Methods and apparatus for controlling drainage from fuel cell systems

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of fuel cell systems. Specifically, it relates to a method for controlling drainage in a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack; an anode circuit for receiving anode exhaust gas from the anode outlet of the fuel cell stack and supplying the treated anode exhaust gas and anode gas from a hydrogen source to the anode inlet; a gas-liquid separator for separating the gas and liquid from the anode exhaust gas and collecting the separated water; and a drain valve for discharging the water collected in the gas-liquid separator when open. The method includes the steps of: acquiring a first parameter related to environmental conditions that generate liquid water in the anode circuit and / or a second parameter related to the effectiveness of removing liquid water from the anode circuit; and controlling the operating state of the drain valve based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter. This invention also relates to an apparatus for controlling drainage in a fuel cell system, a fuel cell system, and a machine-readable storage medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system, and also to an apparatus for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system, a fuel cell system, and a machine-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Fuel cells, as a clean energy source that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are widely used in electric vehicles. However, in actual use, the electrochemical reactions inside the fuel cell stack produce water. Some of this water permeates from the cathode to the anode and then re-enters the anode through circulation after being discharged, causing a "flooding" phenomenon (i.e., the accumulated liquid water hinders the supply of hydrogen gas from the anode to the membrane electrode assembly). In terms of fuel cell stack performance, this manifests as reverse voltage (negative voltage). The carbon corrosion that occurs during reverse polarity can lead to catalyst shedding and even physical failure of the membrane, such as perforation.

[0003] To avoid the aforementioned issues, a gas-liquid separator and a drain valve are typically installed at the anode outlet of the fuel cell stack. The drain valve is periodically opened based on the system's operating power or output current to periodically drain accumulated water. However, existing solutions only consider power or current factors. In practical applications, on-board operating conditions vary greatly, and the condensation and accumulation of water vapor in the anode circuit differs significantly under different conditions. If the drain valve's opening timing is controlled solely based on these system operating parameters, it may result in untimely or excessively frequent liquid water discharge, thereby impairing fuel cell stability or wasting hydrogen.

[0004] Against this backdrop, there is a need to provide an improved fuel cell drainage control scheme so that the operating state of the fuel cell drainage valve can dynamically adapt to constantly fluctuating operating conditions, and can quickly adjust to the most suitable state under any operating condition, thereby improving the operational stability of the fuel cell system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system, a device for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system, a fuel cell system, and a machine-readable storage medium, so as to at least solve some of the problems in the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system is provided, the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack; an anode circuit for receiving anode exhaust gas from the anode outlet of the fuel cell stack and supplying the treated anode exhaust gas and anode gas from a hydrogen source together to the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack; a gas-liquid separator for separating the anode exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack into gas and liquid and collecting the separated water; and a drain valve for discharging the water collected in the gas-liquid separator when open.

[0007] The method includes the following steps:

[0008] Acquire a first parameter related to the environmental conditions that generate liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system, and / or acquire a second parameter related to the effectiveness of removing liquid water from the anode circuit of the fuel cell system; and

[0009] The operating state of the drain valve is controlled based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter.

[0010] This invention specifically incorporates the following technical concepts: on the one hand, it considers environmental factors that significantly impact the generation of liquid water in the anode circuit; on the other hand, it also considers evaluation indicators reflecting whether the current drainage control strategy matches the actual liquid water condition, thus achieving intelligent and robust drainage valve control. Through more precise control of the drainage valve's operating state, it avoids flooding problems caused by untimely liquid water discharge entering the anode inlet via the circulation loop, and also prevents excessive hydrogen escape with the separated liquid water, thereby avoiding hydrogen waste and a decrease in fuel cell utilization.

[0011] Optionally, the first parameter includes: the temperature difference between the anode outlet and the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack, the temperature gradient in the anode loop of the fuel cell system, and / or the ambient temperature of the fuel cell stack.

[0012] It is currently understood that, under a given operating power of a fuel cell system, when a significant temperature difference exists between the upstream and downstream of the anode circuit, the water vapor in the anode exhaust, containing water vapor, mixes with the cooler anode supply gas, causing the water vapor to condense and produce a large amount of liquid water. Furthermore, by understanding the temperature gradient along a specific direction and the ambient temperature of the fuel cell, the amount of liquid water produced can be estimated more accurately. By considering these temperature characteristic parameters, drainage control can be autonomously adjusted according to the actual operating conditions of the fuel cell, improving drainage accuracy.

[0013] Optionally, the fuel cell system further includes a hydrogen circulation pump disposed in the anode circuit, the hydrogen circulation pump being used to pump the gas-liquid separated anode exhaust gas to be mixed with the anode supply gas, the second parameter including: the hydrogen concentration in the pipeline of the fuel cell system located downstream of the drain valve and / or the drive parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump.

[0014] By understanding the hydrogen concentration in the exhaust gas and the load on the hydrogen circulation pump, it is possible to more reliably determine whether the currently applied drainage scheme can fully meet the actual drainage needs.

[0015] Optionally, the hydrogen concentration may be measured during the time period associated with the opening of the drain valve, and / or only the hydrogen concentration measured during the time period associated with the opening of the drain valve may be determined as the second parameter.

[0016] By limiting the acquisition time interval of the second parameter, it is possible to more intuitively see whether the working state of the drain valve is within a suitable range by analyzing the second parameter, and make adaptive adjustments so that the working state of the drain valve can dynamically change with the real-time changing environmental conditions.

[0017] Optionally, controlling the operating state of the drain valve based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter includes:

[0018] The amount of water accumulated in the gas-liquid separator is determined based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter. When the amount of water accumulated is greater than a preset water volume threshold, the drain valve is controlled to open.

[0019] Therefore, by monitoring the water accumulation in real time, the timing of the drain valve opening can be controlled more flexibly, and the opening frequency of the drain valve can be dynamically changed with the working environment.

[0020] Optionally, a control strategy for the drain valve is determined based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter, and the working state of the drain valve is controlled according to the determined control strategy. The different control strategies differ at least in terms of the opening frequency, opening duration, and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve.

[0021] Therefore, the real-time system operating conditions can be correlated with the control strategy of the drain valve, reducing the difficulty of operation while achieving intelligent drainage.

[0022] Optionally, feedforward control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve based on the first parameter, wherein:

[0023] The pre-calibration process establishes and stores the mapping relationship between different values ​​of the first parameter and the control strategy of the water accumulation and / or drain valve in the gas-liquid separator; and

[0024] The water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator and / or the control strategy of the drain valve corresponding to the measured value of the first parameter are obtained from the pre-calibrated mapping relationship, and the working state of the drain valve is controlled based on the obtained water accumulation and / or control strategy.

[0025] Therefore, based on the open-loop model, reasonable drainage operations can be triggered at an earlier time to avoid flooding caused by untimely drainage.

[0026] Optionally, feedback control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve based on the second parameter, wherein:

[0027] Obtain the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator and / or the current control strategy used by the drain valve;

[0028] Calculate the deviation between the measured value and the preset value of the second parameter; and

[0029] A correction factor is calculated from the deviation, and the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator and / or the control strategy currently used by the drain valve are corrected using the correction factor.

[0030] Therefore, it is possible to investigate the applicability of the current drainage strategy by starting from the liquid water removal effect. For other unmeasurable environmental disturbances and deviations that are not precisely controlled by the feedforward link, they can also be quickly corrected by closed-loop control, thus realizing intelligent dynamic adjustment.

[0031] Optionally, a threshold range for the deviation is preset, where the second parameter relates to the hydrogen concentration in the pipeline downstream of the drain valve of the fuel cell system:

[0032] In response to the measured value of the second parameter being greater than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the current amount of water in the gas-liquid separator is reduced by a predetermined correction amount, and / or the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve set in the currently adopted control strategy are reduced by a predetermined correction amount.

[0033] In response to the measured value of the second parameter being less than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator is increased by a predetermined correction amount, and / or the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve set in the currently adopted control strategy are increased by a predetermined correction amount.

[0034] The magnitude of the predetermined correction amount is determined by the degree to which the second parameter deviates from the preset value.

[0035] Therefore, when the system drainage scheme deviates from the actual water accumulation, the working state of the drainage valve can be quickly adapted to the fluctuating working environment by making reasonable corrections in the direction and degree of correction, ensuring that the working state of the drainage valve is always in the best condition, and effectively avoiding the impact of excessive liquid water content or excessive drainage on the performance of the fuel cell stack.

[0036] Optionally, the method further includes the following steps:

[0037] To obtain fundamental parameters related to the electrochemical reaction conditions for producing liquid water in the anode loop of a fuel cell system; and

[0038] Based on the aforementioned basic parameters, a basic control strategy is determined to determine the basic water accumulation and / or the operating state of the drain valve in the gas-liquid separator, and the basic water accumulation and / or the basic control strategy is adjusted using the first and / or second parameters.

[0039] Since the electrochemical reaction plays a decisive role in the output of liquid water, in order to establish an open-loop control framework more quickly, the drainage regulation of the electrochemical reaction can be used as the basis. Then, the real-time operating conditions reflected by the first parameter and / or the second parameter can be used to fine-tune the basic framework, thereby not only making the working state of the drain valve approach the desired state more quickly, but also simplifying the difficulty of drainage control.

[0040] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system, the apparatus being used to perform the method according to a first aspect of the present invention, the apparatus comprising:

[0041] The acquisition module is configured to acquire a first parameter related to environmental conditions that generate liquid water in the anode loop of the fuel cell system, and / or acquire a second parameter related to the effectiveness of removing liquid water in the anode loop of the fuel cell system; and

[0042] The control module is configured to control the operating state of the drain valve based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter.

[0043] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell system is provided, the fuel cell system comprising:

[0044] Fuel cell stack;

[0045] The anode circuit is used to receive anode exhaust gas from the anode outlet of the fuel cell stack and to supply the treated anode exhaust gas and the anode gas supply from the hydrogen source to the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack.

[0046] A gas-liquid separator is used to separate the gas and liquid in the anode exhaust of a fuel cell stack and collect the separated water.

[0047] A drain valve, used to drain water collected in the gas-liquid separator when open; and

[0048] The device according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0049] Optionally, the fuel cell system further includes:

[0050] A first temperature sensor is arranged in the anode circuit and is used to detect the first temperature at the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack.

[0051] A second temperature sensor is arranged in the anode circuit and is used to detect the second temperature at the anode outlet of the fuel cell stack.

[0052] The acquisition module of the device is configured to acquire a first parameter based on the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature.

[0053] Optionally, the fuel cell system further includes:

[0054] The exhaust gas pipeline is connected to the gas-liquid separator via a drain valve and is used to guide the water collected in the gas-liquid separator to the external environment.

[0055] A hydrogen concentration sensor is used to detect the hydrogen concentration in the section of the exhaust gas pipeline located downstream of the drain valve.

[0056] The acquisition module of the device is configured to acquire a second parameter based on the hydrogen concentration in the section of the exhaust gas pipeline located downstream of the drain valve.

[0057] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a machine-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, the computer program being configured to execute the method according to the first aspect of the invention when run on a computer. Attached Figure Description

[0058] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will provide a better understanding of its principles, features, and advantages. The drawings include:

[0059] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0060] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The diagram shows the control block diagram of the drainage control process of the fuel cell system.

[0061] Figure 3 A flowchart is shown for a method of controlling drainage of a fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the operating power of a fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the temperature difference between the anode outlet and anode inlet of the fuel cell stack, and the operating state of the drain valve over time; and...

[0063] Figure 5 The graphs showing the changes over time of the drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump, the exhaust hydrogen concentration, and the operating state of the drain valve in a fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0064] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial technical effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0065] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fuel cell system 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0066] Fuel cell system 1 includes fuel cell stack 20, in Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates an anode gas line 21 and a cathode gas line 22 extending within a fuel cell stack 20. The anode gas line 21 extends from the anode inlet 23 to the anode outlet 24 within the fuel cell stack 20. The anode outlet 24 is connected to a gas-liquid separator 45 via an anode discharge line 62. The upper outlet of the gas-liquid separator 45 is connected to an anode supply line 61 via a circulation line 63, which is connected to the anode inlet 23 of the fuel cell stack 20. The lower outlet of the gas-liquid separator 45 is connected to a cathode outlet line 52 via a drain line 64. Additionally, a hydrogen circulation pump 44 is provided within the circulation line 63 to return treated anode exhaust gas to the anode supply line 61. An electromagnetic drain valve 46 is provided within the drain line 64. In this embodiment, the anode supply line 61, the anode discharge line 62, and the circulation line 63 are collectively referred to as the anode circuit. Generally, the anode circuit receives anode exhaust gas from the anode outlet 24 of the fuel cell stack 20 and supplies the treated anode exhaust gas and the anode supply gas from the hydrogen source 41 to the anode inlet 23 of the fuel cell stack 20. Additionally, the drain line 64 and the cathode discharge line 52 are collectively referred to as the exhaust gas line. Generally, the exhaust gas line guides the water collected in the gas-liquid separator 45 to the external environment.

[0067] The anode supply line 61 is connected to the hydrogen source 41. Additionally, within the anode supply line 61, a hydrogen injection valve 42 and an ejector pump 43 are sequentially installed from upstream to downstream. The hydrogen injection valve 42 supplies hydrogen to the ejector pump 43. Thus, the ejector pump 43 mixes the treated anode exhaust gas fed from the circulation line 63 with the anode supply gas from the hydrogen source 41 to form a mixed gas, and guides this mixed gas downstream of the anode supply line 61 (i.e., to the anode inlet 23 of the fuel cell stack 20).

[0068] In the anode discharge line 62, the anode exhaust gas, containing unconsumed hydrogen, water vapor, and liquid water, flows into the gas-liquid separator 45, where it separates the anode exhaust gas into gas and liquid components. The separated liquid water is collected in the gas-liquid separator 45 and discharged through the drain line 64 to the cathode discharge line 52 while the drain valve 46 is open, and then released into the external environment. Additionally, gaseous components are separated from the anode exhaust gas by the gas-liquid separator 45 and returned to the anode supply line 61 via the circulation line 63 by the hydrogen circulation pump 44.

[0069] On the cathode side of the fuel cell stack 20, an air duct 22 extends from the cathode inlet 25 to the cathode outlet 26 inside the fuel cell stack 20. The cathode inlet 25 is connected to the cathode supply duct 51, and the cathode outlet 26 is connected to the cathode discharge duct 52. The cathode supply duct 51 is connected to the cathode discharge duct 52 via a bypass duct 53. In the cathode supply duct 51, an air pump 31, a humidifier 32, and a shut-off valve 33 are arranged sequentially from upstream to downstream. A shut-off valve 35 is installed in the cathode discharge duct 52. In addition, a bypass valve 34 is installed in the bypass duct 53. When the shut-off valves 33 and 35 are open, the air pump 31 drives air from the atmosphere to the cathode supply duct 61, and the pumped air is supplied to the humidifier 32. The humidifier 32 is used to humidify the air in the cathode supply duct 51 before supplying air to the cathode of the fuel cell stack 20. On the other hand, the cathode exhaust gas discharged through the cathode outlet 26 of the fuel cell stack 20 is released into the atmosphere through the cathode discharge pipe 52.

[0070] During actual use of fuel cell system 1, it was found that water generated through the electrochemical reaction is produced inside the fuel cell stack 20 and discharged outside the fuel cell stack 20 in the form of water vapor and liquid water along with unconsumed anode gas, and then enters the anode circuit. When the liquid water condensed from water vapor in the anode circuit is not properly discharged through the drain valve 46, it can cause flooding of the fuel cell stack 20 or waste of hydrogen. This not only degrades the power generation performance of the fuel cell stack 20, but may also pose a safety hazard.

[0071] to this end, Figure 1The illustrated fuel cell system 1 also includes a device 10 for controlling the drainage of the fuel cell system 1. The device 10 includes an acquisition module 11 and a control module 12. The acquisition module 11 is used to acquire a first parameter related to the environmental conditions that generate liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system 1 and / or a second parameter related to the effectiveness of removing liquid water from the anode circuit of the fuel cell system 1. To obtain the first and / or second parameters, the acquisition module 11 may be communicatively connected to a plurality of sensors of the fuel cell system 1 to receive detection signals from these sensors. In this embodiment, the fuel cell system 1 also includes, for example, a first temperature sensor 91, a second temperature sensor 92, and a hydrogen concentration sensor 93. The first temperature sensor 91 is arranged in the anode supply line 61 and is used to detect a first temperature at the anode inlet 23 of the fuel cell stack 20. The second temperature sensor 92 is arranged in the anode discharge line 62 and is used to detect a second temperature at the anode outlet 24 of the fuel cell stack 20. The hydrogen concentration sensor 93 is arranged in the cathode discharge line 52, but it can also be arranged in the drain line 64 downstream of the drain valve 46, and is used to detect the hydrogen concentration in the exhaust gas line section downstream of the drain valve 46, also known as the tail gas hydrogen concentration. By collecting the detection signals of the first temperature sensor 91 and the second temperature sensor 92, the acquisition module 11 can calculate the temperature difference between the anode outlet 24 and the anode inlet 23 of the fuel cell stack 20 and determine the first parameter based on this. In addition, the acquisition module 11 can also determine the second parameter based on the detection signal of the hydrogen concentration sensor 93. Additionally or alternatively, the acquisition module 11 can also be communicatively connected to the hydrogen circulation pump 44 of the fuel cell system 1, for example, to receive the driving parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump 44 (e.g., driving current, driving power, energy consumption, etc.) from there, and thus determine the second parameter in combination with the driving parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump 44.

[0072] The control module 12 is used to control the working state of the drain valve based on the first parameter and / or the second parameter. For example, the control module 12 can not only output control signals such as valve opening indication and valve closing indication to the drain valve 46 based on the acquired first parameter and / or second parameter, but also adjust the opening duration, opening frequency and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve 46, thereby controlling the timing, flow rate or flow velocity of liquid water discharge.

[0073] It should be noted that, although in Figure 1 The diagram only shows the case where one temperature sensor is provided for each of the anode inlet 23 and anode outlet 24, but it is equally conceivable that multiple temperature sensors would be arranged in other sections of the anode circuit. Thus, for example, it is also possible to detect changes in the temperature gradient within the anode circuit and derive relevant information about the first parameter based on this. Furthermore, although in Figure 1Only one hydrogen concentration sensor 93 is shown in the exhaust gas pipeline section after the intersection of the drain pipe 64 and the cathode discharge pipe 52. However, it is also possible to install other numbers of hydrogen concentration sensors or to place the hydrogen concentration sensor 93 directly in the drain pipe 64.

[0074] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The diagram shows the control block diagram of the drainage control process of the fuel cell system.

[0075] refer to Figure 2 The working state of the drain valve of the fuel cell system is controlled by using feedforward control loop 201 and feedback control loop 202.

[0076] In this embodiment, the feedforward control loop 201 uses the output current I of the fuel cell system and the temperature difference ΔT between the anode outlet and anode inlet of the fuel cell stack as inputs. Here, the output current I is considered a basic parameter, which is related to the electrochemical reaction conditions for producing liquid water in the anode circuit. Alternatively, the operating power of the fuel cell system can also be selected as a basic parameter. The temperature difference ΔT is considered a first parameter, which is related to the environmental conditions for producing liquid water in the anode circuit.

[0077] In the feedforward control loop 201, a mathematical model or calibration database is established and stored using a large amount of prior data, established rules, or machine learning models. This mathematical model describes the mapping relationship between different values ​​of the output current I and temperature difference ΔT and the control strategy for the water accumulation and / or drain valve in the gas-liquid separator. In the calibration database, control strategies for the water accumulation and / or drain valve in the gas-liquid separator are stored in conjunction with different levels of the output current I and temperature difference ΔT. Each drain control strategy corresponds, for example, to a parameter configuration of the drain valve's operating state; different drain control strategies differ at least in the drain valve's opening frequency, opening duration, and / or valve opening degree. In practical applications, the feedforward control loop 201 receives the measured values ​​of the fuel cell system's output current I and the anode-side temperature difference ΔT, and then calculates, based on the pre-established mathematical model, or selects, from the calibration database, a water accumulation or drain valve control strategy M1 that matches the measured values ​​using a lookup table.

[0078] For unmeasurable disturbances and deviations not precisely controlled by the feedforward control loop 201, feedback control loop 202 can be used to perform feedback control with the goal of eliminating the deviation. Specifically, the hydrogen concentration in the downstream exhaust gas pipeline section of the drain valve and / or the drive parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump are selected as the second parameters, which are related to the effect of removing liquid water in the anode circuit. First, preset values ​​C are set for these second parameters. set ARB_I setThis preset value can, for example, reflect the hydrogen concentration and hydrogen circulation pump operating state corresponding to the actual liquid water production situation when the operating state of the drain valve matches the actual liquid water production situation. This can be determined through experiments or pre-calibration processes. In this embodiment, the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator and / or the current control strategy M1 of the drain valve have been calculated using the feedforward control loop 201, and the drain valve is controlled based on this. Therefore, during the time period associated with the opening action of the drain valve, the measured value C of the hydrogen concentration in the downstream exhaust gas pipeline section of the drain valve is measured. act Or continuously measure the measured values ​​of the driving parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump, ARB_I. act Then, the deviations ΔC and ΔARB_I between the measured values ​​and preset values ​​of these parameters are calculated in real time, and this deviation is provided as input to the feedback control loop 202. In the feedback control loop 202, a correction factor M2 is calculated from the deviation using an appropriate feedback controller to correct the current water accumulation or the control strategy currently used by the drain valve. Commonly used feedback controllers include proportional controllers, proportional-integral controllers, proportional-derivative controllers, and proportional-integral-derivative controllers. Depending on the actual operating conditions of the fuel cell system and the accuracy requirements for drain valve control, controllers following different operating principles can be selected.

[0079] At fusion stage 203, the output signals M1 and M2 from feedforward control stage 201 and feedback control stage 202 are fused according to a certain rule to obtain the corrected water accumulation amount and / or the corrected control strategy M3, which is then applied to the drain valve 46 of the fuel cell system. For example, the basic framework of the operating parameters of the drain valve 46 can be determined first based on the output result M1 of the feedforward control stage 201, and then fine-tuned based on the output result M2 of the feedback control stage 202. Specific details of the correction process will be discussed below. Figure 3 Further explanation. While controlling drain valve 46 using either the corrected water volume or the corrected control strategy M3, the measured value C of the hydrogen concentration in the downstream exhaust gas pipeline section is monitored during the time period associated with the opening of the drain valve. act And / or, continuously monitor the measured values ​​of the drive parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump, ARB_I. act And feed them back to the feedback control loop 202.

[0080] By combining feedforward and feedback control, not only is the timeliness advantage of feedforward control fully utilized, but the reliability of feedback control in eliminating deviations is also leveraged, resulting in excellent control performance.

[0081] Figure 3A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. The method exemplarily includes steps 301-308, and can be implemented, for example, using... Figure 1 This is implemented using the device 10 shown.

[0082] In step 301, the output current or operating power of the fuel cell system is obtained and regarded as a fundamental parameter related to the electrochemical reaction conditions for producing liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system.

[0083] In step 302, the temperature difference between the anode outlet and anode inlet of the fuel cell stack is obtained and considered as a first parameter related to the environmental conditions for the generation of liquid water in the anode loop of the fuel cell system. In another embodiment, the external air temperature of the fuel cell stack can be detected using a temperature sensor located outside the fuel cell stack, and the obtained temperature difference between the anode outlet and inlet can be used to perform a reliability check based on the external air temperature detection results. For example, if the external air temperature is below a predetermined threshold and the fuel cell is started after a long period of shutdown, it would be illogical to only obtain a small temperature difference between the anode outlet and inlet. In this case, a re-detection of the temperature difference can be requested, or it can be inferred that the relevant temperature sensor is faulty. In another embodiment, multiple temperature sensors can be used to detect temperature values ​​at different points in the anode loop of the fuel cell system, thereby obtaining the temperature gradient along a defined direction in the anode loop. By understanding this temperature gradient information, the amount of liquid water that may be generated in the anode loop can be estimated more accurately.

[0084] In step 303, the amount of water accumulated in the gas-liquid separator and / or the control strategy of the drain valve are calculated by using a feedforward control loop, and the working state of the drain valve is controlled by using the calculated amount of water accumulated and / or the control strategy.

[0085] In a specific example, the water generation rate in the fuel cell stack can first be calculated using the following formula based on the fundamental parameters in the form of the output current of the fuel cell system obtained in step 301:

[0086] N = i / 2F (1)

[0087] Where N is the water generation rate, i is the current density, and F is the Faraday constant. It is known that a certain proportion of the water generated by the electrochemical reaction permeates from the cathode to the anode and is discharged from the anode outlet as liquid water and gaseous water vapor back into the anode circuit. Therefore, by integrating over a certain time period, the basic model F(I) for the amount of water accumulated in the gas-liquid separator can be derived from the total water generation rate N. In this basic model F(I), only the case of a fully warmed-up system or a high ambient temperature is considered, where there is no significant temperature difference between the anode outlet and the anode inlet, and the liquid water discharged from the anode outlet directly accumulates in the gas-liquid separator.

[0088] In addition to introducing the first parameter reflecting environmental conditions, we also consider that during the actual warm-up process, factors such as the heat capacity of the anode supply pipeline and heat dissipation to the environment will affect the condensation of water vapor discharged from the anode outlet in the anode circuit. Therefore, the following situation may occur: Under preheating conditions, the coolant is heated to bring the fuel cell stack to its operating temperature. The anode outlet heats up with the coolant, while the anode inlet heats up slowly, resulting in a large temperature difference between different sections of the anode circuit. Consequently, the anode exhaust containing a large amount of water vapor mixes with the cooler anode supply gas from the hydrogen source in the anode circuit, causing a certain degree of condensation of the water vapor. This increases the amount of liquid water in the gas-liquid separator. Understandably, with a fixed output current of the fuel cell system, the temperature difference between the anode outlet and inlet directly reflects the amount of liquid water condensed from the water vapor. The larger the temperature difference, the more liquid water is generated in the anode circuit, thus requiring more frequent or longer opening of the drain valve.

[0089] Therefore, it is meaningful to adjust the basic model F(I) of the water accumulation volume using the first parameter obtained in step 302 to obtain the adjusted basic model F(I,ΔT). Then, the adjusted basic model F(I,ΔT) is used to calculate the current water accumulation volume in the gas-liquid separator. With the current water accumulation volume calculated, it can be compared with a preset water volume threshold in real time, and the drain valve can be opened when the current water accumulation volume exceeds the preset water volume threshold. After each drain valve opening, the cumulative time used for integrating the water generation rate in the model F(I,ΔT) can be reset to zero, and the water accumulation volume calculation can restart from time zero.

[0090] After each drain valve opens, it can be assumed that the water volume and flow rate are constant during each opening period, and all water collected in the gas-liquid separator needs to be discharged during the drain valve's opening period. Therefore, for simplicity, the opening duration of the drain valve can be specified as a fixed value, and the drain valve can be automatically closed after this opening duration ends. Alternatively, the flow rate of the fluid passing through the drain valve can be monitored or estimated in real time, and the opening duration of the drain valve can be calculated from this flow rate.

[0091] In another specific example, a basic control strategy for the drain valve can be derived first based on fundamental parameters in the form of output current or operating power. In this basic control strategy, each operating power level corresponds to a parameter configuration of the drain valve. For example, at the first operating power P1 of the fuel cell, the drain valve's operating state is controlled by a first control strategy consisting of a first opening frequency f1, a first opening duration t1, and a first valve opening Q1. At the second operating power P2 of the fuel cell, the drain valve's operating state is controlled by a second control strategy consisting of a second opening frequency f2, a second opening duration t2, and a second valve opening Q2. With the introduction of the first parameter, this basic control strategy can be adjusted. For example, at the first operating power P1, one or more parameter configurations in the first control strategy can be adjusted for different levels of temperature difference between the anode outlet and inlet. For instance, during the implementation of the first control strategy, as the temperature difference increases, the first opening frequency f1 or the first opening duration t1 of the drain valve is appropriately increased.

[0092] In step 304, when controlling the drain valve using the currently calculated water accumulation or control strategy, the hydrogen concentration and / or the drive parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump in the exhaust gas pipeline section downstream of the drain valve of the fuel cell system are obtained and considered as a second parameter related to the effectiveness of removing liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system. Regarding hydrogen concentration collection, the hydrogen concentration can be continuously detected and recorded using relevant sensors, and then only the hydrogen concentration within the time period associated with the opening action of the drain valve is selected as the second parameter. Here, without considering the time delay caused by the pipeline length and fluid velocity between the drain valve and the hydrogen concentration sensor, the "time period associated with the opening action of the drain valve" can directly refer to the opening duration of the drain valve. Considering a certain delay between the opening action of the drain valve and the concentration value detected by the hydrogen concentration sensor, the "time period associated with the opening action of the drain valve" can refer to the opening duration of the drain valve plus a predetermined delay time (approximately 0.5 seconds to 1 second). Alternatively, the relevant sensors can be controlled to collect hydrogen concentration signals only within the time period associated with the opening action of the drain valve. For hydrogen circulation pumps, the driving parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump can be recorded continuously (i.e., both during valve closure and valve opening).

[0093] Next, in conjunction with steps 305-308, we will introduce how to perform feedback control on the working state of the drain valve based on the second parameter.

[0094] Specifically, in step 305, the measured value of hydrogen concentration in the waste gas pipeline section downstream of the drain valve is compared with the preset value of hydrogen concentration, and it is checked whether the deviation between the measured value and the preset value exceeds the threshold range.

[0095] Here, "preset value" is not necessarily a single numerical value, but rather a range of values. For example, the reasonable range for hydrogen concentration in the exhaust of a fuel cell system is 1% to 3%. Below 1% indicates that liquid water has not been completely drained, while above 3% indicates that the drain valve is opened too frequently or for too long. In the latter case, in addition to the liquid separated by gas-liquid separation, some unconsumed hydrogen escapes into the external environment through the drain pipe. This not only wastes hydrogen but may also pose a safety hazard when released into the atmosphere.

[0096] If in step 305 it is determined that the measured exhaust hydrogen concentration is equal to the preset value or if the deviation between the two does not exceed the threshold range, it means that the current drainage control strategy meets the drainage requirements, or that the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator has been estimated relatively accurately. In this case, the deviation check can continue to be performed in step 305, and the current control strategy of the drain valve can continue to be used or the current mathematical model can be used to calculate the water accumulation.

[0097] If the deviation is found to exceed the threshold range in step 305, the relationship between the measured value and the preset value of the second parameter is further checked in step 306. For example, it can be determined in this step whether the measured value of hydrogen concentration is greater than the preset value.

[0098] For cases where the measured hydrogen concentration is greater than or less than the preset value, correction factors are calculated in steps 307 and 308 respectively, and the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator and / or the control strategy currently used by the drain valve are corrected using the correction factors.

[0099] Specifically, in response to the measured value of hydrogen concentration being greater than a preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, in step 307, the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator is reduced by a predetermined correction amount, and / or the opening frequency, opening duration, and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve set in the currently adopted control strategy are reduced by a predetermined correction amount. In response to the measured value of hydrogen concentration being less than a preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, in step 308, the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator is increased by a predetermined correction amount, and / or the opening frequency, opening duration, and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve set in the currently adopted control strategy are increased by a predetermined correction amount.

[0100] In a specific example, the correction factor can be calculated and the corresponding correction level determined based on the correction relationships shown in the table below.

[0101] Table 1

[0102]

[0103] As shown in Table 1, the magnitude of the correction factor (i.e., the magnitude of the predetermined correction amount) is determined by the degree to which the peak hydrogen concentration deviates from the preset value. When the peak hydrogen concentration is less than 1%, a larger correction factor indicates a more severe underestimation of the water accumulation calculated using the feedforward control loop. Therefore, the calculated current water accumulation should be increased accordingly, with the increase being proportional to the magnitude of the correction factor. Similarly, when the hydrogen concentration is greater than 3%, a smaller correction factor indicates a more severe overestimation of the water accumulation. Therefore, it should be decreased accordingly, with the decrease also reflected by the magnitude of the correction factor.

[0104] In an embodiment not shown, the drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump can also be compared with a preset value in step 305. If the gas component separated by gas-liquid separation contains a large amount of water, the pump load will increase, resulting in higher power consumption and drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump. When the drive parameters of the hydrogen circulation pump deviate from the preset value, it is determined that the currently used drainage control strategy cannot adequately meet the drainage requirements. For example, when the drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump is greater than the preset value and the deviation exceeds the threshold range, it indicates that the water in the gas-liquid separator has not been completely drained. In this case, the calculated current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator needs to be increased by a predetermined correction amount, and / or, the opening frequency, opening duration, and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve set in the currently used control strategy needs to be increased by a predetermined correction amount. Conversely, when the drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump is less than the preset value and the deviation exceeds the threshold range, it indicates that drainage is too frequent. Therefore, the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator needs to be reduced by a predetermined correction amount, and / or, the opening frequency, opening duration, and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve set in the currently used control strategy needs to be reduced by a predetermined correction amount.

[0105] Figure 4 The diagram shows the operating power of the fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the temperature difference between the anode outlet and the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack, and the operating status of the drain valve as a function of time.

[0106] refer to Figure 4 The top layer shows the change of the operating power 410 of the fuel cell system over time; the middle layer shows the change of the anode outlet temperature 420 and anode inlet temperature 421 of the fuel cell stack over time; and the bottom layer shows, in contrast, the change of the operating state 430 of the fuel cell system's drain valve over time. For example, the drain valve is controlled to switch between an "ON" and a "OFF" state.

[0107] In this embodiment, the operating state 430 of the drain valve under drainage control using the method of the present invention is shown in three time intervals 401, 402, and 403. It can be seen that the operating power of the fuel cell system remains at 30 kW in time intervals 401 and 403, while in time interval 402, the operating power is significantly lower than 30 kW. It is noteworthy that although the corresponding power levels are the same in time intervals 401 and 403, the opening frequency of the drain valve of the fuel cell system differs between these two time intervals. Compared to time interval 403, the drain valve is controlled to open at a higher frequency in time interval 401. This is because a significantly larger temperature difference ΔT between the anode outlet temperature 420 and the anode outlet temperature 421 of the fuel cell stack can be observed in time interval 401, which leads to the generation of more condensate in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system. Therefore, to adapt the drainage control strategy to this environmental factor, the drain valve is controlled to open at a higher frequency in time interval 401, thereby ensuring that the large amount of liquid water generated can be discharged in a timely manner. As time progresses, the fuel cell system is gradually heated to a sufficient degree. During time interval 402, the temperature difference between the anode outlet temperature 420 and the anode inlet temperature 421 gradually decreases. At the same time, the power level is at a low level, so the control drain valve operates at a low opening frequency.

[0108] Figure 5 The graphs showing the changes over time of the drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump, the exhaust hydrogen concentration, and the operating state of the drain valve in a fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0109] refer to Figure 5 The top layer shows the change of the drive current 510 of the hydrogen circulation pump of the fuel cell system over time; the middle layer shows the change of the hydrogen concentration 520 in the section of the exhaust pipe downstream of the drain valve over time; and the bottom layer shows the change of the operating state 530 of the drain valve over time.

[0110] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, it is assumed that the operating power of the fuel cell system and the temperature difference between the anode outlet and the inlet are at a roughly stable level. Therefore, a control strategy for the drain valve is derived based on this, under which the operation of the drain valve is controlled, for example, at a certain opening frequency.

[0111] Before time t0, the hydrogen concentration in the downstream pipeline of the drain valve is within the preset range (1-3%), and the drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump is lower than the preset value ARB_I1. Therefore, it can be inferred that during this period, the control strategy of the drain valve basically satisfies the liquid water generation state in the anode circuit.

[0112] After time t0, the peak hydrogen concentration downstream of the drain valve was observed to drop below 1%, and the drive current of the hydrogen circulation pump exceeded the preset value ARB_I1 and increased further over time. This means that from time t0 onwards, the current drain valve control strategy can no longer meet the immediate drainage demand. It is possible that excessive liquid water is generated in the anode circuit but not drained in time, leading to increased energy consumption of the hydrogen circulation pump. Simultaneously, because the water in the gas-liquid separator is not completely drained, the hydrogen concentration discharged with the liquid water is very low. In this case, for example, the opening frequency of the drain valve could be appropriately increased to accelerate the drainage speed, thereby allowing the liquid water accumulated in the gas-liquid separator to be drained in a timely manner.

[0113] It is understood that the methods of the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by computer programs / software. This software can be loaded into the processor's working memory and, when run, is used to execute the methods according to the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0114] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a machine-readable storage medium, such as a CD-ROM, is provided, including a computer program that, when executed, causes a computer or processor to perform methods according to various embodiments of this disclosure. The machine-readable storage medium is, for example, an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware.

[0115] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein, they are given for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various substitutions, alterations, and modifications can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system (1), the fuel cell system (1) comprising: Fuel cell stack (20); anode circuit for receiving anode exhaust from anode outlet (24) of fuel cell stack (20) and supplying the treated anode exhaust and anode gas from hydrogen source (41) together to anode inlet (23) of fuel cell stack (20); gas-liquid separator (45) for separating the anode exhaust from fuel cell stack (20) and collecting the separated water; A drain valve (46) is used to drain water collected in the gas-liquid separator (45) when it is open; The method includes the following steps: A first parameter related to the environmental conditions for generating liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system (1) is obtained, and a second parameter related to the effectiveness of removing liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system (1) is obtained. The first parameter includes: the temperature difference between the anode outlet (24) and the anode inlet (23) of the fuel cell stack (20) and / or the temperature gradient in the anode loop of the fuel cell system (1). The second parameter includes: the hydrogen concentration in the pipeline downstream of the drain valve (46) of the fuel cell system (1), wherein the hydrogen concentration during the period when the drain valve is only open is selected as the second parameter; and The working state of the drain valve (46) is controlled based on the first parameter and the second parameter. Feedforward control is performed on the working state of the drain valve (46) based on the first parameter, and feedback control is performed on the working state of the drain valve (46) for removing liquid water based on the second parameter. If it is determined that the deviation between the measured hydrogen concentration and the preset value does not exceed the threshold range, it means that the current drainage control strategy meets the drainage requirements, and the current control strategy of the drain valve continues to be used. If the deviation exceeds the threshold range, a predetermined correction amount is determined according to the degree of deviation of the hydrogen concentration from the preset value, and the predetermined correction amount is used to correct the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve set in the current control strategy.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first parameter also includes the ambient temperature of the fuel cell stack (20); and / or, the second parameter also includes the driving parameters of a hydrogen circulation pump (44) disposed in the anode circuit, the hydrogen circulation pump (44) being used to pump gas-liquid separated anode exhaust gas to mix with the anode supply gas.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The operating state of the drain valve (46) is controlled based on the first and second parameters, including: The amount of water in the gas-liquid separator (45) is determined based on the first and second parameters. When the amount of water is greater than the preset water volume threshold, the drain valve (46) is controlled to open.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control strategy of the drain valve (46) is obtained based on the first parameter and the second parameter, and the working state of the drain valve (46) is controlled according to the obtained control strategy. The different control strategies are different at least in terms of the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve (46).

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The control strategy of the drain valve (46) is obtained based on the first parameter and the second parameter, and the working state of the drain valve (46) is controlled according to the obtained control strategy. The different control strategies are different at least in terms of the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve (46).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 5, wherein, Feedforward control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve (46) based on the first parameter, wherein: The mapping relationship between different values ​​of the first parameter and the water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy of the drain valve (46) is established and stored through a pre-calibration process; and The water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy of the drain valve (46) corresponding to the measured value of the first parameter are obtained from the pre-calibrated mapping relationship. The working state of the drain valve (46) is controlled based on the obtained water accumulation and / or control strategy.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Feedforward control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve (46) based on the first parameter, wherein: The mapping relationship between different values ​​of the first parameter and the water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy of the drain valve (46) is established and stored through a pre-calibration process; and The water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy of the drain valve (46) corresponding to the measured value of the first parameter are obtained from the pre-calibrated mapping relationship. The working state of the drain valve (46) is controlled based on the obtained water accumulation and / or control strategy.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Feedforward control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve (46) based on the first parameter, wherein: The mapping relationship between different values ​​of the first parameter and the water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy of the drain valve (46) is established and stored through a pre-calibration process; and The water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy of the drain valve (46) corresponding to the measured value of the first parameter are obtained from the pre-calibrated mapping relationship. The working state of the drain valve (46) is controlled based on the obtained water accumulation and / or control strategy.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8, wherein, Feedback control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve (46) based on the second parameter, wherein: Obtain the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the current control strategy employed by the drain valve (46); Calculate the deviation between the measured value and the preset value of the second parameter; and A correction factor is calculated from the deviation, and the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy currently used by the drain valve (46) are corrected using the correction factor.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Feedback control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve (46) based on the second parameter, wherein: Obtain the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the current control strategy employed by the drain valve (46); Calculate the deviation between the measured value and the preset value of the second parameter; and A correction factor is calculated from the deviation, and the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy currently used by the drain valve (46) are corrected using the correction factor.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Feedback control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve (46) based on the second parameter, wherein: Obtain the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the current control strategy employed by the drain valve (46); Calculate the deviation between the measured value and the preset value of the second parameter; and A correction factor is calculated from the deviation, and the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy currently used by the drain valve (46) are corrected using the correction factor.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein, Feedback control is performed on the operating state of the drain valve (46) based on the second parameter, wherein: Obtain the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the current control strategy employed by the drain valve (46); Calculate the deviation between the measured value and the preset value of the second parameter; and A correction factor is calculated from the deviation, and the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the control strategy currently used by the drain valve (46) are corrected using the correction factor.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein, In response to the measured value of the second parameter being greater than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve (46) set in the currently adopted control strategy are reduced by a predetermined correction amount. In response to the measured value of the second parameter being less than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve (46) set in the currently adopted control strategy are increased by a predetermined correction amount; The magnitude of the predetermined correction amount is determined by the degree to which the second parameter deviates from the preset value.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein, In response to the measured value of the second parameter being greater than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve (46) set in the currently adopted control strategy are reduced by a predetermined correction amount. In response to the measured value of the second parameter being less than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the opening frequency, opening duration and / or valve opening degree of the drain valve (46) set in the currently adopted control strategy are increased by a predetermined correction amount; The magnitude of the predetermined correction amount is determined by the degree to which the second parameter deviates from the preset value.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, In response to the measured value of the second parameter being greater than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) is reduced by a predetermined correction amount; in response to the measured value of the second parameter being less than the preset value and the deviation exceeding the threshold range, the current water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) is increased by a predetermined correction amount.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15, wherein, The method further includes the following steps: Obtain the fundamental parameters related to the electrochemical reaction conditions for generating liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system (1); and Based on the basic parameters, a basic control strategy is determined to determine the basic water accumulation in the gas-liquid separator (45) and / or the working state of the drain valve (46), and the basic water accumulation and / or basic control strategy are adjusted with the help of the first parameter and / or the second parameter.

17. An apparatus (10) for controlling drainage of a fuel cell system (1), the apparatus (10) being used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, the apparatus (10) comprising: The acquisition module (11) is configured to acquire a first parameter related to the environmental conditions in which liquid water is generated in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system (1), and to acquire a second parameter related to the effect of removing liquid water in the anode circuit of the fuel cell system (1); as well as The control module (12) is configured to control the working state of the drain valve (46) based on the first parameter and the second parameter.

18. A fuel cell system (1), the fuel cell system (1) comprising: Fuel cell stack (20); The anode circuit is used to receive anode exhaust gas from the anode outlet (24) of the fuel cell stack (20) and to supply the treated anode exhaust gas and the anode gas supply from the hydrogen source (41) to the anode inlet (23) of the fuel cell stack (20). A gas-liquid separator (45) is used to separate the gas and liquid from the anode exhaust of the fuel cell stack (20) and collect the separated water. A drain valve (46) is used to drain water collected in the gas-liquid separator (45) when it is open; as well as The device (10) according to claim 17.

19. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 18, wherein the fuel cell system (1) further comprises: A first temperature sensor (91) is arranged in the anode circuit and is used to detect the first temperature at the anode inlet (23) of the fuel cell stack (20); A second temperature sensor (92) is arranged in the anode circuit and is used to detect the second temperature at the anode outlet (24) of the fuel cell stack (20); The acquisition module (11) of the device (10) is configured to acquire a first parameter based on the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature.

20. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the fuel cell system (1) further comprises: The exhaust gas pipeline is connected to the gas-liquid separator (45) via a drain valve (46) and is used to guide the water collected in the gas-liquid separator (45) to the external environment; Hydrogen concentration sensor (93) is used to detect the hydrogen concentration in the section of the exhaust gas pipeline located downstream of the drain valve (46); The acquisition module (11) of the device (10) is configured to acquire a second parameter based on the hydrogen concentration in the section of the exhaust gas pipeline located downstream of the drain valve (46).

21. A machine-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 when run on a computer.

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