehicle;
using the mapping, the battery charge, the speed of the vehicle, and a motor power request, calculate a desired traction power output of the fuel cell;
set a desired traction power output of the battery to the motor power request minus the desired traction power output of the fuel cell;
if the desired traction power output of the battery exceeds a maximum power output of the battery, increase the desired traction power output of the fuel cell by an amount equal to the exceedance;
if the increased desired traction power output of the fuel cell exceeds a maximum power output of the fuel cell, set the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the maximum power output of the fuel cell;
set a traction power output of the fuel cell to the desired traction power output of the fuel cell; and
set a traction power output of the battery to the desired traction power output of the battery.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The fuel cell power management system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:
if the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is greater than a first threshold value associated with a fuel cell voltage of 0.7 volts, set the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the first threshold value; and
if the desired traction power output of the fuel cell is less than a second threshold value associated with a fuel cell voltage of 0.8 volts, set the desired traction power output of the fuel cell equal to the second threshold value.