Control method of air-cooled fuel cell, air-cooled fuel cell and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a control method for an air-cooled fuel cell, an air-cooled fuel cell, and a storage medium. The method comprises: after the battery is powered on, determining whether a stack electric heater needs to be activated; if so, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at a first preset power and activating a blower at a preset wind speed; after activating the stack electric heater, obtaining in real time the temperature difference between the air outlet temperature on the air outlet side of the stack and the ambient temperature, and controlling the heating power of the stack electric heater based on the temperature difference. Application of the present invention's control method for an air-cooled fuel cell can reduce energy consumption of the stack electric heater.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and more specifically, to a control method for an air-cooled fuel cell, an air-cooled fuel cell using the control method for the air-cooled fuel cell, and a computer-readable storage medium using the control method for the air-cooled fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a large number of scientific researchers have invested in the research of hydrogen fuel cells. With the development of fuel cell technology, the requirements for the efficiency, fan control system, and cost of fuel cell stacks have become increasingly higher. Compared with water-cooled fuel cells, air-cooled fuel cells are more economical and portable.

[0003] An existing air-cooled fuel cell is provided with a fan and a heater, wherein the fan can effectively dissipate heat and cool the fuel cell, and by providing a heater in the fuel cell, the fuel cell can be effectively heated, especially in the initial stage, to ensure the normal operating temperature of the fuel cell; and the temperature sensor can be provided to accurately and quickly detect the real-time temperature of the fuel cell, and the controller controls the speed of the fan according to the relationship between the real-time temperature of the fuel cell and the preset temperature value. The controller also controls the heater to turn on or off according to the relationship between the real-time temperature of the fuel cell and the preset temperature value, thereby achieving the effect of fast and accurate temperature control of the fuel cell.

[0004] However, this solution only controls the heater to turn on or off according to the temperature of the fuel cell stack, and does not consider the different operating stages of the fuel cell to control the heating power of the heater. This can easily lead to inaccurate heating power control, resulting in energy loss, and is not conducive to stable temperature regulation. Therefore, a better heater control method needs to be considered. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A first object of the present invention is to provide a control method for an air-cooled fuel cell that can reduce the energy consumption of an electric heater of a fuel cell stack.

[0006] A second object of the present invention is to provide an air-cooled fuel cell that can reduce the energy consumption of the stack electric heater.

[0007] A third object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable storage medium that can reduce the energy consumption of an electric heater of an electric stack.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned first purpose, the control method of the air-cooled fuel cell provided by the present invention includes: after the battery is started and operated, determining whether it is necessary to start the stack electric heater; if so, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at a first preset power, and starting the fan at a preset wind speed; after starting the stack electric heater, obtaining the temperature difference between the air outlet temperature on the air outlet side of the stack and the ambient temperature in real time, and controlling the heating power of the stack electric heater according to the temperature difference.

[0009] It can be seen from the above scheme that the control method of the air-cooled fuel cell of the present invention controls the stack electric heater to heat at a first preset power when it is necessary to start the stack electric heater, and starts the fan at a preset windshield to heat the stack, so that the stack can be reliably started. Since the air outlet temperature on the air outlet side of the stack can indirectly reflect the loading state of the stack and the heating state of the stack electric heater, after starting the stack electric heater, the heating power of the stack electric heater is controlled according to the temperature difference between the air outlet temperature on the air outlet side of the stack and the ambient temperature. The heat generated by the stack itself is different due to different loading states. At the same time, combined with the heating of the stack electric heater, the heating power of the stack electric heater can be intelligently regulated according to the different operating states of the stack, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the stack electric heater.

[0010] In a further embodiment, the temperature difference is negatively correlated with the heating power.

[0011] It can be seen from this that the greater the temperature difference between the outlet air temperature and the ambient temperature, the more heat is generated by the stack loading. Therefore, the heating power of the stack electric heater is reduced accordingly, thereby saving energy consumption.

[0012] In a further scheme, the step of controlling the heating power of the stack electric heater according to the temperature difference includes: when the temperature difference is less than the first preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat with the first preset power; when the temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature value and less than the second preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat with the second preset power; when the temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat with the third preset power; wherein, the first preset temperature value is less than the second preset temperature value, and the first preset power, the second preset power and the third preset power decrease in sequence.

[0013] In a further solution, the second preset power is 60% to 85% of the first preset power, and the third preset power is 30% to 40% of the first preset power.

[0014] It can be seen that by adjusting the heating power of the stack electric heater when the temperature difference is in different temperature ranges, it is possible to avoid frequent adjustment of the heating power resulting in unstable stack temperature.

[0015] In a further solution, the conditions for starting the stack electric heater include: the ambient temperature is lower than a preset ambient temperature value.

[0016] It can be seen from this that when the ambient temperature is lower than the preset ambient temperature value, it is necessary to start the fuel cell electric heater, use the fuel cell electric heater to assist in heating the fuel cell, and determine safe and reliable fuel cell startup conditions.

[0017] In a further solution, before the step of obtaining the temperature difference between the air outlet temperature at the air outlet side of the fuel cell stack and the ambient temperature in real time, it also includes: confirming that the fuel cell stack is in a preset loaded heating state.

[0018] It can be seen from this that in order to ensure that the fuel cell stack is in a stable loading operation stage, before adjusting the heating power of the fuel cell stack electric heater, it is necessary to confirm that the fuel cell stack is in a preset loading and heating state so that the fuel cell stack can operate stably and reliably.

[0019] In a further solution, the step of confirming that the fuel cell stack is in a preset loaded heating state includes: obtaining the difference between the temperature of the hydrogen outlet end and the temperature of the hydrogen inlet end of the fuel cell stack. If the difference is greater than the preset temperature value, the fuel cell stack is in the preset loaded heating state.

[0020] It can be seen from this that the difference between the hydrogen outlet temperature and the hydrogen inlet temperature can indirectly reflect the loading state of the fuel cell stack. When the difference is greater than the preset temperature value, it means that the fuel cell stack is in the preset loading and heating state and the fuel cell stack is running stably.

[0021] In order to achieve the second object of the present invention, the present invention provides an air-cooled fuel cell including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the control method of the air-cooled fuel cell are implemented.

[0022] In order to achieve the third object of the present invention, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the steps of the above-mentioned control method of the air-cooled fuel cell when executed by a controller. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of an air-cooled fuel cell according to one perspective of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of an air-cooled fuel cell embodiment of the present invention from another perspective.

[0025] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of an embodiment of a control method for an air-cooled fuel cell of the present invention.

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Example of a control method for an air-cooled fuel cell:

[0028] The control method of the air-cooled fuel cell of the present invention is an application program used in the air-cooled fuel cell, which is used to control the stack electric heater of the air-cooled fuel cell to perform auxiliary heating. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the air-cooled fuel cell includes a fuel cell stack 1, a fan 2, and a fuel cell stack electric heater 3. The fan 2 is used to make air flow from the fuel cell stack electric heater 3 to the fuel cell stack 1, and the fuel cell stack electric heater 3 is used to heat the fuel cell stack 1. In this embodiment, the fan 2 is located on the air outlet side of the fuel cell stack 1, and the fuel cell stack electric heater 3 is located on the air inlet side of the fuel cell stack 1. The air outlet side and the air inlet side are arranged opposite to each other. The fan 2 draws air from the fuel cell stack electric heater 3 to the fuel cell stack 1. In an optional embodiment, the fan 2 and the fuel cell stack electric heater 3 are both arranged on the air inlet side of the fuel cell stack 1, and the fuel cell stack electric heater 3 is located between the fan 2 and the fuel cell stack 1. The fan 2 blows air to the fuel cell stack 1 and the fuel cell stack electric heater 3. The fuel cell stack electric heater 3 is evenly distributed and installed on the air inlet side of the fuel cell stack 1. The fuel cell stack electric heater 3 uses a grid-shaped heating wire. The air-cooled fuel cell is also provided with an air outlet temperature sensor 4 and an ambient temperature sensor (not shown), a hydrogen inlet temperature sensor 5 and a hydrogen outlet temperature sensor 6. The air outlet temperature sensor 4 is arranged on the air outlet side of the fuel cell stack 1 for detecting the air outlet temperature of the wind power stack. The ambient temperature sensor is used to detect the ambient temperature outside the fuel cell stack 1. The hydrogen inlet temperature sensor 5 is arranged at the hydrogen inlet end 11 for detecting the temperature of the hydrogen flowing through the hydrogen inlet end 11. The hydrogen outlet temperature sensor 6 is arranged at the hydrogen outlet end 12 for detecting the temperature of the hydrogen flowing through the hydrogen outlet end 12.

[0029] like Figure 3 As shown, the control method for an air-cooled fuel cell of the present invention first performs step S1 to start the fuel cell. After receiving the power-on command, the fuel cell operates according to the system-set operating program. Controlling the power-on operation of the fuel cell is a technique well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0030] After the battery is started up, step S2 is executed to determine whether the stack electric heater needs to be started. When the battery is started up, it may be necessary to start the stack electric heater for auxiliary heating so that the stack can operate stably. In this embodiment, the conditions for starting the stack electric heater include: the ambient temperature is less than the preset ambient temperature value. Among them, the preset ambient temperature value is pre-set according to experimental data. In this embodiment, the preset ambient temperature value ranges from -10°C to -5°C. Because the stack is in an operating environment below 0°C, the water generated by the cathode side reaction is easy to freeze and block the catalyst layer and diffusion layer, hindering the reaction. The volume change caused by water freezing will also destroy the structure of the membrane electrode assembly and reduce the performance of the fuel cell. Therefore, when the ambient temperature is lower than the preset ambient temperature value, it is necessary to start the stack electric heater for heating in order to improve the stability of the stack's low-temperature start-up.

[0031] If the stack electric heater does not need to be started, it means that auxiliary heating is not required, so continue to execute S1 and run according to the operating procedure set by the system. If the stack electric heater needs to be started, execute step S3, control the stack electric heater to heat with a first preset power, and start the fan with a preset windshield. Among them, the first preset power and the preset windshield are pre-set according to experimental data. In this embodiment, the first preset power is 2500W to 3000W. When the stack electric heater needs to be started, in order to increase the heating speed, the stack electric heater is controlled to heat with the first preset power. At the same time, in order to evenly distribute the heating, the fan is started with the preset windshield, and the heat radiation brought by the air flow is used to heat the stack to avoid uneven heating of the stack.

[0032] After starting the stack electric heater, execute step S4 to determine whether the stack is in a preset loaded heating state. In order to ensure that the stack is in a stable loaded operation stage, before adjusting the heating power of the stack electric heater, it is necessary to confirm that the stack is in a preset loaded heating state so that a certain amount of heat is generated inside the stack and the stack can operate stably and reliably. In this embodiment, the step of confirming that the stack is in a preset loaded heating state includes: obtaining the difference between the temperature of the hydrogen outlet end and the temperature of the hydrogen inlet end of the stack. If the difference is greater than the preset temperature value, the stack is in a preset loaded heating state. Among them, the preset temperature value is pre-set according to experimental data. In this embodiment, the preset temperature value ranges from 10°C to 15°C. The difference between the temperature of the hydrogen outlet end and the temperature of the hydrogen inlet end can indirectly reflect the loading state of the stack. When the difference is greater than the preset temperature value, it means that the stack is in a preset loaded heating state and the stack is stably loaded and running.

[0033] If it is confirmed that the stack is not in the preset loaded and heating state, the process returns to step S3 and continues to control the stack electric heater at the first preset power. If it is confirmed that the stack is in the preset loaded and heating state, step S5 is executed to obtain the temperature difference between the outlet air temperature of the stack and the ambient temperature in real time, and control the heating power of the stack electric heater based on the temperature difference. The temperature difference and the heating power are negatively correlated. Since the outlet air temperature of the stack can indirectly reflect the stack loading state and the heating state of the stack electric heater, after starting the stack electric heater, the heating power of the stack electric heater is controlled based on the temperature difference between the outlet air temperature of the stack and the ambient temperature. Different stack loading states generate different amounts of heat. Simultaneously, combined with the heating of the stack electric heater, the heating power of the stack electric heater can be intelligently controlled according to the different operating states of the stack, reducing the energy consumption of the stack electric heater. Furthermore, the greater the temperature difference between the outlet air temperature and the ambient temperature, the more heat is generated by the stack loading. Therefore, the heating power of the stack electric heater is reduced accordingly, thereby saving energy.

[0034] In this embodiment, the step of controlling the heating power of the stack electric heater based on the temperature difference includes: when the temperature difference is less than a first preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at a first preset power; when the temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature value and less than a second preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at a second preset power; and when the temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at a third preset power. When the first preset temperature value is less than the second preset temperature value, the first preset power, the second preset power, and the third preset power decrease in sequence. The first preset temperature value, the second preset temperature value, the second preset power, and the third preset power are pre-set based on experimental data. In this embodiment, the first preset temperature value ranges from 5°C to 15°C, the second preset temperature value ranges from 20°C to 30°C, the second preset power is 60% to 85% of the first preset power, and the third preset power is 30% to 40% of the first preset power. By adjusting the heating power of the stack electric heater according to the temperature difference within different temperature ranges, frequent heating power adjustments that may lead to unstable stack temperature can be avoided.

[0035] As can be seen from the above, the control method of the air-cooled fuel cell of the present invention controls the stack electric heater to heat at a first preset power when it is necessary to start the stack electric heater, and starts the fan at a preset windshield to heat the stack, so that the stack can be reliably started. Since the air outlet temperature on the air outlet side of the stack can indirectly reflect the loading state of the stack and the heating state of the stack electric heater, after starting the stack electric heater, the heating power of the stack electric heater is controlled according to the temperature difference between the air outlet temperature on the air outlet side of the stack and the ambient temperature. The heat generated by the stack itself is different due to different loading states. At the same time, combined with the heating of the stack electric heater, energy control can be intelligently adjusted according to the different operating states of the stack to reduce the energy consumption of the stack electric heater.

[0036] Air-cooled fuel cell embodiment:

[0037] The air-cooled fuel cell of this embodiment includes a controller. When the controller executes a computer program, the steps of the control method of the air-cooled fuel cell described above are implemented.

[0038] For example, a computer program can be divided into one or more modules, one or more of which are stored in a memory and executed by a controller to implement the present invention. One or more modules can be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of performing specific functions, and the instruction segments are used to describe the execution process of the computer program in an air-cooled fuel cell.

[0039] An air-cooled fuel cell may include, but is not limited to, a controller and a memory. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an air-cooled fuel cell may include more or fewer components, or a combination of certain components, or different components. For example, an air-cooled fuel cell may also include input and output devices, network access devices, buses, and the like.

[0040] For example, the controller can be a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose controllers, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose controller can be a microcontroller or any conventional controller. The controller is the control center of the air-cooled fuel cell, connecting the various parts of the entire air-cooled fuel cell using various interfaces and lines.

[0041] The memory can be used to store computer programs and / or modules. The controller implements various functions of the air-cooled fuel cell by running or executing the computer programs and / or modules stored in the memory, and calling the data stored in the memory. For example, the memory may mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system, at least one application required for a function (such as a sound receiving function, a sound-to-text conversion function, etc.); the data storage area can store data created based on the use of the mobile phone (such as audio data, text data, etc.). In addition, the memory can include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk, internal memory, a plug-in hard disk, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash card (FlashCard), at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device.

[0042] Computer readable storage medium embodiment:

[0043] If the integrated module of the air-cooled fuel cell in the above-mentioned embodiment is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as a standalone product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the process steps in the above-mentioned air-cooled fuel cell control method embodiment can also be implemented by a computer program instructing the relevant hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed by a controller, the computer program can implement the steps of the above-mentioned air-cooled fuel cell control method embodiment. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in source code form, object code form, executable file, or some intermediate form. The storage medium can include: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code, recording medium, USB flash drive, mobile hard drive, magnetic disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal, and software distribution medium. It should be noted that the content included in the computer-readable medium can be appropriately increased or decreased based on the requirements of legislation and patent practice in a jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media does not include electric carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0044] It should be noted that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the design concept of the invention is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present invention using this concept also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for an air-cooled fuel cell, the air-cooled fuel cell comprising a fuel cell stack, a fan, and a stack electric heater, the fan being configured to cause air to flow from the stack electric heater to the fuel cell stack, the stack electric heater being configured to heat the fuel cell stack; characterized in that: The method comprises: After the battery is started, it is determined whether the stack electric heater needs to be started. If so, the stack electric heater is controlled to heat at a first preset power and the fan is started at a preset wind speed. After starting the stack electric heater and confirming that the stack is in a preset loaded heating state, obtaining in real time the temperature difference between the air outlet temperature at the air outlet side of the stack and the ambient temperature, and controlling the heating power of the stack electric heater according to the temperature difference; Among them, the step of confirming that the fuel cell stack is in a preset loaded heating state includes: obtaining the difference between the temperature of the hydrogen outlet end and the temperature of the hydrogen inlet end of the fuel cell stack; if the difference is greater than the preset temperature value, the fuel cell stack is in the preset loaded heating state.

2. The control method of the air-cooled fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature difference is negatively correlated with the heating power.

3. The control method of an air-cooled fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of controlling the heating power of the stack electric heater according to the temperature difference includes: When the temperature difference is less than a first preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at the first preset power; When the temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature value and less than a second preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at a second preset power; When the temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature value, controlling the stack electric heater to heat at a third preset power; The first preset temperature value is lower than the second preset temperature value, and the first preset power, the second preset power and the third preset power decrease in sequence.

4. The control method of the air-cooled fuel cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second preset power is 60% to 85% of the first preset power, and the third preset power is 30% to 40% of the first preset power.

5. The control method for an air-cooled fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The conditions for starting the stack electric heater include: The ambient temperature is lower than a preset ambient temperature value.

6. An air-cooled fuel cell comprising a processor and a memory, characterized in that: The memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the control method of the air-cooled fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are implemented.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by the controller, the steps of the control method of the air-cooled fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are implemented.

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