Fuel cell system with automatic water supply and discharge, control method, and vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a fuel cell system, a control method and a vehicle, and relates to the technical field of fuel cell systems, and in particular to a fuel cell system, a control method and a vehicle. The system comprises a cooling subsystem, a fuel cell controller and a stack, wherein the cooling subsystem comprises a water tank, a liquid level detector, an accumulator, a first water pump and a switch valve; the water inlet of the accumulator is communicated with the stack, the water outlet of the accumulator is communicated with the water inlet of the water tank, the first water pump is arranged in the accumulator, the water outlet of the water tank is communicated with the first end of the switch valve, and the water outlet of the water tank is also communicated with the stack through a stack water inlet pipeline; the liquid level detector is used for detecting the liquid level of the water tank and sending the liquid level to the fuel cell controller; the fuel cell controller is used for receiving the liquid level, controlling the switch valve to be opened if it is determined that the liquid level is higher than a maximum liquid level, and controlling the first water pump to be opened if it is determined that the liquid level is lower than a minimum liquid level. The system can realize the functions of automatic water supplement and drainage of the water tank of the fuel cell system.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cell control, and particularly relates to a fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage, a control method and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] The existing fuel cell cooling system is basically for the thermal management control of the stack. The water supply and drainage of the fuel cell system water tank is mainly observed by the naked eye whether the water in the water tank is within the maximum scale line or the minimum scale line of the water tank. When the water level is too low, the water flow of the cooling circuit is not enough, and the heat generated by the stack cannot be completely taken away, resulting in over-temperature of the stack, and further causing performance degradation of the stack. When the water level is too high, the water is easy to be sprayed out during fuel cell operation, and there is a risk of electric shock.

[0003] Therefore, the existing technology is to manually supply water to the recommended water level scale line when the water level is lower than the minimum scale line, and to manually use external tools to suck out the excess water when the water level is higher than the maximum scale line. The existing control method cannot accurately control the liquid level in the water tank, and there is a certain risk, and human resources are wasted. SUMMARY

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage, a control method and a vehicle, which can reuse the water discharged by the stack and realize the automatic water supply and drainage function of the fuel cell system water tank.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides the following technical scheme:

[0006] A fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage comprises:

[0007] The application discloses an automatic water supply and drainage fuel cell system, which comprises a cooling subsystem, a fuel cell controller and a fuel cell stack, wherein the cooling subsystem is communicated with the fuel cell stack, the fuel cell controller is connected with the cooling subsystem, and the cooling subsystem comprises a water tank, a liquid level detector, an accumulator, a first water pump and a switch valve, wherein the first water pump, the liquid level detector and the switch valve are connected with the fuel cell controller; the water inlet of the accumulator is communicated with the fuel cell stack, so as to collect pure water generated by the reaction of air and hydrogen in the fuel cell stack; the water outlet of the accumulator is communicated with the water inlet of the water tank; the first water pump is arranged in the accumulator, so as to deliver the pure water in the accumulator to the water tank; the water outlet of the water tank is communicated with the first end of the switch valve, and the water outlet of the water tank is also communicated with the fuel cell stack through a water inlet pipe; the switch valve is used for discharging part of water flowing out of the water tank; the liquid level detector is used for detecting the liquid level of the water tank and sending the liquid level to the fuel cell controller; the fuel cell controller is used for receiving the liquid level, controlling the switch valve to be opened when the liquid level is higher than a maximum liquid level, and controlling the switch valve to be closed when the opening time of the switch valve is equal to a first preset opening time; the fuel cell controller is also used for controlling the first water pump to be opened when the liquid level is lower than a minimum liquid level, and controlling the first water pump to be closed when the opening time of the first water pump is equal to a second preset opening time.

[0008] Preferably, the cooling subsystem further comprises an insulation detection device connected with the fuel cell controller, which is used for monitoring the insulation resistance of the fuel cell stack and sending the insulation resistance to the fuel cell controller; the fuel cell controller is used for receiving the insulation resistance and controlling the switch valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance, so that the insulation resistance is within a preset resistance range.

[0009] Preferably, the fuel cell controller is further used for being connected with a vehicle controller, and is used for controlling the switch valve to be opened when receiving a cooling subsystem fault signal sent by the vehicle controller.

[0010] Preferably, the cooling subsystem further comprises a second water pump, a three-way valve and a radiator, wherein the second water pump, the three-way valve and the radiator are connected with the fuel cell controller.

[0011] The first end of the three-way valve is communicated with the electric pile through a pile-in water pipeline, the second end of the three-way valve is communicated with the second water pump through a first circulating water pipeline, the third end of the three-way valve is communicated with an inlet end of the radiator through a second circulating water pipeline, the inlet end of the radiator is also communicated with a water inlet of the water tank, and an outlet end of the radiator is communicated with the second water pump through the second circulating water pipeline.

[0012] Preferably, the cooling subsystem further comprises a deionizer, one end of the deionizer being communicated with the pile-in water pipeline, and the other end of the deionizer being communicated with the pile-out water pipeline.

[0013] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides the following technical solution.

[0014] A control method of an automatic water supply and drainage fuel cell system, applied to the fuel cell system in any one of the preceding first aspect, the method comprising:

[0015] receiving a liquid level of the water tank sent by a liquid level detector; if it is determined that the liquid level is higher than a maximum liquid level, controlling the on-off valve to open, and when the opening time length is equal to a first preset opening time length, controlling the on-off valve to close; if it is determined that the liquid level is lower than a minimum liquid level, controlling the first water pump to open, and when the opening time length is equal to a second preset opening time length, controlling the first water pump to close.

[0016] Preferably, the control method further comprises: receiving an insulation resistance value of the electric pile sent by an insulation detection device; and controlling the on-off valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance value, so that the insulation resistance value is within a preset resistance value range.

[0017] Preferably, the controlling the on-off valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance value comprises: if it is determined that the insulation resistance value is lower than a minimum resistance value, controlling the on-off valve to open and the first water pump to open, and when the opening time length of the on-off valve is equal to a third preset opening time length, controlling the on-off valve to close, and when the opening time length of the first water pump is equal to a fourth preset opening time length, controlling the first water pump to close.

[0018] Preferably, the control method further comprises: if a cooling subsystem fault signal sent by a vehicle control unit is received, controlling the on-off valve to open.

[0019] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides the following technical solution:

[0020] A vehicle comprising a vehicle body and an automatically water-supplying and water-discharging fuel cell system as claimed in any one of the preceding first aspects.

[0021] The one or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0022] The automatically water-supplying and water-discharging fuel cell system provided by the embodiments of the present application adds a water accumulator, a first water pump and a switch valve in the cooling subsystem, the water inlet of the water accumulator is communicated with the stack, the water outlet of the water accumulator is communicated with the water inlet of the water tank, the water discharged from the stack is transported to the water tank under the action of the first water pump, forming a water supply circuit; the water outlet of the water tank is connected with the switch valve, and the water outlet is also communicated with the stack through a stack water inlet pipeline, when the switch valve is opened, part of the water flowing out of the water tank is transported to the stack through the stack water inlet pipeline, and another part of the water is discharged through the switch valve, forming a water discharge circuit. When it is detected that the liquid level in the water tank is higher than the maximum liquid level, the switch valve is controlled to be opened to discharge the liquid in the water tank, and when it is detected that the liquid level in the water tank is lower than the minimum liquid level, the first water pump is controlled to be opened to supply water to the water tank, so that the system can reuse the water discharged from the stack, supply the water to the water tank, and realize the automatic water supply and water discharge functions of the water tank through the control of the switch valve and the first water pump by the fuel cell controller, so that the liquid in the water tank is continuously and stably kept in a suitable range, and the safety and stability of the battery are ensured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiment description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 The structural schematic flow chart of the fuel cell system provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0025] Figure 2 The control flow chart for improving the insulation of the fuel cell system provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0026] Figure 3 The control method flow chart of the fuel cell system provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0027] Figure 4 The structural schematic diagram of the vehicle provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0028] Reference signs:

[0029] 10-cooling subsystem; 20-controller; 30-stack; 100-water tank; 11-level detector; 12-three-way valve; 13-radiator; 14-second water pump; 15-switching valve; 16-deionizer; 17-first water pump; 21-accumulator; 101-inlet water pipeline; 102-outlet water pipeline; 103-first circulating water pipeline; 104-second circulating water pipeline; 105-deionizer water pipeline; 106-main water tank pipeline; 107-water tank pipeline; 108-radiator-to-water tank pipeline; 109-accumulator-to-water tank pipeline; 110-tail water pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage provided by the embodiment of the application can reuse the water discharged by the stack, and realizes the functions of automatic water supply and drainage of the water tank of the fuel cell system.

[0031] The general idea of the technical solution of the embodiment of the application is as follows:

[0032] The fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage comprises a cooling subsystem, a fuel cell controller and a stack, the cooling subsystem is in communication with the stack, the fuel cell controller is connected with the cooling subsystem, and the cooling subsystem comprises a water tank, a level detector, an accumulator, a first water pump and a switching valve, the first water pump, the level detector and the switching valve are all connected with the fuel cell controller; the water inlet of the accumulator is in communication with the stack, for collecting the pure water generated by the reaction of air and hydrogen in the stack, the water outlet of the accumulator is in communication with the water inlet of the water tank, the first water pump is arranged in the accumulator, for conveying the pure water in the accumulator to the water tank, the water outlet of the water tank is in communication with the first end of the switching valve, and the water outlet of the water tank is also in communication with the stack through an inlet water pipeline, the switching valve is used for draining part of the water flowing out of the water tank; the level detector is used for detecting the liquid level of the water tank and sending the liquid level to the fuel cell controller, the fuel cell controller is used for receiving the liquid level, if it is determined that the liquid level is higher than a maximum liquid level, the switching valve is controlled to be opened, and when the opening duration is equal to a first preset opening duration, the switching valve is controlled to be closed; if it is determined that the liquid level is lower than a minimum liquid level, the first water pump is controlled to be opened, and when the opening duration is equal to a second preset opening duration, the first water pump is controlled to be closed.

[0033] In order to better understand the above technical solutions, the above technical solutions will be described in detail in combination with the drawings of the specification and specific embodiments.

[0034] In the first aspect, the fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage provided by the embodiment of the application is specifically as follows: Figure 1As shown, the cooling subsystem 10, the fuel cell controller 20 and the stack 30, the cooling subsystem 10 is in communication with the stack 30, the fuel cell controller 20 is connected with the cooling subsystem 10, the cooling subsystem 10 comprises: a water tank 100, a liquid level detector 11, an accumulator 21, a first water pump 17 and a switch valve 110, the first water pump 17, the liquid level detector 11 and the switch valve 110 are all connected with the fuel cell controller 20.

[0035] The water inlet of the accumulator 21 is in communication with the stack 30, for collecting pure water generated by the reaction of air and hydrogen in the stack 30, the water outlet of the accumulator 21 is in communication with the water inlet of the water tank 100 through the accumulator-to-water tank pipeline 109, the first water pump 17 is arranged in the accumulator 21, when the first water pump works, the pure water in the accumulator 21 is transported into the water tank 100, the water outlet of the water tank 100 is in communication with the first end of the switch valve 15, the other end of the switch valve 15 is in communication with the tail water pipeline 110, the water outlet of the water tank 100 is also in communication with the stack 30 through the stack water inlet pipeline 101, when the switch valve 15 is in the closed state, the water flowing out of the water tank 100 flows into the cooling pipeline in the stack 10 through the stack water inlet pipeline 101, to cool the stack 30, when the switch valve 15 is opened, the switch valve 15 is used to discharge part of the water flowing out of the water tank 100.

[0036] The liquid level detector 11 is used to detect the liquid level of the water tank 100 and send the liquid level to the fuel cell controller 20, the fuel cell controller 20 is used to receive the liquid level, if it is determined that the liquid level is higher than the maximum liquid level, the switch valve 15 is controlled to be opened, and when the opening time is equal to the first preset opening time T1, the switch valve 15 is controlled to be closed; if it is determined that the liquid level is lower than the minimum liquid level, the first water pump 17 is controlled to be opened, and when the opening time is equal to the second preset opening time T2, the first water pump 17 is controlled to be closed.

[0037] Specifically, the liquid level detector 11 can be a liquid level sensor, a float type liquid level meter, a pressure type liquid level meter or a radar liquid level meter, etc., and the specific selection of the liquid level detector is not limited in the application. The switch valve 15 can be an electromagnetic valve or an electric valve, etc., and the specific selection of the switch valve is not limited in the application. Among them, the maximum liquid level and the minimum liquid level can be set according to the actual situation.

[0038] In a specific embodiment, during the operation of the fuel cell system, the fuel cell controller 20 monitors the liquid level of the water tank 100 in real time through the liquid level detector 11 to determine whether the liquid level meets the requirements. If the liquid level of the water tank 100 is higher than the maximum liquid level (i.e., the Max scale line value), a drainage operation is required, and the switch valve 15 is opened for a duration of the first preset opening time T1. If the liquid level of the water tank 100 is lower than the minimum liquid level (i.e., the Min scale line value), water needs to be added to the water tank 100, and the first water pump 17 is opened for a duration of the second preset opening time T2. If the liquid level of the water tank 100 meets the requirements, neither water needs to be added nor drained.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, in order to continuously detect the liquid level in the water tank 100, after the first water pump 17 or the switch valve 15 is turned off, the fuel cell controller 20 continues to monitor the liquid level of the water tank 100 in real time through the liquid level detector 11, determines whether the water tank 100 needs to be replenished or drained, and executes the next cycle control.

[0040] The specific values ​​of the first preset activation duration T1 and the second preset activation duration T2 can be obtained through experimental calibration.

[0041] It should be noted that, in order to prevent excessive water replenishment or drainage in a single operation from affecting the stability of the cooling subsystem 10 and thus the stability of the fuel cell, the first preset opening duration T1 and the second preset opening duration T2 can be set as short as possible, so that the liquid level in the water tank 100 is kept within a suitable range through multiple water replenishment or drainage operations.

[0042] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cooling subsystem also includes a second water pump 14, a three-way valve 12, and a radiator 13, all of which are connected to the fuel cell controller 20.

[0043] The first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the fuel cell stack 30 via the outlet water pipe 102. The second end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second water pump 14 via the first circulating water pipe 103. The third end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the inlet end of the radiator 13 via the second circulating water pipe 104. The inlet end of the radiator 13 is also connected to the inlet of the water tank 100 via the radiator to water tank pipe 108. The outlet end of the radiator 13 is connected to the second water pump 14 via the second circulating water pipe 104.

[0044] The inlet of the water tank 100 is also connected to the fuel cell stack 30 via the water tank pipeline 107 to receive part of the water flowing out after passing through the fuel cell stack 30. The outlet of the water tank 100 is connected to the second water pump 14 via the water tank main pipeline 106 and the first circulating water pipeline 103. The second water pump 14 is connected to the first end of the switch valve 15, and the second water pump 14 is also connected to the fuel cell stack 30 via the fuel cell inlet water pipeline 101.

[0045] Specifically, the main water flow direction in the cooling subsystem 10 of the fuel cell system provided by the present application is as follows: from the water tank 100, through the water tank main pipeline 106, the first circulating water pipeline 103, the second water pump 14, to the stack water inlet pipeline 101, through the stack 30, mainly through the stack water outlet pipeline 102 to the three-way valve 12, and a small part flows to the water tank 100 through the stack 30 to the water tank pipeline 107, and after passing through the three-way valve 12, according to the opening degree of the three-way valve 12, a part of the water passes through the first circulating water pipeline 103 to the second water pump 14, and a part of the water passes through the second circulating water pipeline 104 to the radiator 13, and after passing through the radiator 13, the water mainly passes through the second circulating water pipeline 104 to the second water pump 14, and a small part of the water passes through the radiator to the water tank pipeline 108 to flow to the water tank 100.

[0046] When the switch valve 15 is opened, a part of the water is discharged to the atmospheric environment through the tail water discharge pipeline 110; when the first water pump 17 is opened, the water accumulated in the water accumulator 21 is transported to the water tank 100 by the action force of the first water pump 17. The liquid level detector 11 is used to detect the liquid level of the water in the water tank 100, and the water tank liquid level is fed back to the fuel cell controller 20 for closed-loop control of the liquid level height. When the fuel cell controller 20 detects that the water tank liquid level is lower than the minimum liquid level, the first water pump 17 is opened for automatic water replenishment; when it is detected that the water tank liquid level is higher than the maximum liquid level, the switch valve 15 is opened for automatic water discharge.

[0047] Further, the cooling subsystem 10 can further include a deionizer 16, one end of the deionizer 16 is communicated with the stack water inlet pipeline 101 through the deionizer water pipeline 105, and the other end of the deionizer 16 is communicated with the stack water outlet pipeline 102 through the deionizer water pipeline 105. The deionizer 16 performs adsorption treatment on the water flowing into the deionizer water pipeline 105, and sends the treated water back to the stack water outlet pipeline 102. When the conductivity of the cooling circuit water is high, the impurities in the water can be adsorbed by the deionizer to reduce the conductivity.

[0048] Further, after the fuel cell system is parked for a long time, ions are precipitated in the cooling subsystem pipeline and the radiator 13, which causes the conductivity of the water to increase, reduces the insulation of the fuel cell system, and has a safety hazard. In order to control the conductivity of the liquid in the water tank 100 and improve the service life of the deionizer 16 when the system includes the deionizer 16, the cooling subsystem can further include an insulation detection device (not shown in the figure), which is connected with the fuel cell controller 20 and is used to monitor the insulation resistance of the stack 30 and send the insulation resistance to the fuel cell controller 20. The fuel cell controller 20 is used to receive the insulation resistance and control the switch valve 15 and the first water pump 17 according to the insulation resistance, so that the insulation resistance is within a preset resistance range. The preset resistance range can be set according to actual needs, which is not limited in the present application.

[0049] Specifically, the insulation detection device can be an insulation detector connected with the stack 30 for detecting the insulation resistance of the stack 30. In other embodiments, the insulation detection device can also be a battery management system (BMS) through which the insulation resistance of the stack 30 is detected and sent to the fuel cell controller 20.

[0050] In specific embodiments, the control of the switch valve 15 and the first water pump 17 according to the insulation resistance can include: if it is determined that the insulation resistance is lower than the minimum resistance, the switch valve 15 is controlled to be opened and the first water pump 17 is controlled to be opened, and when the opening duration of the switch valve 15 is equal to the third preset opening duration, the switch valve 15 is controlled to be closed, and when the opening duration of the first water pump 17 is equal to the fourth preset opening duration, the first water pump 17 is controlled to be closed.

[0051] Specifically, as Figure 2 is a control flowchart of the water tank 100 circulating water replenishment and drainage synchronization to improve the insulation of the fuel cell system. During the operation of the fuel cell system, the battery management system BMS monitors the insulation resistance of the fuel cell system and sends it to the fuel cell controller 20, which determines whether the insulation resistance of the fuel cell system meets the requirements. If the insulation resistance of the fuel cell system is lower than the minimum resistance R0, the water tank 100 drainage and water replenishment operation is performed, the switch valve 15 is opened, and in this process, the first water pump 17 is opened, and after the third preset opening duration T3, the switch valve 15 is closed, and after the fourth preset opening duration T4, the first water pump 17 is closed. The system continuously dilutes the water in the water tank 100 by the pure water generated by the fuel cell to reduce the conductivity of the cooling loop water, thereby improving the insulation of the fuel cell system.

[0052] Further, in order to make the next collected insulation resistance more accurate, after the first water pump 17 or the switch valve 15 is controlled to be closed, a preset duration T5 is waited for, and after the preset duration T5, the insulation detection device continues to monitor the insulation resistance of the fuel cell system, executes the next cycle, continues to determine whether the insulation resistance of the fuel cell system meets the requirements, and repeats the flow.

[0053] The specific values of the third preset opening duration T3, the fourth preset opening duration T4 and the fifth preset opening duration T5 can be obtained by experiment calibration. In addition, the specific value of the minimum resistance R0 can also be obtained by experiment calibration.

[0054] It should be noted that, in order to ensure that the water supply and drainage rate is flat, the third preset opening duration T3 is associated with the fourth preset opening duration T4, and the third preset opening duration T3 and the fourth preset opening duration T4 calibrated can keep the insulation value of the fuel cell system at a high level after multiple water supply or drainage.

[0055] As other optional embodiments, according to the insulation resistance, the control of the switch valve 15 and the first water pump 17 can also include: if it is determined that the insulation resistance is lower than the minimum resistance, the switch valve 15 is controlled to open, the first water pump 17 is controlled to open after waiting for a preset time, the switch valve 15 is controlled to close when the opening duration of the switch valve 15 is equal to the third preset opening duration, and the first water pump 17 is controlled to close when the opening duration of the first water pump 17 is equal to the fourth preset opening duration. In this way, it can be avoided that the liquid level of the water tank is too high, and the safety can be improved. The specific values of the minimum resistance and the preset time can be calibrated through experiments.

[0056] In an embodiment, in order to control the conductivity of the liquid in the water tank 100, the control method can further include: when it is monitored that the difference between the current time and the previous replacement time meets a preset replacement period, the switch valve 15 is controlled to open and the first water pump 17 is controlled to open, and the switch valve 15 is controlled to close when the opening duration of the switch valve 15 is equal to the third preset opening duration T3, and the first water pump 17 is controlled to close when the opening duration of the first water pump 17 is equal to the fourth preset opening duration T4. The previous replacement time can be the time when the first water pump 17 is closed last time. Thus, the water with high conductivity can be periodically drained.

[0057] The application can periodically drain the water with high conductivity, supplement the water with lower conductivity, quickly reduce the conductivity of the cooling system water, improve the insulation resistance of the fuel cell system, and improve the service life of the deionizer 16.

[0058] Further, when some actuators of the cooling subsystem 10 need to be repaired and drained, in order to realize automatic drainage, the fuel cell controller 20 is further connected with the vehicle controller, and is used to control the switch valve 15 to open when receiving the cooling subsystem fault signal sent by the vehicle controller.

[0059] Specifically, the vehicle controller is used to detect whether the cooling subsystem 10 has a fault. The fault can be the fault of the three-way valve 12, the first water pump 17, the second water pump 14, etc. If the fuel cell controller 20 receives the cooling subsystem fault signal sent by the vehicle controller, the switch valve 15 is controlled to open, and the water in the entire cooling circuit is drained, so that the maintenance is facilitated.

[0060] Further, after the maintenance is completed, the switch valve 15 can be controlled to be closed by the fuel cell controller 20, and the first water pump 17 can be controlled to be opened, so as to realize automatic water supply.

[0061] The system provided in the application is aimed at the application scenarios in which the water tank needs to be supplied with water, including: 1. The deionized water volatilizes during long-time use of the fuel cell system, and the water level is lower than the minimum scale line; 2. The water level is lower than the minimum scale line because the bubbles in the water circuit of the fuel cell system are not completely drained; and the application scenarios in which the water tank needs to be drained, including: 1. The deionized water needs to be replaced because the electrical conductivity is too high; 2. The deionized water in the entire cooling circuit needs to be drained and then replaced because some actuators in the cooling subsystem are faulty; and 3. The water tank is filled with too much water and exceeds the maximum scale line.

[0062] The application solves the problem that the water level in the water tank of the fuel cell system cannot be controlled. In actual application, when the deionized water needs to be replaced because the electrical conductivity is too high, the switch valve and the first water pump are opened to complete rapid water replacement. When the cooling subsystem needs to be drained and replaced because of faults, the switch valve is opened to complete rapid water drainage. Thus, the automatic water supply and drainage functions of the water tank of the fuel cell system are realized, the water with high electrical conductivity is drained, and the water with low electrical conductivity is supplied, so as to quickly reduce the electrical conductivity of the water in the cooling system, improve the insulation resistance of the fuel cell system, and improve the service life of the deionizer.

[0063] To sum up, the fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage provided by the embodiment of the application can reuse the water drained from the stack, supply the water to the water tank, and control the switch valve and the first water pump by the fuel cell controller, so as to realize the automatic water supply and drainage functions of the water tank, keep the liquid in the water tank in a suitable range, and ensure the safety and stability of the battery.

[0064] In a second aspect, based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment provides a control method of a fuel cell system with automatic water supply and drainage, as shown in Figure 3 The method includes the following steps S101 to S103:

[0065] Step S101: receiving the water level of the water tank sent by the water level detector;

[0066] Step S102: if it is determined that the water level is higher than the maximum water level, the switch valve is controlled to be opened, and when the opening time is equal to the first preset opening time, the switch valve is controlled to be closed;

[0067] Step S103: if it is determined that the water level is lower than the minimum water level, the first water pump is controlled to be opened, and when the opening time is equal to the second preset opening time, the first water pump is controlled to be closed.

[0068] The implementation process can refer to the corresponding description in the system embodiment provided by the first aspect, and details are not described herein.

[0069] In an optional embodiment, the control method further comprises: receiving an insulation resistance value of the fuel cell sent by the insulation detection device; and controlling the switch valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance value, so that the insulation resistance value is within a preset resistance value range.

[0070] The implementation process can refer to the corresponding description in the system embodiment provided by the first aspect, and details are not described herein.

[0071] In an optional embodiment, the controlling the switch valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance value comprises: if it is determined that the insulation resistance value is lower than a minimum resistance value, controlling the switch valve to open and the first water pump to open, and when the opening duration of the switch valve is equal to a third preset opening duration, controlling the switch valve to close, and when the opening duration of the first water pump is equal to a fourth preset opening duration, controlling the first water pump to close.

[0072] The implementation process can refer to the corresponding description in the system embodiment provided by the first aspect, and details are not described herein.

[0073] In an optional embodiment, the fuel cell controller is connected with a vehicle control unit, and the control method further comprises: if a cooling subsystem fault signal sent by the vehicle control unit is received, controlling the switch valve to open.

[0074] The implementation process can refer to the corresponding description in the system embodiment provided by the first aspect, and details are not described herein.

[0075] The control method of the fuel cell system provided by the embodiment of the application has the same implementation principle and technical effects as the system embodiment, and for brevity of description, the part not mentioned in the method embodiment can refer to the corresponding content in the system embodiment.

[0076] In a third aspect, based on the same inventive concept, as shown in Figure 4 The embodiment provides a vehicle 500, which comprises a vehicle body 501 and the fuel cell system 502 of the automatic water supply and drainage provided in the first aspect.

[0077] Although the preferred embodiments of the application have been described, those skilled in the art can make further changes and modifications to the embodiments once they know the basic inventive concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the application.

[0078] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present application are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the application can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system which automatically supplies and drains water, characterized by, The application relates to a fuel cell cooling system. The cooling system comprises a cooling subsystem, a fuel cell controller and a fuel cell stack, the cooling subsystem is communicated with the fuel cell stack, the fuel cell controller is connected with the cooling subsystem, the cooling subsystem comprises a water tank, a liquid level detector, an accumulator, a first water pump and a switch valve, the first water pump, the liquid level detector and the switch valve are connected with the fuel cell controller. The water inlet of the accumulator is communicated with the fuel cell stack for collecting pure water generated by the reaction of air and hydrogen in the fuel cell stack, the water outlet of the accumulator is communicated with the water inlet of the water tank, the first water pump is arranged in the accumulator for conveying the pure water in the accumulator to the water tank, the water outlet of the water tank is communicated with the first end of the switch valve, the water outlet of the water tank is also communicated with the fuel cell stack through a water inlet pipe, the switch valve is used for discharging part of water flowing out of the water tank, when the switch valve is opened, part of the water flowing out of the water tank is conveyed to the fuel cell stack through the water inlet pipe, and the other part of the water is discharged through the switch valve. During the operation of the fuel cell system, the liquid level detector is used for detecting the liquid level of the water tank and sending the liquid level to the fuel cell controller, the fuel cell controller is used for receiving the liquid level, if it is determined that the liquid level is higher than a maximum liquid level, the switch valve is controlled to be opened, and when the opening time is equal to a first preset opening time, the switch valve is controlled to be closed; if it is determined that the liquid level is lower than a minimum liquid level, the first water pump is controlled to be opened, and when the opening time is equal to a second preset opening time, the first water pump is controlled to be closed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The cooling system further comprises an insulation detection device connected with the fuel cell controller and used for monitoring the insulation resistance of the fuel cell stack and sending the insulation resistance to the fuel cell controller. The fuel cell controller is used for receiving the insulation resistance and controlling the switch valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance, so that the insulation resistance is within a preset resistance range.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, The fuel cell controller is further used for being connected with a vehicle controller and controlling the switch valve to be opened when a cooling system fault signal sent by the vehicle controller is received.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, The cooling system further comprises a second water pump, a three-way valve and a radiator, the second water pump, the three-way valve and the radiator are connected with the fuel cell controller. The first end of the three-way valve is communicated with the fuel cell stack through a water outlet pipe, the second end of the three-way valve is communicated with the second water pump through a first circulating water pipe, the third end of the three-way valve is communicated with the inlet end of the radiator through a second circulating water pipe, the inlet end of the radiator is also communicated with the water inlet of the water tank, and the outlet end of the radiator is communicated with the second water pump through the second circulating water pipe. The water inlet of the water tank is communicated with the stack through a water tank pipeline, and the water outlet of the water tank is communicated with the second water pump through a water tank main pipeline and the first circulating water pipeline, the second water pump is communicated with the first end of the switch valve, and the second water pump is further communicated with the stack through an inlet stack water pipeline.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, The cooling subsystem further comprises a deionizer, one end of the deionizer being communicated with the inlet stack water pipeline, and the other end of the deionizer being communicated with the outlet stack water pipeline.

6. A control method of a fuel cell system which automatically supplies and drains water, characterized by The method is applied to the fuel cell system as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, and the method comprises: receiving the water level of the water tank sent by the water level detector; if it is determined that the water level is higher than the maximum water level, controlling the switch valve to open, and when the opening duration is equal to the first preset opening duration, controlling the switch valve to close; if it is determined that the water level is lower than the minimum water level, controlling the first water pump to open, and when the opening duration is equal to the second preset opening duration, controlling the first water pump to close.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, Further comprising: receiving the insulation resistance of the stack sent by the insulation detection device; controlling the switch valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance, so that the insulation resistance is within a preset resistance range.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The controlling the switch valve and the first water pump according to the insulation resistance comprises: if it is determined that the insulation resistance is lower than the minimum resistance, controlling the switch valve to open and the first water pump to open, and when the opening duration of the switch valve is equal to the third preset opening duration, controlling the switch valve to close, and when the opening duration of the first water pump is equal to the fourth preset opening duration, controlling the first water pump to close.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, Further comprising: if a cooling subsystem fault signal sent by the vehicle controller is received, controlling the switch valve to open.

10. A vehicle characterized by comprising: Comprise: a vehicle body and the automatic water supply and drainage fuel cell system as claimed in any one of claims 1-5.

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