US 2026/0109268 A1Published application

Managing transition of a fuel cell vehicle to a hot operating mode

AssigneeVolvo Truck Corporation

InventorsFredrik BLOMGREN, Gustavo HINDI, Parthav DESAI

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Abstract

A system and method controls transition of a fuel cell vehicle from a normal operating mode to a hot operating mode when a power demand from a fuel cell system of the fuel cell vehicle increases. The method includes determining a required value of a traction power from the fuel cell system for the fuel cell vehicle; determining a net electric power output value of the fuel cell system based on a fuel cell system power output and a cooling electrical power value; and controlling the fuel cell vehicle to transition from the normal operating mode to the hot operating mode by increasing the net electrical power output from a first fuel cell system output level threshold level to a second fuel cell system output level threshold level beyond which an increase in the fuel cell power output results in a decrease in the net electric power output value.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A control system for a fuel cell vehicle comprising a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack configured to generate power by electrochemical reaction, and a cooling system configured to circulate a coolant through the fuel cell system to dissipate heat generated by the fuel cell system,

the control system comprising processing circuitry that is configured to control transition of the fuel cell vehicle from a normal operating mode to a hot operating mode, wherein in the normal operating mode a coolant inlet temperature of the coolant at a coolant inlet of the fuel cell stack comprises a normal coolant temperature, and in the hot operating mode the coolant inlet temperature at the coolant inlet of the fuel cell stack comprises a hot coolant temperature, and wherein the hot coolant temperature is higher than the normal coolant temperature, the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine a required value of a traction power from the fuel cell system for the fuel cell vehicle;
determine a net electric power output value of the fuel cell system, wherein the net electric power output value is determined based on a fuel cell system power output and a cooling electrical power value indicative of a cooling electrical power required to be supplied by the fuel cell system to the cooling system for rejecting output heat that is generated at least by the fuel cell system when operating so as to produce the fuel cell system power output;
and
when the fuel cell vehicle is operated in the normal operating mode and the required value of the traction power is above a first fuel cell system output level threshold, control the fuel cell vehicle to transition from the normal operating mode to the hot operating mode by increasing the net electric power output value to a second fuel cell system output level threshold, the second fuel cell system output level threshold being such that when the fuel cell system is operated in the hot operating mode so as to produce a fuel cell system power output corresponding to the second fuel cell system output level threshold, the net electric power output value is larger than the net electric power output value obtained when the fuel cell system is operated in the hot operating mode so as to produce a fuel cell system power output exceeding the second fuel cell system output level threshold.

2 more elements

A method for controlling transition of a fuel cell vehicle from a normal operating mode to a hot operating mode, the fuel cell vehicle comprising a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack configured to generate power by electrochemical reaction, and a cooling system configured to circulate a coolant through the fuel cell system to dissipate heat generated by the fuel cell system,

wherein in the normal operating mode a coolant inlet temperature of the coolant at a coolant inlet of the fuel cell stack comprises a normal coolant temperature, and in the hot operating mode the coolant inlet temperature at the coolant inlet of the fuel cell stack comprises a hot coolant temperature, and wherein the hot coolant temperature is higher than the normal coolant temperature, the method comprising:
determining a required value of a traction power from the fuel cell system for the fuel cell vehicle;
determining a net electric power output value of the fuel cell system, wherein the net electric power output value is determined based on a fuel cell system power output and a cooling electrical power value indicative of a cooling electrical power required to be supplied by the fuel cell system to the cooling system for rejecting output heat that is generated at least by the fuel cell system when operating so as to produce the fuel cell system power output;
and
when the fuel cell vehicle is operated in the normal operating mode and the required value of the traction power is above a first fuel cell system output level threshold, controlling the fuel cell vehicle to transition from the normal operating mode to the hot operating mode by increasing the net electric power output value to a second fuel cell system output level threshold, the second fuel cell system output level threshold being such that when the fuel cell system is operated in the hot operating mode so as to produce a fuel cell system power output corresponding to the second fuel cell system output level threshold, the net electric power output value is larger than the net electric power output value obtained when the fuel cell system is operated in the hot operating mode so as to produce a fuel cell system power output exceeding the second fuel cell system output level threshold.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.