System and method for controlling air supply to fuel cell
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
InventorJae Kwon JUNG
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus of a fuel cell system may comprise a current-voltage curve estimation circuit configured to estimate, based on a state of health (SoH) of a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell system, a current-voltage performance curve of the fuel cell stack, a lower limit current determination circuit configured to determine whether a current of the fuel cell stack is less than or equal to a lower limit current of the fuel cell stack, wherein the lower limit current is determined based on the SoH of the fuel cell stack under a condition in which a flow rate of air supplied to the fuel cell stack is reduced to maintain a voltage of the fuel cell stack within a voltage upper limit control region, an air flow rate increase control circuit, and a power load.
Claims20
An apparatus of a fuel cell system, the apparatus comprising:
- a current-voltage curve estimation circuit configured to estimate, based on a state of health (SoH) of a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell system, a current-voltage performance curve of the fuel cell stack;
- a lower limit current determination circuit configured to determine whether a current of the fuel cell stack is less than or equal to a lower limit current of the fuel cell stack, wherein the lower limit current is determined based on the SoH of the fuel cell stack under a condition in which a flow rate of air supplied to the fuel cell stack is reduced to maintain a voltage of the fuel cell stack within a voltage upper limit control region;
- an air flow rate increase control circuit configured to increase, based on the current of the fuel cell stack being less than or equal to the lower limit current, the flow rate of air supplied to the fuel cell stack;
- and
- a power load configured to receive and use excess power generated in the fuel cell stack as the flow rate of air supplied to the stack increases.
A method performed by an apparatus of a fuel cell system, the method comprising:
- estimating, based on a state of health (SoH) of a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell system, a current-voltage performance curve of the fuel cell stack;
- determining whether a current of the fuel cell stack is less than or equal to a lower limit current of the fuel cell stack, wherein the lower limit is determined based on the SoH of the fuel cell stack under a condition in which a flow rate of air supplied to the fuel cell stack is reduced to maintain a voltage of the fuel cell stack within a voltage upper limit control region;
- increasing, based on the current of the fuel cell stack being less than or equal to the lower limit current, the flow rate of air supplied to the fuel cell stack;
- and
- transferring, to a power load of the apparatus, excess power generated in the fuel cell stack as the flow rate of air supplied to the stack increases.
An apparatus of a fuel cell system, the apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory storing at least one instruction that, when executed by the processor communicating with the memory, is configured to cause the apparatus to:
- identify, based on a performance characteristic of a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell system, a threshold current value for maintaining a target operating condition of the fuel cell stack;
- compare, based on a flow rate of air supplied to the fuel cell stack being reduced to control a voltage of the fuel cell stack, an operating current of the fuel cell stack to the threshold current value;
- generate, based on the operating current being less than or equal to the threshold current value, a signal indicating to increase the flow rate of air supplied to the fuel cell stack;
- identify an amount of electrical power resulting from the increased flow rate of air;
- and
- control a load of the fuel cell system to use at least a portion of the electrical power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.