Method for controlling a fuel cell system with hydrogen fuel injector / ejector

Abstract

A method for controlling a fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / ejector and a control system, comprising: determining a hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with a selected power level in a steady state, determining a simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and the injector / ejector, determining a simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / ejector, determining a true effective flow area of the injector / ejector, and using the effective flow area to calculate or adjust: a command signal; an estimate or an estimate error of at least one of a hydrogen fuel flow rate, an anode leak rate, and an anode exhaust valve flow rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] introduction

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to methods for operating and controlling fuel cell systems having hydrogen fuel injectors / ejectors.

[0003] Fuel cell systems operate by using an anode and a cathode that are electrochemically connected to each other to convert hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity.

[0004] Injectors, injectors, or combinations thereof are used to introduce hydrogen into the anode at a metered rate in response to control signals sent to the injector / injector. However, the effective orifice area of ​​the injector / injector may vary over time and with components, which can lead to undesirable variations in the performance of the fuel cell system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one embodiment, a method is provided for controlling a fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector and a control system. In this embodiment, the method includes: determining a hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ associated with a selected power level under steady-state conditions. TrsntConsum ; Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and injector / jeterator. injSp_Model Estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet injector. Eff_True ,in ), and A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / ejector; and the effective flow area A. Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

[0006] At a selected power level under steady-state conditions, the anode pressure can be maintained at a constant pressure. Simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model It can be obtained from a first lookup table associated with the control system, or it can be calculated by the control system. Similarly, the simulated effective flow area A Eff_Model The result can be obtained from a second lookup table associated with the control system, or it can be calculated by the control system. The method may also include operating the fuel cell system at selected power levels and in a steady state to determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the selected power level in the steady state. TrsntConsum .

[0007] Fuel cell systems may include a proportional-integral-adaptive (PIA) controller operably associated with the injector / feeder. Additionally, the true effective flow area A...Eff_True It can be used To estimate, among which and In these equations, A geo The orifice area of ​​the injector / ejector that can be determined at the time of calibration, Coeff DC The orifice discharge factor of the injector / ejector that can be determined at the time of calibration, a new It is the updated adaptation term, Fx is the injector / ejector flow regulation factor output from the PIA controller, ṅ Leak_Model Through Calculated anode leakage rate, I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller, p A It is the proportional gain of the PIA controller, e is determined by ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum Simulate the error of the PIA controller. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old These are previous adaptations stored in non-volatile memory associated with the control system.

[0008] The method may also include updating the adaptation a new Stored in non-volatile memory, or may include updated adaptations a. new Replace the previous adaptation a stored in non-volatile memory old In addition, the anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model It can be the average anode leakage rate stored in non-volatile memory.

[0009] According to another embodiment, a method of operating a fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector, an anode, a proportional-integral-adaptive (PIA) controller operatively associated with the injector / injector, a control system, and a non-volatile memory associated with the control system includes: (i) operating the fuel cell system at a power level for a predetermined time; and (ii) determining a hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the power level. TrsntConsum (iii) Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and injector / jeterator. injSp_Model (iv) Find the anode leakage rate of the anode. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model = ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum ; and (v) calculate the adaptation term a new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller, p AIt is the proportional gain of the PIA controller, e is determined by ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum Simulate the error of the PIA controller. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old It is a previously calculated or provided adaptation stored in non-volatile memory.

[0010] The method may also include calculating the fitness term a new It is stored in non-volatile memory. Alternatively, the method may include calculating the adaptation term a. new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare, and if the adaptation term a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation term a in non-volatile memory old The method 100 may further include measuring the anode leakage rate. Leak_Model It is stored in non-volatile memory.

[0011] The above embodiments may further include repeatedly running, determining, obtaining, deriving, and calculating the steps for various power levels different from the initial power level. In each repetition of the calculation step, the corresponding calculated adaptation term a new It can be stored in non-volatile memory as (i) a substitute for previously calculated adaptations, or (ii) the average and / or accumulation of some or all previous adaptations. The method may also include using... and One of them is used to estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / ejector, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / ejector, and Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / ejector, and uses the effective flow area A. Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate. At a selected power level under steady-state conditions, the anode pressure can be maintained at a constant pressure. Simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model And simulated effective circulation area A Eff_Model Each of these can be obtained from a lookup table associated with the control system, or can be calculated by the control system.

[0012] According to another embodiment, a method for operating a fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector, an anode, a proportional-integral-adaptive (PIA) controller operably associated with the injector / injector, a control system, and a non-volatile memory associated with the control system includes: (i) operating the fuel cell system at a power level for a predetermined time; and (ii) determining a hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the power level. TrsntConsum (iii) Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and injector / jeterator. injSp_Model (iv) The anode leakage rate ṅ is obtained. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model = ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum (v) Calculate the fitness term a new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller, p A It is the proportional gain of the PIA controller, e is determined by ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum Simulate the error of the PIA controller. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old It is a previously calculated or provided adaptation stored in non-volatile memory; (vi) calculate the adaptation a new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare; (vii) if the adaptation term a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation term a in non-volatile memory old (viii) For various power levels different from the initial power level, repeat the steps of determining, obtaining, deriving, calculating, comparing, and replacing (i.e., (i) to (viii)); (ix) using and One of them is used to estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / ejector, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / ejector, and Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / ejector; and (x) the effective flow area A. Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

[0013] The present invention also discloses the following technical solutions:

[0014] 1. A method for controlling a fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector and a control system, comprising:

[0015] Determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ associated with a selected power level under steady-state conditions. TrsntConsum ;

[0016] Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and the injector / jeterator. injSp_Model ;

[0017] Estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True ,in And A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / jet; and

[0018] Using the aforementioned effective circulation area A Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

[0019] 2. The method according to technical solution 1, wherein, under a selected power level in a steady state, the anode pressure is maintained at a constant pressure.

[0020] 3. The method according to technical solution 1, wherein the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model Obtained from a first lookup table associated with the control system or calculated by the control system.

[0021] 4. The method according to technical solution 1, wherein the simulated effective circulation area A Eff_Model Obtained from a second lookup table associated with the control system or calculated by the control system.

[0022] 5. The method according to technical solution 1 further includes:

[0023] The fuel cell system was operated at a selected power level and under steady-state conditions to determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the selected power level under steady-state conditions. TrsntConsum .

[0024] 6. The method according to technical solution 1, wherein the fuel cell system includes a proportional-integral-adaptive (PIA) controller operably associated with the injector / injector.

[0025] 7. The method according to technical solution 6, wherein, using To estimate the true effective circulation area A Eff_True ,in, and ,in:

[0026] A geo The orifice area of ​​the injector / jet is determinable during a calibration event;

[0027] Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / jet that can be determined at the time of the calibration event;

[0028] a new It is an updated adaptation;

[0029] Fx is the injector / ejector flow regulation factor output from the PIA controller;

[0030] ṅ Leak_Model Through Calculated anode leakage rate;

[0031] I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller;

[0032] p A It is the proportional gain of the PIA controller;

[0033] e is the error of the PIA controller;

[0034] It is the time integral of the error e; and

[0035] a old These are previous adaptations stored in the non-volatile memory associated with the control system.

[0036] 8. The method according to technical solution 7 further includes: updating the adaptation item a new It is stored in the non-volatile memory.

[0037] 9. The method according to technical solution 7 further includes: using an updated adaptation item a new Replace the previous adaptation a stored in the non-volatile memory. old .

[0038] 10. The method according to technical solution 7, wherein, ṅ Leak_Model It is the average anode leakage rate stored in the non-volatile memory.

[0039] 11. A method of operating a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector, an anode, a proportional-integral-adaptive (PIA) controller operably associated with the injector / injector, a control system, and a non-volatile memory associated with the control system, the method comprising:

[0040] The fuel cell system is operated at a power level for a predetermined time.

[0041] Determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the power level. TrsntConsum ;

[0042] Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and the injector / jeterator. injSp_Model ;

[0043] The anode leakage rate ṅ is obtained. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model = ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum ;as well as

[0044] Calculate the adaptation term a new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller, p A is the proportional gain of the PIA controller, and e is the error of the PIA controller. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old These are previously calculated or provided adaptations stored in the non-volatile memory.

[0045] 12. The method according to technical solution 11 further includes:

[0046] The calculated fitness term a new It is stored in the non-volatile memory.

[0047] 13. The method according to technical solution 11 further includes:

[0048] The calculated fitness term a new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare; and

[0049] If the adaptation term a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation a in the non-volatile memory old .

[0050] 14. The method according to technical solution 11 further includes: measuring the anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model It is stored in the non-volatile memory.

[0051] 15. The method according to technical solution 11 further includes: repeatedly running, determining, obtaining, deriving and calculating steps for various power levels different from the initial power level.

[0052] 16. The method according to technical solution 15, characterized in that, in each repetition of the calculation step, the corresponding calculated adaptation term a new It is stored in the non-volatile memory as (i) a substitute for previously calculated adaptations, or (ii) the average and / or accumulation of some or all of the previous adaptations.

[0053] 17. The method according to technical solution 11 further includes:

[0054] use and One of them is used to estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / jet injector, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / jet, and Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / jet; and

[0055] Use effective circulation area A Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

[0056] 18. The method according to technical solution 11, wherein, under a selected power level in a steady state, the anode pressure is maintained at a constant pressure.

[0057] 19. The method according to technical solution 11, wherein the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model and the simulated effective circulation area A Eff_Model Each of these is obtained from a lookup table associated with the control system, or is calculated by the control system.

[0058] 20. A method of operating a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector, an anode, a proportional-integral-adaptive (PIA) controller operatively associated with the injector / injector, a control system, and a non-volatile memory associated with the control system, the method comprising:

[0059] The fuel cell system is operated at a power level for a predetermined time.

[0060] Determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the power level. TrsntConsum ;

[0061] Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and the injector / jeterator. injSp_Model ;

[0062] The anode leakage rate ṅ is obtained. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model = ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum ;

[0063] Calculate the adaptation term a new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller, p A It is the proportional gain of the PIA controller, e is determined by ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum Error of the simulated PIA controller It is the time integral of the error e, and a old It is a previously calculated or provided adaptation stored in non-volatile memory;

[0064] The calculated fitness term a new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare;

[0065] If the adaptation term a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation a in the non-volatile memory old ;

[0066] For various power levels that differ from the initial power level, the steps of running, determining, obtaining, deriving, calculating, comparing, and replacing are repeated multiple times.

[0067] use and One of them is used to estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / jet injector, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / jet, and Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / jet; and

[0068] Use effective circulation area A Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

[0069] The foregoing features and advantages of this teaching, as well as other features and advantages, will become apparent from the following detailed description of some of the best modes and other embodiments for implementing this teaching, as defined in the appended claims, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0070] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system.

[0071] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the anode used in a fuel cell system.

[0072] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of a method for controlling or operating a fuel cell system. Detailed Implementation

[0073] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same parts in several views, fuel cell system 20 and method 100 for operating or controlling fuel cell system 20 are shown and described herein.

[0074] This invention describes a method for estimating the effective flow area of ​​an injector / ejector 40, referred to herein as the true effective flow area A. Eff_True This method can be used to overcome injector / injector flow rate estimation errors and inaccuracies. It provides rapid adaptation to fixed injector / injector flow rate errors by addressing variations in flow area caused by inter-component dimensional variations (e.g., due to manufacturing tolerances) and dimensional / flow rate variations that may occur during the life of a given injector / injector 40. As described herein, effectively addressing such variations provides a “correction factor” that can be used to correct or adjust estimation or estimation errors of the command signal, hydrogen fuel flow rate 70, anode leakage rate 72, and / or anode discharge valve flow rate 74, all of which are affected by the injector / injector flow rate and therefore also by the changes in the effective flow area of ​​the injector / injector 40 over time.

[0075] Figure 1 and 2Schematic diagrams of a fuel cell system 20 and an anode 24 for the fuel cell system 20 are shown. The fuel cell system 20 can operate at one or more power levels and includes a fuel cell stack 22 with an anode 24 and a cathode 26. Hydrogen is supplied to the anode 24 from a hydrogen source 28 via an anode input line 30, and oxygen or air is supplied to the cathode 26 from a compressor 42 or other oxygen / air source via a cathode input line 44. The anode input line 30 includes a temperature sensor 32 or modeled temperature, an injection inlet pressure sensor 34, an injector / ejector 40, an anode pressure sensor 54, and a proportional-integral (PI) controller 58 operatively associated with the anode pressure sensor 54. Figure 2 As shown, the injector / ejector 40 may include an injector or injector portion 36 and an injector or injector portion 38. As used herein, "injector / ejector" 40 may be injector 36 or injector 38, or both. In the case where the injector / ejector 40 includes both injector 36 and injector 38, these two components may be combined into a single unified structure, or they may be configured as two separate structures connected in series with each other. The injector / ejector 40 may also include or be operatively associated with a proportional-integral-adaptive (PIA) controller 56, which may be used to control and / or monitor the hydrogen flow rate through the injector / ejector 40.

[0076] An anode discharge line 46 extends from the outlet of anode 24, and a cathode discharge line 48 extends from the outlet of cathode 26. Anode discharge line 46 can remove unused hydrogen from anode 24, and cathode discharge line 48 can remove unused oxygen / air from cathode 26. Water and other liquids or gases can be removed from fuel cell stack 22 through either or both of discharge lines 46 and 48. An anode discharge valve 50 can be provided in anode discharge line 46, with the downstream portion of anode discharge line 46 connected to cathode discharge line 48, and having an anode discharge valve flow rate 74.

[0077] The recirculation line 52 extends from a first end to a second end, the first end being connected to the portion of the anode discharge line 46 upstream of the anode discharge valve 50, and the second end being connected to the injector / ejector 40. In this arrangement, some or all of the unused hydrogen entering the anode discharge line 46 from the anode 24 can be guided back into the anode 24 via the recirculation line 52.

[0078] The fuel cell system 20 also includes a control system 60, which may include various control hardware 62 and control software 64, including non-volatile memory 66 and one or more lookup tables 68, 69. The control system 60 may be connected to various sensors, actuators and other devices within the fuel cell system 20, such as temperature sensor 32, pressure sensors 34, 54, anode discharge valve 50, PIA controller 56, PI controller 58, compressor / oxygen source 42 and injector / injector 40.

[0079] like Figure 2 As shown, a hydrogen flow from the injector / jet injector 40 enters the anode 24 at a hydrogen fuel flow rate 70, which can be simulated by the control system 60 (e.g., within the control software 64) as a simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ. injSp_Model Most of the hydrogen undergoes an electrochemical reaction (i.e., is consumed) with oxygen in fuel cell stack 22 to produce electricity and water. The majority of the hydrogen consumed and converted into electrical energy is produced by ṅ TrsntConsum This indicates that a small amount of hydrogen may leak from anode 24 (e.g., through seals, gaskets, fittings, etc.); this small amount is caused by ṅ Leak_Model This indicates an anode leakage rate of 72%. The following mass balance equation is provided using a mass balance method for the gas input and output of anode 24:

[0080] (Equation 1).

[0081] The injector / ejector 40 can operate within a range or duty cycle from 0% (injector / ejector 40 is completely closed and no hydrogen flows through it) to 100% (injector / ejector 40 is fully open). At any given injector / ejector duty cycle (DC), the following equation can be used:

[0082] (Equation 2)

[0083] Among them ṅ injSp_True It is the actual hydrogen fuel flow rate used for a given duty cycle, ṅ injMax_True This is the actual maximum hydrogen fuel flow rate used at 100% full duty cycle. injSp_Model This is similar to simulating the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate for a given duty cycle in control software 64. injMax_Model This is the simulated maximum hydrogen fuel flow rate used for 100% full duty cycle in control software 64. This equation (i.e., Equation 2) can be rearranged to provide the following:

[0084] (Equation 3)

[0085] Looking at the right side of Equation 3, where both quantities are expressions for 100% full-open duty cycles, along with the fact that the injector / ejector flow rate is proportional to the effective flow area of ​​the injector / ejector orifice, and considering that the temperature and gas type (both are hydrogen) are the same, we can determine that:

[0086] (Equation 4)

[0087] Where A Eff_True It is the actual effective flow area of ​​the injector / ejector orifice, while A Eff_Model This is achieved by simulating the effective flow area of ​​the injector / jet nozzle orifice in control software 64. Then, combining equations 3 and 4, the following is generated:

[0088]

[0089] (Equation 5)

[0090] Or to put it more simply:

[0091] (Equation 6).

[0092] When the fuel cell system 20 is operating in a steady state, the actual anode gas leakage in a well-designed system should be negligible or very close to zero, and it can be assumed that all hydrogen entering the anode 24 is converted into electricity, producing:

[0093] (Equation 7)

[0094] For ṅ injSp_True Substituting equation 7 into equation 6 produces:

[0095] (Equation 8)

[0096] It can be rearranged as follows:

[0097] (Equation 9)

[0098] Therefore, the actual effective flow area A of the injector / ejector orifice for the injector / ejector 40 Eff_True It can be derived from the following: (i) the effective flow area of ​​the injector / jet nozzle orifice, as simulated in control software 64 (i.e., A). Eff_Model (ii) The rate at which hydrogen is consumed and converted into electricity (i.e., ṅ) TrsntConsum (iii) and as in control software 64, simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate for a given duty cycle (i.e., ṅ injSp_Model ).

[0099] Used in control software 64 to control the effective flow area of ​​the injector / jet injector (i.e., A). Eff_Model One way to perform a simulation is to use the following expression:

[0100] (Equation 10)

[0101] Where A geo The orifice area of ​​the injector / ejector 40 that can be determined at the time of calibration, Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / ejector 40 that can be determined at the time of calibration, and F x This is the injector / ejector flow regulation factor output by or derived from the PIA controller 56. (The aforementioned calibration event can occur before the fuel cell system 20 is put into production, at the end of production, and / or at a later point in time after the injector / ejector 40 has been repaired or replaced.) Flow regulation factor F x It can be approximated as:

[0102] (Equation 11)

[0103] Among them, I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller 56, p A It is the proportional gain of the PIA controller 56, e is determined by ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum Simulate the error of the PIA controller 56. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old These are previous adaptations stored in non-volatile memory 66. (For example, a) old Items can be initial values ​​stored in lookup tables 68 and 69. Optionally, a old Multiple values ​​can be stored in one or more lookup tables 68, 69, where each value is associated with a corresponding power level of the fuel cell system 20.

[0104] However, Equation 11 is known to be a relatively "slow" method in achieving a satisfactory solution; therefore, an improved alternative would be to utilize a relatively "faster" flow adjustment factor or adaptation term. For example, (ṅ) from Equation 9 TrsntConsum / ṅ injSp_Model The part can be combined with Equation 10 to produce:

[0105] (Equation 12)

[0106] in It can be considered a candidate for a newer and “faster” flow regulation factor.

[0107] Instead, this newer and “faster” flow regulation factor can be expressed as a term (1 + a) new ), where a new It is an updated adaptation, therefore it produces:

[0108] (Equation 13)

[0109] and

[0110] (Equation 14)

[0111] Rearranging the equations to consider the updated adaptation terms separately yields:

[0112] (Equation 15)

[0113] This new or updated adaptation a new It can be stored in non-volatile memory 66 to replace the previous adaptation a. old Furthermore, when dealing with a new When further calculations are performed, these calculations can be stored to replace previous calculations of the adaptations.

[0114] In the control system 60 (e.g., in the control software 64), the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate setpoint ṅ can be calculated in conjunction with the anode pressure proportional-integral (PI) controller 58. injSp_Model It is represented as:

[0115] (Equation 16)

[0116] Where I p is the integral gain of the anode pressure PI controller 58, and e is the error of the anode pressure PI controller 58 between the pressure setpoint and the feedback. It is the time integral of the error e, and p p This is the proportional gain of the anode pressure PI controller 58. Substituting equation 16 into equation 15 yields:

[0117] (Equation 17).

[0118] As indicated above in Equation 1 (and repeated below), the simulated anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model Calculated as the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model and hydrogen consumption rate TrsntConsum The difference between them:

[0119] (Equation 1)

[0120] The ṅ from equation 16 injSp_ModelSubstituting the expression into Equation 1 produces:

[0121] (Equation 18)

[0122] Then, substituting equation 18 into equation 17 produces:

[0123] (Equation 19).

[0124] Regarding Equation 19, it can be noted that the simulated anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model It can be averaged and stored in non-volatile memory 66 for use in valve flow estimation and to improve computational reliability, which would otherwise be affected by local variations. Furthermore, the hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ TrsntConsum The power consumption of the fuel cell system 20 can be determined by observing the injector / ejector flow rate adjustment factor F. x This can be determined from the PIA controller 56. Therefore, all terms on the right-hand side of Equation 19 should be readily available or determinable so that the fitness factor a can be re-derived. new Once a new The effective flow area A of the injector / jet nozzle orifice has been determined. Eff_True It can be corrected / updated, for example, using Equation 14. Furthermore, the corrected / updated effective circulation area A Eff_True It can also be used to calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate 70, anode leakage rate 72, and anode discharge valve flow rate 74; and any other parameters of the fuel cell system 20 that depend on (or may benefit from) A Eff_True Used for its calculation or determination.

[0125] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method 100 for controlling or operating a fuel cell system 20 is shown. It should be noted that several embodiments of method 100 are disclosed herein, and some of these embodiments may not utilize… Figure 3 All the steps shown.

[0126] According to one embodiment, a method 100 for controlling a fuel cell system 20 is provided, the fuel cell system 20 having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector 40 and a control system 60. In this embodiment, method 100 includes: at block 120, determining a hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ associated with a selected power level in a steady state. TrsntConsum At box 130, the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ associated with the selected power level and injector / jet injector 40 is obtained. injSp_Model At box 210, estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet injector. Eff_True ,in (i.e., equation 9), where A Eff_Model This is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / ejector 40; and, at box 220, the effective flow area A is used. Eff_True To calculate or regulate: the command signal; an estimate or estimation error of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate 70, anode leakage rate 72, and anode discharge valve flow rate 74.

[0127] At a selected power level under steady-state conditions, the anode pressure can be maintained at a constant pressure. (For example, the anode pressure can be the pressure measured by pressure sensor 54 in the anode input line 30, or the pressure measured inside the anode 24 itself.) The simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ is obtained at box 130. injSp_Model It can be obtained from the first lookup table 68 associated with the control system 60, or it can be calculated by the control system 60 (e.g., by the control software 64). Similarly, the simulated effective flow area A Eff_Model Alternatively, it can be obtained from a second lookup table 69 associated with the control system 60 at box 130, or it can be calculated by the control system 60 (e.g., by control software 64). (Note that the second lookup table 69 can be the same as the first lookup table 68, or it can be a different lookup table.) The method 100 may further include, at box 110, operating the fuel cell system 20 at a selected power level and steady state to determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ associated with the selected power level in the steady state. TrsntConsum .

[0128] The fuel cell system 100 may include a PIA controller 56 operably associated with the injector / injector 40. (Note that the PIA controller 56 may be used directly to control and / or monitor the hydrogen flow rate through the injector / injector 40, and the PIA controller 56 may also be used indirectly for anode discharge valve flow rate estimation and for slowly adjusting the effective flow area A of the injector.) Eff_True (as described in this article). Additionally, the actual effective circulation area A Eff_True Equations can be used To estimate (i.e., Equation 14), where, (i.e., equation 19), and where (i.e., Equation 11). In other words, Equation 14, along with Equations 19 and 11, can be used to replace Equation 9 to estimate the true effective injector / jet flow area A. Eff_True In the aforementioned equation, A geo The orifice area of ​​the injector / ejector 40 that can be determined at the time of calibration, Coeff DC The orifice discharge coefficient of injector / ejector 40 that can be determined at the time of calibration, a newIt is an updated adaptation, Fx is the injector / ejector flow regulation factor output by or derived from the PIA controller 56, ṅ Leak_Model Through the mass balance equation (i.e., the anode leakage rate calculated by Equation 1), I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller 56, p A It is the proportional gain of the PIA controller 56, e is determined by ṅ injSp_Model -ṅ TrsntConsum Simulate the error of the PIA controller 56. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old These are previous adaptations stored in the non-volatile memory 66 associated with the control system 60.

[0129] The method 100 may further include, at box 170, updating the adaptation a new Stored in non-volatile memory 66, or the method 100 may include, at block 180, using an updated adaptation a. new Replace the previous adaptation stored in non-volatile memory 66 old In addition, the anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model It could be the average anode leakage rate stored in the non-volatile memory 66.

[0130] According to another embodiment, a method 100 for operating a fuel cell system 20 includes the following steps, wherein the fuel cell system 20 has a hydrogen fuel injector / injector 40, an anode 24, a PIA controller 56 operatively associated with the injector / injector 40, a control system 60, and a non-volatile memory 66 associated with the control system 60. At block 110, the fuel cell system 20 is operated at a selected power level for a predetermined time. At block 120, a hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ associated with the power level is determined. TrsntConsum At box 130, the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ associated with the selected power level and injector / jet injector 40 is obtained. injSp_Model At box 140, the anode leakage rate ṅ of anode 24 is obtained. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model =ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum Simulated anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model It can be the average value, or it can be something other than the average value. And the adaptation term 'a' is calculated at box 160. new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller 56, p A is the proportional gain of the PIA controller 56, and e is the error of the PIA controller 56. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old It is a previously calculated or provided adaptation stored in non-volatile memory 66.

[0131] The method 100 may further include, at block 170, calculating the fitness term a new It is stored in non-volatile memory 66. Alternatively, method 100 may include, at block 180, calculating the fitness term a new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare, and at box 190, if the fit term a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation a in the non-volatile memory 66 old The method 100 may further include, at block 150, setting the anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model It is stored in non-volatile memory 66.

[0132] The above embodiment may also include, at block 200, repeatedly running, determining, obtaining, deriving, and calculating steps (i.e., blocks 110, 120, 130, 140, and 160) for various power levels different from the initial power level (e.g., until a minimum number of repetitions / power levels have been completed). In each repetition of the calculation step at block 160, the adaptation term a for the corresponding calculation of that iteration... new It can be stored in non-volatile memory 66 as (i) a substitute for previously calculated adaptations, or (ii) an average and / or accumulation of some or all previous adaptations. The method 100 may also include, at block 210, using... (i.e., Equation 9) or (i.e., Equation 14) is used to estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet injector. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / ejector 40, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / ejector 40, and Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of injector / ejector 40, and at frame 220, the effective flow area A is used. Eff_True To calculate or regulate: the command signal; an estimate or estimation error of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate 70, anode leakage rate 72, and anode discharge valve flow rate 74. At each selected power level during steady-state operation, the anode pressure can be maintained at a constant pressure. Simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model And simulated effective circulation area A Eff_ModelEach of these can be obtained from lookup tables 68 and 69 associated with the control system 60, or they can be calculated by the control system 60.

[0133] According to yet another embodiment, a method 100 for operating a fuel cell system 20 having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector 40, an anode 24, a PIA controller 56 operatively associated with the injector / injector 40, a control system 60, and a non-volatile memory 66 associated with the control system 60 includes: at block 110, operating the fuel cell system 20 at a selected power level for a predetermined time; and at block 120, determining a hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ associated with the power level. TrsntConsum At box 130, the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ associated with the selected power level and injector / jet injector 40 is obtained. injSp_Model At frame 140, the anode leakage rate ṅ of anode 24 is obtained. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model = ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum At box 160, calculate the fitness term a. new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the PIA controller, p A is the proportional gain of the PIA controller, and e is the error of the PIA controller. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old It is a previously calculated or provided adaptation stored in non-volatile memory; at box 180, the calculated adaptation a new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare; at box 190, if the fit item a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation a in the non-volatile memory 66 old At box 200, for various power levels different from the initial power level, the steps of running, determining, obtaining, deriving, calculating, comparing, and substituting are repeated multiple times (i.e., boxes 110-140, 160, 180, and 190); at box 210, Equation 9 (i.e. ) or Equation 14 (i.e. To estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet 40. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / ejector 40, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / ejector 40, and Coeff DCIt is the orifice discharge coefficient of injector / ejector 40; and, at frame 220, the effective flow area A is used. Eff_True To calculate or regulate: the command signal; an estimate or estimation error of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate 70, anode leakage rate 72, and anode discharge valve flow rate 74.

[0134] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. While the dimensions and types of materials described herein are intended to be illustrative, they are by no means restrictive, but rather exemplary embodiments. In the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” etc., are used merely as labelling and are not intended to impose numerical or positional requirements on their objects. As used herein, an element or step described in the singular and preceded by the word “a” or “an” should be understood to not exclude a plurality of such elements or steps unless such exclusion is expressly stated. Furthermore, the phrases “at least one of A and B” and “A and / or B” should each be understood to mean “only A,” only B, or both A and B.” Additionally, unless expressly stated otherwise, embodiments that “comprise” or “have” one or more elements having a particular property may include additional such elements that do not have that property.

[0135] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and / or operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, code segment, or code portion, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It will also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented by a hardware-based system or a combination of hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified function or action. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can instruct a controller or other programmable data processing apparatus to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of art including instructions that implement the functions and / or actions specified in the flowcharts and block diagrams.

[0136] This written description uses examples including best practices to enable those skilled in the art to manufacture and use devices, systems, and material compositions according to this disclosure, and to perform methods. The following claims (including equivalents) define the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector and a control system, comprising: Determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate ṅ associated with a selected power level under steady-state conditions. TrsntConsum ; Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and the injector / jeterator. injSp_Model ; Estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True ,in And A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / jet; and Using the aforementioned effective circulation area A Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, At a selected power level under steady-state conditions, the anode pressure remains constant.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model Obtained from a first lookup table associated with the control system or calculated by the control system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The simulated effective circulation area A Eff_Model Obtained from a second lookup table associated with the control system or calculated by the control system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The fuel cell system was operated at a selected power level and under steady-state conditions to determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the selected power level under steady-state conditions. TrsntConsum .

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The fuel cell system includes a proportional-integral-adaptive controller operably associated with the injector / jet injector.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, use To estimate the true effective circulation area A Eff_True ,in, and ,in: A geo The orifice area of ​​the injector / jet is determinable during a calibration event; Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / jet that can be determined at the time of the calibration event; a new It is an updated adaptation; Fx is the injector / ejector flow regulation factor output from the proportional-integral-adaptive controller; ṅ Leak_Model Through Calculated anode leakage rate; I A It is the integral gain of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller; p A It is the proportional gain of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller; e is the error of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller; It is the time integral of the error e; and a old These are previous adaptations stored in the non-volatile memory associated with the control system.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Update the adaptation a new It is stored in the non-volatile memory.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Use the updated adaptation a new Replace the previous adaptation a stored in the non-volatile memory. old .

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein, ṅ Leak_Model It is the average anode leakage rate stored in the non-volatile memory.

11. A method of operating a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector, an anode, a proportional-integral-adaptive controller operatively associated with the injector / injector, a control system, and a non-volatile memory associated with the control system, the method comprising: The fuel cell system is operated at a power level for a predetermined time. Determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the power level. TrsntConsum ; Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and the injector / jeterator. injSp_Model ; The anode leakage rate ṅ is obtained. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model = ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum ;as well as Calculate the adaptation term a new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller, p A is the proportional gain of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller, and e is the error of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old These are previously calculated or provided adaptations stored in the non-volatile memory.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The calculated fitness term a new It is stored in the non-volatile memory.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The calculated fitness term a new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare; and If the adaptation term a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation a in the non-volatile memory old .

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The anode leakage rate ṅ Leak_Model It is stored in the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: For various power levels that differ from the initial power level, the steps of running, determining, obtaining, deriving, and calculating are repeated multiple times.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, In each repetition of the calculation step, the corresponding fitness term a is calculated. new It is stored in the non-volatile memory as (i) a substitute for previously calculated adaptations, or (ii) the average and / or accumulation of some or all of the previous adaptations.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: use and One of them is used to estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / jet injector, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / jet, and Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / jet; and Use effective circulation area A Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein, At a selected power level under steady-state conditions, the anode pressure remains constant.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate ṅ injSp_Model and the simulated effective circulation area A Eff_Model Each of these is obtained from a lookup table associated with the control system, or is calculated by the control system.

20. A method of operating a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system having a hydrogen fuel injector / injector, an anode, a proportional-integral-adaptive controller operatively associated with the injector / injector, a control system, and a non-volatile memory associated with the control system, the method comprising: The fuel cell system is operated at a power level for a predetermined time. Determine the hydrogen fuel consumption rate associated with the power level. TrsntConsum ; Obtain the simulated hydrogen fuel flow rate associated with the selected power level and the injector / jeterator. injSp_Model ; The anode leakage rate ṅ is obtained. Leak_Model , among which ṅ Leak_Model = ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum ; Calculate the adaptation term a new ,in , where I A It is the integral gain of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller, p A It is the proportional gain of the proportional-integral-adaptive controller, e is determined by ṅ injSp_Model - ṅ TrsntConsum The error of the simulated proportional-integral-adaptive controller. It is the time integral of the error e, and a old It is a previously calculated or provided adaptation stored in non-volatile memory; The calculated fitness term a new Adaptation item a, as previously calculated or provided old Compare; If the adaptation term a old and a new If the difference between them is greater than a predetermined value, then the calculated adaptation term a is used. new Replace the previously calculated or provided adaptation a in the non-volatile memory old ; For various power levels that differ from the initial power level, the steps of running, determining, obtaining, deriving, calculating, comparing, and replacing are repeated multiple times. use and One of them is used to estimate the true effective flow area A of the injector / jet. Eff_True A Eff_Model It is the simulated effective flow area associated with the injector / jet injector, A geo It is the orifice area of ​​the injector / jet, and Coeff DC It is the orifice discharge coefficient of the injector / jet; and Use effective circulation area A Eff_True To calculate or regulate: command signals; estimates or estimation errors of at least one of the following: hydrogen fuel flow rate, anode leakage rate, and anode discharge valve flow rate.

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