Fuel cell control method and device and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel cell control method and device and a vehicle. The fuel cell control method comprises the steps that the charge state of a power cell of the vehicle and the working state of a fuel cell are obtained; according to the charge state of the power cell and the working state of the fuel cell, attenuation recovery control is carried out on the fuel cell, and the attenuation recovery control comprises the steps that the fuel cell is controlled to enter a standby mode after being started or is controlled to be activated before being shut down; the standby mode comprises that the fuel cell operates at the preset idle speed power and does not output power to the power cell, irreversible performance attenuation of the fuel cell is avoided, the performance of the fuel cell is improved, and the service life of the fuel cell is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of fuel cell vehicles, and in particular to a fuel cell control method, device and vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the transformation of the global energy structure and the enhancement of environmental protection awareness, clean energy vehicles have become an important direction for the development of the automotive industry. Among the many clean energy technologies, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) have attracted much attention due to their high energy conversion efficiency and zero emission characteristics.

[0003] Fuel cells will inevitably experience reversible performance degradation during operation or after shutdown. For example, in related technologies, in order to prevent the moisture in the proton exchange membrane from freezing due to low temperature or causing unexpected chemical reactions to damage the proton exchange membrane after the fuel cell is shut down, the moisture in the proton exchange membrane is blown dry when the fuel cell is shut down. However, if the moisture level of the proton exchange membrane is too low, the sulfonic acid groups in the fuel cell may be adsorbed on the surface of the catalyst, thereby reducing the active area of ​​the catalyst, weakening the mass transfer capacity of the sulfonic acid groups, and increasing the internal resistance of the fuel cell, thereby causing reversible performance degradation of the fuel cell. If not processed, it will evolve into irreversible performance degradation, reducing the service life and reliability of the fuel cell. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the problems existing in the related art, the present disclosure provides a fuel cell control method, device and vehicle.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a fuel cell control method, comprising: Obtaining the state of charge of the power battery and the operating state of the fuel cell of the vehicle; According to the charge state of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell, the fuel cell is subjected to attenuation recovery control, wherein the attenuation recovery control includes controlling the fuel cell to enter a standby mode after startup or controlling the fuel cell to be activated before shutdown, and the standby mode includes the fuel cell operating at a preset idle power and not outputting power to the power battery.

[0006] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a fuel cell control device, comprising: a determination module configured to obtain a state of charge of a power battery and an operating state of a fuel cell of the vehicle in response to powering on the vehicle; A control module is configured to perform attenuation recovery control on the fuel cell according to the charge state of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell, wherein the attenuation recovery control includes controlling the fuel cell to enter a standby mode after startup or controlling the fuel cell to be activated before shutdown, and the standby mode includes the fuel cell operating at a preset idle power and not outputting power to the power battery.

[0007] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, including a power battery and a fuel cell, and an electronic device for executing the method provided in the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may have the following beneficial effects: Through the above method, under different working conditions of the fuel cell, the fuel cell is attenuated and recovered by controlling the charge state of the power battery, which can avoid the reversible attenuation of the proton exchange membrane from evolving into irreversible attenuation, thereby improving the reliability and service life of the fuel cell.

[0009] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1 The figure is a flow chart of a fuel cell control method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 The figure is a flow chart of a fuel cell control method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 The present invention is a flow chart showing a vehicle energy management strategy according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a fuel cell control device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0017] The embodiments described in some embodiments of the present disclosure below do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0018] It should be noted that all actions of acquiring signals, information or data in the present disclosure are carried out in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the country where the device is located and with the authorization given by the owner of the corresponding device.

[0019] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a fuel cell control method according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included.

[0020] In step S11, the state of charge of the power battery and the operating state of the fuel cell of the vehicle are obtained.

[0021] It is easy to understand that the control of the fuel cell and the acquisition of related data disclosed in the present invention are all performed when the vehicle is in a powered-on state, that is, after the user starts the vehicle.

[0022] In one embodiment, the working state of the fuel cell includes an on state and an off state. The working state of the fuel cell can be controlled by the power-on state of the vehicle and the fuel cell switch. For example, if the fuel cell switch is turned on, the fuel cell is started when the vehicle is powered on, and the fuel cell is controlled to shut down when the vehicle is powered off.

[0023] Among them, the fuel cell switch is the hardware control switch of the fuel cell, also known as a rocker switch. When the vehicle is powered on, the fuel cell is controlled by the fuel cell switch as follows.

[0024] If the fuel cell switch is switched from off to on, the VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) will send a power-on command to the FCU (Fuel cell Control Unit). The FCU controls the fuel cell to start up in response to the power-on command sent by the VCU. After the fuel cell is started up, the VCU sends a target power requirement to the FCU according to the SOC (State of Charge) of the power battery. The FCU controls the power of the fuel cell according to the target power requirement sent by the VCU.

[0025] If the fuel cell switch is switched from on to off, the VCU will send a shutdown command to the FCU. In response to the shutdown command sent by the VCU, the FCU controls the fuel cell to start up and shuts down and purges the fuel cell.

[0026] In one embodiment, the driver usually does not control the fuel cell switch, that is, the fuel cell switch is always kept in the on state, see Figure 2 As shown, if the driver controls the vehicle to power on, that is, switches the vehicle's key state to the ON position, the VCU will send a power-on command to the FCU to control the start-up of the fuel cell. If the driver controls the vehicle to power off, that is, switches the vehicle's key state to the OFF position, the VCU will send a shutdown command to the FCU to control the fuel cell to shut down. In addition, if the driver needs to park temporarily but does not control the vehicle to power off, the fuel cell switch can be manually turned off, and the entire vehicle will operate in pure electric mode.

[0027] In step S12, the fuel cell is subjected to attenuation recovery control according to the state of charge of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell.

[0028] The attenuation recovery control includes, after the fuel cell is turned on and before the fuel cell is turned off, activating the fuel cell or controlling the fuel cell to operate at a preset idle power without outputting power to the power battery.

[0029] It is worth mentioning that the attenuation recovery control of the fuel cell is used to restore the reversible performance attenuation generated during the operation of the fuel cell or after shutdown. Controlling the battery to run at idle power and not outputting power to the power battery can place the fuel cell in a relatively peaceful environment to increase the moisture content of the proton exchange membrane and weaken the adsorption of the catalyst to the sulfonic acid group. Activation control of the fuel cell can remove oxides and other impurities on the surface of the catalyst, restore the activity of the catalyst, increase the water content of the proton exchange membrane, improve the conductivity of protons, and optimize the electrode structure.

[0030] In one embodiment, the attenuation recovery control includes controlling the fuel cell to start up and recover the battery performance, or controlling the fuel cell to shut down and recover the battery performance, or performing a cyclic start-stop control on the fuel cell according to the temperature of the fuel cell after the fuel cell is shut down, wherein the battery performance recovery method includes controlling the fuel cell to enter a standby mode, performing activation control on the fuel cell, electrode reversal control, hydrogen and oxygen supply regulation, and adjusting at least one of the fuel cell control parameters. For example, when performing attenuation recovery control on the fuel cell, one or more of the above can be performed to recover the battery performance, for example, after controlling the fuel cell to start up, first performing activation control on the fuel cell, and then controlling the fuel cell to enter a standby mode.

[0031] Through the above method, under different working conditions of the fuel cell, the fuel cell is attenuated and recovered by controlling the charge state of the power battery, which can avoid the reversible attenuation of the proton exchange membrane from evolving into irreversible attenuation, thereby improving the reliability and service life of the fuel cell.

[0032] In one embodiment, in order to avoid frequent start and stop of the fuel cell and maintain the SOC of the power battery within a calibrated optimal range, within which the charging efficiency of the power battery is the highest and the damage to the power battery is the smallest, a power-on state of charge can be set. When the vehicle is powered on and the fuel cell switch is on, if the SOC of the power battery is greater than the power-on state of charge, the fuel cell is not controlled to start, and the vehicle operates in pure electric mode. When the SOC of the power battery is less than the power-on state of charge, the fuel cell is controlled to start in response to the target power demand of the power battery.

[0033] In addition, in the related art, a single state of charge is usually used to control the start and stop of the fuel cell, for example, a shutdown state of charge is set, when the SOC of the power battery is less than the shutdown state of charge, the fuel cell is started to charge the power battery, and when the SOC of the power battery is greater than the shutdown state of charge, the fuel cell is turned off. In this embodiment, if the vehicle is in a low energy consumption state, the fuel cell may be frequently started and stopped. For example, when the vehicle is parked for a long time and the air conditioner is turned on, the fuel cell has charged the power battery to a high power state, and the VCU will send a shutdown command to the FCU. When the air conditioner consumes part of the power, the VCU will resend a startup command to the FCU, causing the fuel cell to be in a frequent on and off state, reducing the life of the fuel cell. Therefore, the start and stop of the fuel cell can be controlled by setting multiple preset states of charge, and the SOC of the power battery is controlled within an optimal range. When the SOC of the power battery is within this range, the power battery is charged with the most efficient charging power of the fuel cell.

[0034] Optionally, when the fuel cell is in different working modes, the fuel cell can be subjected to attenuation recovery control according to the magnitude relationship between the state of charge of the power battery and a preset state of charge.

[0035] Wherein, the preset state of charge includes a first state of charge, and the above step S12 includes the following implementation modes: Embodiment 1: When the working state of the fuel cell is the shutdown state, if the charge state of the power battery is not lower than the first charge state, the fuel cell is controlled to start up and run at a preset idle power, and no power is output to the power battery, until the charge state of the power battery is lower than the first charge state, then the fuel cell is controlled to output power to the power battery.

[0036] It is worth noting that when the fuel cell is shut down in a low-temperature environment, the cold purge mode will be activated to dry the moisture in the proton exchange membrane as much as possible to prevent freezing. Or if the fuel cell is not started for a long time after being shut down, or is in a dry environment for a long time after being shut down, the moisture in the proton exchange membrane will be low before the fuel cell is started, resulting in reversible performance degradation. In the relevant technical scheme, when the fuel cell is in the shutdown state and the charge state of the power battery is not lower than the first charge state (or other charge states calibrated for judging operation in pure electric mode), the fuel cell is usually not controlled to start up, and the whole vehicle operates in pure electric mode until the power of the fuel cell is lower than the first charge state, then the fuel cell is controlled to start up. At this time, since the moisture in the proton exchange membrane is very low, the fuel cell will be damaged, and the startup speed is very slow, affecting the driving experience.

[0037] In view of this, the method in the above-mentioned embodiment 1 can be used to pre-start the fuel cell in standby mode to perform attenuation recovery control on the fuel cell before the fuel cell outputs power to the power battery, and since there is a stack heating process during the fuel cell startup process, pre-starting the fuel cell can also improve the response speed when the fuel cell needs to output power to the power battery.

[0038] For example, when the ambient temperature is lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold, such as the ambient temperature is lower than 10 degrees, the fuel cell is in a shutdown state. If the driver controls the vehicle to start, the SOC of the power battery is greater than the startup state of charge. The fuel cell is controlled to start at a preset idle power but no power is output to the power battery, so as to preheat the fuel cell and increase the water content of the proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell.

[0039] In one embodiment, the vehicle is provided with a decay recovery mode. If the decay recovery mode is turned on, the fuel cell enters the decay recovery mode according to the method in the above-mentioned embodiment one after the fuel cell is turned on and the power battery has sufficient power. For example, when the vehicle is in a low temperature environment, the user can turn on the decay recovery mode. If the user turns off the decay recovery mode, then when the power battery has sufficient power, the fuel cell is not controlled to start up, and the entire vehicle operates in pure electric mode.

[0040] In one embodiment, the preset state of charge includes a first state of charge, and if the working state of the fuel cell is a shutdown state, the following control method is included.

[0041] First, when the state of charge of the power battery is lower than the first state of charge, the fuel cell is controlled to start up, and the fuel cell responds to the power demand of the power battery.

[0042] It is worth noting that if the fuel cell is controlled to start up when the SOC of the power battery is lower than the first state of charge, it means that the power battery is low and needs to be charged. Therefore, the fuel cell directly responds to the power demand of the power battery after starting up.

[0043] Second, when the state of charge of the power battery is not lower than the first state of charge, the attenuation recovery control of the fuel cell is performed.

[0044] It is worth noting that if the SOC of the power battery is lower than the first state of charge, it means that the power battery has sufficient power or the power battery is within the preset optimal power range. Therefore, the fuel cell can be controlled to start up and the battery performance can be restored to restore the reversible performance loss of the fuel cell after long-term shutdown or use, and it can respond quickly when the fuel cell is needed to charge the power battery.

[0045] Optionally, the preset state of charge further includes a second state of charge and a third state of charge, the second state of charge is greater than the first state of charge, and the third state of charge is greater than the second state of charge. The above step S12 also includes the following implementations: Embodiment 2: When the working state of the fuel cell is the on state, if the charge state of the power battery is not lower than the second charge state and lower than the third charge state, the fuel cell is activated and controlled until the charge state of the power battery is not lower than the third charge state, and then the fuel cell is controlled to shut down, wherein the second charge state is lower than the third charge state.

[0046] It is worth noting that the fuel cell will inevitably produce reversible performance loss after operation. The third state of charge is a pre-set shutdown power threshold, that is, when the SOC of the power battery is in the third state of charge, it indicates that the power battery has sufficient power and charging can be stopped. If the fuel cell is directly shut down after continuous charging to the third state of charge, the reversible performance degradation of the fuel cell may gradually evolve into irreversible performance degradation after shutdown. For example, oxides and other impurities on the surface of the catalyst gradually corrode the catalyst, causing the chemical reaction of the catalyst to decline.

[0047] Therefore, a second state of charge slightly smaller than the third state of charge may be set to activate the fuel cell before the fuel cell is charged to shutdown, so as to recover the lost performance of the fuel cell.

[0048] In one embodiment, the fuel cell may be activated by a preset activation mode, wherein the preset activation mode includes at least one of gradient power activation, constant current activation, constant voltage activation, dynamic load activation, and constant humidity activation.

[0049] In one embodiment, when the state of charge of the power battery is greater than the second state of charge, the fuel cell is activated and controlled. During the activation process, the fuel cell will continue to charge the power battery until the state of charge of the power battery is greater than the third state of charge. Then, activation of the fuel cell is stopped and the fuel cell is controlled to shut down.

[0050] In another embodiment, when the state of charge of the power battery is between the second state of charge and the third state of charge, the battery management system controls the fuel cell to activate according to the target activation power P0, and obtains the actual output power P1 during the fuel cell activation process, and determines the performance attenuation degree K of the fuel cell according to the target activation power P0 and the actual output power P1. If the performance attenuation degree of the fuel cell is less than the preset attenuation degree threshold, the activation of the fuel cell is stopped, wherein K=P0-P1 / P0.

[0051] Among them, during the activation process of the fuel cell, the maximum activation power of the fuel cell is less than the maximum charging power of the power battery, and during the activation process of the fuel cell, the VCU will detect the rechargeable capacity and activation power generation power of the power battery in real time to prevent overcharging of the power battery.

[0052] In one embodiment, the first state of charge is 70%, the second state of charge is 85%, and the third state of charge is 90%. When the working state of the fuel cell is the start-up state, the following four control methods are included.

[0053] First, when the state of charge of the power battery is lower than a first state of charge, the fuel cell is controlled to operate at a preset rated power corresponding to the state of charge of the power battery.

[0054] Second, when the charge state of the power battery is not lower than the first charge state and lower than the second charge state, the fuel cell is controlled to operate with an economic output power, and the economic output power is the output power with the highest fuel conversion efficiency of the fuel cell.

[0055] Third, when the state of charge of the power battery is not lower than the second state of charge and lower than the third state of charge, stop sending the power command to the fuel cell and perform attenuation recovery control on the fuel cell.

[0056] Fourth, when the state of charge of the power battery is not lower than the third state of charge, the fuel cell is shut down according to the key state of the vehicle.

[0057] In one embodiment, Figure 3 is a flow chart of a vehicle energy management strategy according to an exemplary embodiment, wherein the vehicle energy management strategy is executed when the vehicle is powered on and the fuel cell switch is in the on state, see Figure 3 As shown, the following steps are included.

[0058] S301, determining whether the fuel cell is in a shutdown state.

[0059] If the current working state of the fuel cell is the shutdown state, S302 is executed; if the current working state of the fuel cell is the startup state, S305 is executed.

[0060] S302, determining whether the state of charge of the power battery is less than a first state of charge (70%).

[0061] If SOC is less than 70%, execute S304; if SOC is greater than or equal to 70%, execute S303.

[0062] For example, when the vehicle's key status is powered on and the fuel cell is in the off state, if the SOC of the power battery is greater than or equal to 70%, it means that the power battery is sufficient in power, and the fuel cell is not started to charge the power battery. The vehicle operates in pure electric mode. If the SOC of the power battery is less than 70%, the fuel cell is started and begins to respond to the target power demand sent by the VCU.

[0063] S303, controlling the fuel cell to start up in a standby mode.

[0064] After the fuel cell attenuation recovery control is completed, the process returns to S302 .

[0065] It is worth noting that the standby mode includes the fuel cell operating at a preset idle power and not outputting power to the power battery.

[0066] In one embodiment, after the fuel cell is turned on, the fuel cell can also be parameter adjusted and temperature controlled, wherein the control parameter adjustment of the fuel cell includes adjusting the pressure, gas flow, supply of reactants and target temperature of each stack component of the fuel cell, and the temperature control is to control the fuel cell to maintain the operation at a preset idle power, increase the temperature of the fuel cell, and increase the water content of the fuel cell proton exchange membrane. Reduce the adsorption of sulfuric acid groups by the catalyst, thereby restoring the activity of the catalyst.

[0067] Preferably, in winter or in low temperature environments, if the power battery has sufficient power, the fuel cell is controlled to start up and attenuation recovery control is performed. For example, when the ambient temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius, the water content of the proton exchange membrane is low after the fuel cell is shut down and purged, which may cause reversible performance attenuation in the fuel cell. In this case, the fuel cell can be controlled to run at idle power after startup and not output power to the power battery, that is, the fuel cell is controlled to enter standby mode. In this way, the stack heating process during the startup of the fuel cell can be completed in advance, so that the fuel cell can respond quickly when it needs to output power to the power battery, and the fuel cell can be attenuated and recovered. The water content of the proton exchange membrane can also be increased to achieve reversible attenuation recovery of the fuel cell, thereby increasing the service life of the fuel cell.

[0068] S304, controlling the fuel cell to start up, and / or starting to respond to the target power demand of the power battery.

[0069] After the fuel cell is turned on, S305 is further executed.

[0070] It is worth noting that if the fuel cell is turned on, the fuel cell is controlled to respond to the target power demand of the power battery. If the fuel cell is not turned on, the fuel cell is controlled to turn on and start responding to the target power demand of the power battery.

[0071] S305 , determining whether the state of charge of the power battery is less than a fourth state of charge (40%).

[0072] If SOC is less than 40%, execute S306; if SOC is greater than or equal to 40%, execute S307.

[0073] The fourth state of charge is less than the first state of charge.

[0074] S306, controlling the fuel cell to operate at a rated maximum output power.

[0075] The rated maximum output power is the target power demand corresponding to the maximum value of the chargeable power of the power battery, and the rated maximum output power is less than the maximum value of the chargeable power of the power battery.

[0076] In one embodiment, if the SOC is lower than 40%, the VCU may send a target power demand to the FCU based on the current maximum chargeable power of the power battery, so that the fuel cell charges the power battery at the rated maximum output power, preventing the power battery from being less than 20% for a long time, extending the life of the power battery, and further executing S308.

[0077] S307, controlling the operation of the fuel cell at a preset rated power corresponding to the SOC of the power battery.

[0078] It is worth noting that the preset rated power is the output power pre-calibrated according to the polarization curve of the fuel cell, and the SOC of each power battery corresponds to a preset rated power. The smaller the SOC of the power battery, the larger the corresponding preset rated power. The fuel cell is controlled to charge the power battery at the preset rated power corresponding to the SOC of the power battery, and the charge state of the power battery is continuously detected to determine whether the SOC of the power battery is charged to exceed the first charge state, that is, S308 is executed.

[0079] S308: Determine whether the state of charge of the power battery is not lower than a first state of charge.

[0080] If SOC is less than 70%, the process returns to S305 , and if SOC is greater than or equal to 70%, the process returns to S309 .

[0081] S309, controlling the fuel cell to operate at a preset economic power at which the fuel cell's fuel conversion efficiency is highest.

[0082] When the fuel cell is running at the output power with the highest fuel conversion efficiency, the charge state of the power battery is continuously detected and S310 is executed.

[0083] S310, determining whether the state of charge of the power battery is greater than a second state of charge (85%).

[0084] If SOC is less than 85%, the process returns to S308 , and if SOC is greater than or equal to 85%, the process returns to S311 .

[0085] S311, stop sending power control instructions to the fuel cell, and perform attenuation recovery control on the fuel cell.

[0086] In one embodiment, performing the decay recovery control on the fuel cell may be activating the fuel cell.

[0087] S312, determining whether the state of charge of the power battery is not lower than a third state of charge (90%).

[0088] If SOC is less than 90%, the process returns to S310 , and if SOC is greater than or equal to 90%, the process returns to S313 .

[0089] S313, sending a shutdown instruction to the fuel cell.

[0090] After the fuel cell is shut down, the process returns to S301.

[0091] Optionally, the method further comprises: determining a key status of the vehicle; When the key state of the vehicle is a power-off state, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a deep shutdown.

[0092] When the key state of the vehicle is the power-on state, the current fault level of the vehicle is determined, and according to the magnitude relationship between the current fault level and the preset fault level, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a corresponding shutdown operation.

[0093] In one embodiment, there are three situations in which the fuel cell will be controlled to shut down. One is that the driver switches the key state of the vehicle to OFF, that is, controls the vehicle to enter a power-off state. At this time, although the fuel cell switch is not turned off, the VCU will send a deep shutdown command to the FCU, and then the FCU controls the fuel cell to be deeply shut down. The second is that the vehicle needs to be temporarily parked or the driver needs to temporarily leave the vehicle. The driver will not control the vehicle to be powered off but turn off the fuel cell switch. At this time, the VCU will send a light shutdown command to the FCU, and then the FCU controls the fuel cell to be lightly shut down. The third situation is that the fuel cell continues to charge the power battery until the SOC of the power battery is greater than the third power threshold. The VCU will send a light shutdown command to the FCU, and then the FCU controls the fuel cell to be lightly shut down.

[0094] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 As shown, when the fuel cell switch is turned off or the VCU sends a shutdown command to the FCU, the VCU will perform a deep or light shutdown of the fuel cell according to the vehicle key status. If the vehicle key status is in the power-off state, that is, the vehicle key is in the OFF position, it means that the vehicle may be parked for a long time. The VCU will send a deep shutdown command to the FCU, thereby controlling the fuel cell to perform a deep shutdown. If the vehicle key status is in the power-on state, that is, the vehicle key is in the ON position, it means that the vehicle may only be parked for a short time. In order to ensure that the fuel cell can be quickly restarted later, the VCU will send a light shutdown command to the FCU, thereby controlling the fuel cell to perform a light shutdown.

[0095] It is worth noting that the light shutdown of the fuel cell has a shorter purge time than the deep shutdown, and when the fuel cell is lightly shut down, the high-pressure system of the fuel system will be kept open to achieve rapid startup of the fuel cell.

[0096] In addition, to ensure the safety of the vehicle and the fuel cell, before performing a light shutdown of the fuel cell, it is necessary to determine the current fault level of the vehicle, and then perform a shutdown operation corresponding to the current fault level to ensure the safety of the vehicle and the fuel cell.

[0097] In one embodiment, the VCU monitors the fault conditions of each vehicle system in real time, and determines the current fault level of the vehicle based on the current fault conditions of the vehicle, where the current fault level of the vehicle is the fault level of all vehicle systems of the vehicle, including the fuel cell system, power battery system, electrical system, mechanical system, safety system and auxiliary system.

[0098] Among them, the vehicle's fault levels include level one fault, level two fault, level three fault and level four fault. The fault conditions corresponding to level one fault include that the vehicle has not failed but there are certain potential fault hazards, such as vehicle maintenance cycle reminders and tire pressure monitoring reminders. The fault conditions corresponding to level two faults include minor faults that do not affect the normal operation of the vehicle, such as damage to the interior light bulbs, sensor errors, etc. The fault conditions corresponding to level three faults include medium faults that may reduce the vehicle system or comfort but will not immediately cause safety hazards, such as failures of the vehicle's air-conditioning system, infotainment system or some sensors. The fault conditions corresponding to level four faults include serious faults that may cause safety hazards to the vehicle, such as failures of the vehicle's steering system, braking system or powertrain system.

[0099] Optionally, according to the magnitude relationship between the current fault level and the preset fault level, controlling the fuel cell to perform a corresponding shutdown operation includes the following two situations.

[0100] Case 1: When the current fault level is not lower than the preset fault level, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a deep shutdown.

[0101] Case 2: When the current fault level is lower than the preset fault level, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a mild shutdown.

[0102] In one embodiment, the preset fault level is level two, that is, when the current fault level of the vehicle is greater than or equal to level two, the VCU sends a deep shutdown command to the FCU, and the FCU controls the fuel cell to perform a deep shutdown in response to the deep shutdown command.

[0103] By using the above method, the fuel cell is shut down to different degrees based on the current fault level of the vehicle, which can increase the safety of the vehicle.

[0104] Optionally, controlling the fuel cell to perform a mild shutdown comprises: First, the output power of the fuel cell is reduced according to a first load reduction rate.

[0105] In one embodiment, the load reduction rate of the fuel cell represents the amount of reduction in output power of the fuel cell per unit time or the amount of reduction in output current per unit time.

[0106] For example, in response to a mild shutdown command sent by the VCU, the FCU reduces the supply of reactants (hydrogen and air) to the fuel cell to reduce the output current of the fuel cell at a first load reduction rate, and adjusts the operating voltage of the fuel cell to match the reduced output current, thereby reducing the output power of the fuel cell.

[0107] Then, when the output current corresponding to the output power is less than the first current threshold, the output power is stopped from being reduced and the fuel cell is purged according to the preset first purge time.

[0108] Among them, the first current threshold is a safety current threshold pre-calibrated for the fuel cell. When the output current corresponding to the output power of the fuel cell is less than the first power threshold, the output current of the fuel cell can be regarded as safe, and the fuel cell can be purged to remove residual hydrogen and oxygen inside the fuel cell stack and discharge some water inside the stack.

[0109] Finally, when the preset first purge time is reached, the auxiliary system and the low-pressure system of the fuel cell are shut down in sequence to complete the light shutdown of the fuel cell.

[0110] Among them, the preset first purge duration is a pre-calibrated purge time for the fuel cell. Since the fuel cell may be started again in a short time after a slight shutdown, if the water content of the proton exchange membrane is low when the fuel cell is started again, the catalyst will adsorb the sulfate group on the catalyst surface, resulting in a reduction in the catalytic active area. At the same time, the mass transfer capacity of the sulfate group is reduced, and the internal resistance is reduced, resulting in a decrease in the overall performance of the fuel cell, and ultimately leading to an irreversible performance degradation. Therefore, the purge time of the fuel cell cannot be too long when it is slightly shut down to avoid too little water inside the fuel cell stack. For example, the first purge time can be calibrated to 30 seconds.

[0111] It is worth noting that after the fuel cell is shut down lightly, it will still maintain some basic monitoring and safety functions. By shutting down the fuel cell lightly through the above method, the fuel cell can be started quickly, reducing the number of starts and stops of the fuel cell and delaying the life of the fuel cell.

[0112] Optionally, controlling the fuel cell to perform a deep shutdown includes: First, the output power of the fuel cell is reduced according to the first load reduction rate.

[0113] Then, when the output current corresponding to the output power is less than the second current threshold, the output power of the fuel cell is stopped from being reduced and the fuel cell is purged according to a preset second purge duration, wherein the second purge duration is greater than the first purge duration, and the second current threshold is less than or equal to the first current threshold.

[0114] It is worth mentioning that the mild shutdown of the fuel cell is usually used for long-term parking of the vehicle or maintenance. The fuel cell may not be restarted for a long time. After the fuel cell is shut down, it is necessary to ensure that the inside of the stack is dry and free of residual reactants. Especially in low temperature environments, the residual water inside the fuel cell may freeze after the fuel cell is shut down, causing reversible attenuation of the proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell and reducing the life of the fuel cell system. Therefore, the second purge time for deep shutdown of the fuel cell is longer than the first purge time for mild shutdown.

[0115] In addition, when the fuel cell is shut down slightly, in order to ensure a quick response when the fuel cell is started again, the output current of the fuel cell after load reduction is higher than that during a deep shutdown. When the fuel cell is shut down deeply, it is necessary to ensure that the fuel cell is completely shut down to avoid danger during parking. Therefore, the second current threshold is less than or equal to the first current threshold.

[0116] Finally, when the preset second purge time is reached, the auxiliary system, the high pressure system and the low pressure system of the fuel cell are shut down in sequence to complete the deep shutdown of the fuel cell.

[0117] In one embodiment, the high-voltage system of the fuel cell includes a high-voltage hydrogen storage system, a high-voltage hydrogen supply system and a high-voltage electrical system, the low-voltage system includes an electrical control system, a battery management system and a power control system, and the auxiliary system includes a hydrogen supply system, an air supply system, a water heat management system, a tail exhaust system, a power adjustment system and a ventilation system.

[0118] In one embodiment, the driver switches the vehicle key to the OFF position, indicating that the driver intends to shut down the vehicle. The VCU detects that the vehicle key is in the power-off state and starts to execute the shutdown control of the entire vehicle. First, the VCU will enable the delayed power-off function to ensure that all systems of the vehicle can be safely shut down in sequence. After the delay, the VCU will send a deep shutdown instruction to each system of the vehicle, including the FCU. In response to the deep shutdown instruction, the FCU first controls the fuel cell to reduce the load at a first load reduction rate until the output current corresponding to the output power of the fuel cell is less than the second power threshold. The fuel cell is then shut down and purged to discharge residual reactants in the fuel cell, reduce the temperature of the fuel cell, and determine that the proton exchange membrane is dry. After the purge reaches a second preset time, the auxiliary system of the fuel cell needs to be turned off first.

[0119] For example, the auxiliary system of the fuel cell is shut down in the following way: first, the air compressor in the air supply system is shut down to stop supplying air to the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell continues to operate until the gas flow of the reactants drops to zero to ensure that no pneumatic air enters the stack. The fuel cell then enters the oxygen consumption stage to avoid forming a hydrogen-air interface. When the voltage of the single-cell battery in the stack drops to zero, the tail exhaust system is shut down to stop the discharge of hydrogen. After shutting down the tail exhaust system, the hydrogen supply system is pressure-maintained. Then, the water pump in the water thermal management system is shut down to stop the circulation of the coolant. Finally, the valve of the hydrogen cylinder in the hydrogen supply system is closed to ensure that hydrogen does not leak.

[0120] It is worth noting that during the shutdown process of the fuel cell, the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack needs to be controlled to the calibrated maximum temperature to ensure that the fuel cell is shut down safely and to avoid damage to the fuel cell due to excessively low internal temperature of the stack.

[0121] After the auxiliary system of the fuel cell is shut down, all components in the high-pressure system and low-pressure system of the fuel cell are shut down in sequence to complete the deep shutdown of the fuel cell.

[0122] Optionally, the method further comprises: When the fuel cell completes a mild shutdown, the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is obtained.

[0123] If the temperature of the battery cells inside the stack is lower than a preset low temperature threshold, the fuel cell is controlled to start up and enter a standby mode. In the standby mode, the fuel cell operates at a preset idle power and does not output power to the power battery.

[0124] If the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is not lower than the preset low temperature threshold, the switching state of the vehicle's fuel cell switch is determined, and when the fuel cell switch is in the on state, the steps of obtaining the charge state of the vehicle's power battery and the working state of the fuel cell and subsequent steps are performed again.

[0125] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 As shown, after the fuel cell is lightly shut down, the FCU will monitor the temperature inside the fuel cell stack in real time. If the temperature inside the stack is lower than the preset low temperature threshold, the FCU will enter the low temperature protection mode. In the low temperature protection mode, the FCU will not control the start of the fuel cell, but wait for the power-on command sent by the VCU. The VCU will send a power-on command to the FCU according to the key status and system status of the vehicle. When there is no abnormality in the system status of the vehicle and the key status of the vehicle is in the power-off state, the VCU sends a power-on command to the FCU and controls the fuel cell to enter the standby mode. When the fuel cell is in the standby mode, it runs at the preset idle power and does not output power to the power battery, so that the temperature inside the fuel cell stack increases. If the temperature inside the stack is lower than the preset low temperature threshold, the state of the fuel cell switch is continuously judged. When the fuel cell switch is turned off, the fuel cell remains turned off, the entire vehicle runs in pure electric mode, and continues to monitor the temperature inside the fuel cell stack. When the fuel cell switch is turned on, the following is executed. Figure 3 The vehicle energy management strategy is shown.

[0126] Optionally, the method further comprises: After the fuel cell completes the mild shutdown, the number of times the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is lower than the preset low temperature threshold is determined.

[0127] When the number of low temperatures is less than a preset number, the state of the fuel cell switch is determined; if the fuel cell switch is in an off state, the fuel cell is shut down according to the key state of the vehicle; if the fuel cell switch is in an on state, the steps of obtaining the charge state of the power battery of the vehicle and the working state of the fuel cell and subsequent steps are performed again.

[0128] If the low temperature times are greater than or equal to the preset times, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a deep shutdown.

[0129] In one embodiment, the preset number of times is 3 times, the preset temperature threshold is 5 degrees Celsius, and the Figure 2 As shown, during the operation of the fuel cell, if the current fault level of the vehicle is less than level 2, the fuel cell shutdown control includes the following situations.

[0130] The first situation is that when the driver needs to park temporarily or does not need to charge the fuel cell, he manually turns off the fuel cell switch, but the vehicle key remains in the ON position and the entire vehicle is not powered off, the fuel cell will be slightly shut down.

[0131] The second situation is that the fuel cell continues to charge the power battery. When the SOC of the power battery is greater than 90%, the VCU will send a shutdown command to the FCU. The FCU controls the fuel cell to shut down in response to the shutdown command, and the fuel cell will be shut down slightly.

[0132] The third situation is that the driver switches the vehicle's key status to OFF and the entire vehicle is powered off. At this time, the VCU will send a shutdown command to the FCU, and the FCU controls the fuel cell to perform a deep shutdown in response to the shutdown command.

[0133] In the first and second cases mentioned above, if the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack is lower than 5 degrees Celsius after the fuel cell is shut down lightly, there is a risk of freezing inside the fuel cell and it may affect the response speed of the fuel cell restart. Therefore, the fuel cell is controlled to start up and run in standby mode to increase the internal temperature of the stack and prevent the proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell from freezing. It can also quickly respond to the target power demand sent by the VCU. After the fuel cell is turned on again, it is determined whether the number of low temperatures of the fuel cell after the light shutdown is completed is less than 3 times, where the number of low temperatures is the number of times the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack is less than 5 degrees Celsius.

[0134] If yes, it is further determined whether the fuel cell switch is turned off, or whether the VCU sends a shutdown command. If the fuel cell switch is not turned off and the shutdown command sent by the VCU is not received, it means that the fuel cell needs to respond to the target power demand sent by the VCU. Figure 3 The vehicle energy management strategy shown controls the power of the fuel cell. If the fuel cell switch remains closed or a shutdown command is received from the VCU, the fuel cell is once again controlled to perform a light shutdown.

[0135] If not, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a deep shutdown to ensure the safety and health of the fuel cell.

[0136] Optionally, the method further comprises: The temperature of the fuel cell at a plurality of different stack assemblies is obtained.

[0137] According to the temperatures of a plurality of different stack assemblies and control conditions corresponding to the temperature combinations of the stack assemblies, the fuel cell is subjected to load reduction control or shutdown control corresponding to the control conditions.

[0138] Optionally, the stack assembly includes a battery cell inside the stack, a stack outlet, and a stack inlet, and the step of performing load reduction control or shutdown control corresponding to the control conditions on the fuel cell according to the temperatures at a plurality of different stack assemblies and control conditions corresponding to the temperature combinations of the stack assemblies includes: When the temperature of the battery cells inside the stack is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, or the temperature of the battery cells inside the stack is greater than a target stack temperature by a preset first difference, the output power of the fuel cell is reduced to an economic output power at a first load reduction rate.

[0139] When the temperature at the stack outlet is greater than a preset second temperature threshold, or the difference between the temperature at the stack outlet and the temperature at the stack inlet exceeds a preset second difference and reaches a preset over-temperature duration, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a mild shutdown.

[0140] When the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack exceeds the target inlet temperature and reaches a preset third difference, the output power of the fuel cell is reduced according to a second load reduction rate until the difference between the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack and the target inlet temperature is within the preset second difference.

[0141] The target stack temperature and the target inlet temperature correspond to the target power demand of the power battery, and the first load reduction rate is greater than the second load reduction rate.

[0142] It is worth noting that each target power requirement of the power battery is calibrated in advance with the target stack temperature at the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack, the target inlet temperature at the stack inlet, and the target outlet temperature at the stack outlet.

[0143] For example, the VCU monitors the temperature of the internal cells of the fuel cell stack, the stack outlet and the stack inlet of the fuel cell in real time through temperature sensors. The first temperature threshold is preset to 90 degrees Celsius, the second temperature threshold is preset to 95 degrees Celsius, the first difference is preset to 2 degrees Celsius, the second difference is preset to 16 degrees Celsius, the over-temperature time is preset to 600 seconds, and the third difference is preset to 2 degrees Celsius.

[0144] If the temperature of the internal cells of the fuel cell stack is greater than 90 degrees Celsius, or the temperature of the internal cells of the fuel cell stack exceeds the target stack temperature corresponding to the target power demand sent by the VCU by more than 2 degrees Celsius, the fuel cell is quickly unloaded, that is, the output power of the fuel cell is reduced to the output power with the highest conversion efficiency of the fuel cell according to the first unloading rate.

[0145] If the temperature at the outlet of the fuel cell stack is greater than 95 degrees Celsius, or the temperature at the outlet of the fuel cell stack exceeds the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack by 16 degrees Celsius and lasts for 600 seconds, a third-level fault is triggered and the fuel cell is controlled to perform a mild shutdown.

[0146] If the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack exceeds the target inlet temperature corresponding to the target power demand sent by the VCU by more than 2 degrees Celsius, the fuel cell will perform slow load reduction, that is, reduce the output power of the fuel cell according to the second load reduction rate. For example, the output current corresponding to the output power of the fuel cell is reduced by 50A each time. After the reduction, it is determined whether the difference between the temperature at the inlet of the stack and the target inlet temperature is less than 2 degrees Celsius. If not, the output current corresponding to the output power of the fuel cell is reduced by 50A, and the difference between the temperature at the inlet of the stack and the target inlet temperature is determined again until the difference is less than 2 degrees Celsius. If so, stop reducing the output power of the fuel cell to allow the fuel cell to enter the power stabilization stage.

[0147] Through the above method, the output power of the fuel cell is controlled according to the temperatures of multiple different stack components of the fuel cell, thereby avoiding the fuel cell temperature being too high and causing the life of the fuel cell to be reduced, and also increasing the safety of the fuel cell.

[0148] Optionally, the method further comprises: After the fuel cell is load-reduced and the output power of the fuel cell enters a power stabilization stage, it is determined at preset time intervals whether the cooling fan corresponding to the fuel cell reaches a maximum fan speed.

[0149] The preset duration may be 10 minutes.

[0150] When the cooling fan does not reach the maximum fan speed, it is determined whether the output power of the fuel cell meets the target power requirement of the power battery.

[0151] If the output power of the fuel cell does not meet the target power requirement of the power battery, the output power of the fuel cell is increased according to the preset load current until the output power of the fuel cell meets the target power requirement of the power battery or the cooling fan reaches the maximum fan speed.

[0152] It is worth noting that after the fuel cell is turned on and begins to respond to the target power demand sent by the VCU, the fuel cell will enter the load-up stage, that is, the output power of the fuel cell will gradually increase until the output power of the fuel cell meets the target power demand. The fuel cell then enters the power stabilization stage. Similarly, if the fuel cell is controlled to reduce load, that is, the output power of the fuel cell is gradually reduced, the fuel cell will also enter the power stabilization stage after the load reduction is completed.

[0153] In addition, the cooling fan of the fuel cell is positively correlated with the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack.

[0154] The preset load-increasing current is the output current corresponding to the output power increased by each load-increasing operation and calibrated in advance for the fuel cell.

[0155] In one embodiment, the preset load current is 50A (Ampere). When the fuel cell is in the power stabilization stage, the FCU determines whether the cooling fan corresponding to the fuel cell has reached the maximum speed every 10 minutes. If the cooling fan has reached the maximum fan speed, it means that the fuel cell has reached the maximum output power that can be output at present, and the output power of the fuel cell is not adjusted. If the maximum fan speed is not reached, the output current corresponding to the output power of the fuel cell is increased by 50A, and then the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack will rise, and the speed of the cooling fan will increase with the increase of the internal temperature of the stack. If the speed of the cooling fan has not reached the maximum speed, the output current corresponding to the output power of the fuel cell is increased by 50A every 10 minutes until the speed of the cooling fan reaches the maximum fan speed.

[0156] The above method can effectively avoid frequent overheating of the fuel cell and the system power jumping back and forth, thereby avoiding the proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell system from drying out due to overheating, resulting in permanent attenuation of the fuel cell performance.

[0157] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a fuel cell control device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 The device includes an acquisition module 520 and a control module 530.

[0158] The acquisition module 520 is configured to acquire the charge state of the power battery and the operating state of the fuel cell of the vehicle in response to the vehicle being powered on.

[0159] The control module 530 is configured to perform attenuation recovery control on the fuel cell according to the charge state of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell, wherein the attenuation recovery control includes controlling the fuel cell to enter a standby mode after startup or controlling the fuel cell to be activated before shutdown, and the standby mode includes the fuel cell operating at a preset idle power and not outputting power to the power battery.

[0160] Optionally, the control module 530 is configured to: When the working state of the fuel cell is the shutdown state, if the charge state of the power battery is greater than or equal to the first charge state, the fuel cell is controlled to start up and run at a preset idle power, and no power is output to the power battery, until the charge state of the power battery is less than the first charge state, then the fuel cell is controlled to output power to the power battery.

[0161] Optionally, the control module 530 is configured to: When the working state of the fuel cell is the on state, if the charge state of the power battery is greater than or equal to the second charge state and less than the third charge state, the fuel cell is activated and controlled until the charge state of the power battery is greater than or equal to the third charge state and then the fuel cell is controlled to shut down.

[0162] Optionally, the control module 530 is configured to: A current fault state of the vehicle is determined.

[0163] When the current fault level is greater than or equal to a preset fault level, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a deep shutdown.

[0164] When the current fault level is less than the preset fault level, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a mild shutdown, wherein the high-pressure system of the fuel cell remains on after the mild shutdown, and the high-pressure system of the fuel cell is turned off after the deep shutdown.

[0165] Optionally, the control module 530 is configured to: When the fuel cell completes a mild shutdown, the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is obtained.

[0166] If the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is lower than a preset low temperature threshold, the fuel cell is controlled to start up in the standby mode, and the fuel cell is shut down based on the number of low temperature times after the fuel cell is gently shut down. The number of low temperature times is the number of times the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is lower than the preset low temperature threshold.

[0167] If the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is greater than or equal to the preset low temperature threshold, the steps of obtaining the charge state of the power battery of the vehicle and the working state of the fuel cell and subsequent steps are performed.

[0168] Optionally, the control module 530 is configured to: In a case where the number of low temperatures is less than a preset number, the steps of obtaining the state of charge of the power battery of the vehicle and the working state of the fuel cell and subsequent steps are performed.

[0169] If the low temperature times are greater than or equal to the preset times, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a deep shutdown.

[0170] Optionally, the control module 530 is configured to: The temperature of the fuel cell at a plurality of different stack assemblies is obtained.

[0171] According to the temperatures of a plurality of different stack assemblies and control conditions corresponding to the temperature combinations of the stack assemblies, the fuel cell is subjected to load reduction control or shutdown control corresponding to the control conditions.

[0172] Optionally, the stack assembly includes a stack internal battery cell, a stack outlet, and a stack inlet, and the control module 530 is configured as follows: When the temperature of the battery cells inside the stack is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, or the temperature of the battery cells inside the stack is greater than a target stack temperature by a preset first difference, the output power of the fuel cell is reduced to an economic output power at a first load reduction rate.

[0173] When the temperature at the stack outlet is greater than a preset second temperature threshold, or the difference between the temperature at the stack outlet and the temperature at the stack inlet exceeds a preset second difference and reaches a preset over-temperature duration, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a mild shutdown.

[0174] When the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack exceeds the target inlet temperature and reaches a preset third difference, the output power of the fuel cell is reduced according to a second load reduction rate until the difference between the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack and the target inlet temperature is within the preset second difference.

[0175] The target stack temperature and the target inlet temperature correspond to the target power demand of the power battery, and the first load reduction rate is greater than the second load reduction rate.

[0176] Optionally, the control module 530 is configured to: After the fuel cell is load-reduced and the output power of the fuel cell enters a stable stage, it is determined at preset time intervals whether the cooling fan corresponding to the fuel cell reaches a maximum fan speed.

[0177] When the cooling fan does not reach the maximum fan speed, it is determined whether the output power of the fuel cell meets the target power requirement of the power battery.

[0178] If the output power of the fuel cell does not meet the target power requirement of the power battery, the output power of the fuel cell is increased according to the preset load current until the output power of the fuel cell meets the target power requirement of the power battery or the cooling fan reaches the maximum fan speed.

[0179] Regarding the device in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0180] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer program instructions are stored. When the program instructions are executed by a processor, the fuel cell control method provided by the present disclosure is implemented.

[0181] The present disclosure also provides a vehicle, including a power battery, a fuel cell, and an electronic device for executing the fuel cell control method provided by the present disclosure.

[0182] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a vehicle 600 according to an exemplary embodiment. The vehicle 600 may be an autonomous driving vehicle, a semi-autonomous driving vehicle, or a non-autonomous driving vehicle.

[0183] Reference Figure 5 , the vehicle 600 may include various subsystems, for example, an infotainment system 610, a perception system 620, a decision control system 630, a drive system 640, and a computing platform 650. The vehicle 600 may also include more or fewer subsystems, and each subsystem may include multiple components. In addition, each subsystem and each component of the vehicle 600 may be interconnected by wire or wireless means.

[0184] In some embodiments, the infotainment system 610 may include a communication system, an entertainment system, and a navigation system, etc.

[0185] The perception system 620 may include several sensors for sensing information about the environment around the vehicle 600. For example, the perception system 620 may include a global positioning system (the global positioning system may be a GPS system, or a Beidou system or other positioning systems), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic radar, and a camera.

[0186] The decision control system 630 may include a computing system, a vehicle controller, a steering system, a throttle, and a braking system.

[0187] The drive system 640 may include components that provide powered motion for the vehicle 600. In one embodiment, the drive system 640 may include an engine, an energy source, a transmission system, and wheels. The engine may be one or a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and an air compression engine. The engine is capable of converting energy provided by the energy source into mechanical energy.

[0188] Some or all functions of the vehicle 600 are controlled by a computing platform 650. The computing platform 650 may include at least one processor 651 and a memory 652, and the processor 651 may execute instructions 653 stored in the memory 652.

[0189] The processor 651 may be any conventional processor, such as a commercially available CPU. The processor may also include a graphics processor (Graphic Process Unit, GPU), a field programmable gate array (Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA), a system on chip (System on Chip, SOC), an application specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC) or a combination thereof.

[0190] The memory 652 may be implemented by any type of volatile or nonvolatile memory device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0191] In addition to the instructions 653 , the memory 652 may also store data, such as road maps, route information, and data such as the location, direction, and speed of the vehicle. The data stored in the memory 652 may be used by the computing platform 650 .

[0192] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 651 may execute the instruction 653 to complete all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned fuel cell control method.

[0193] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided. The computer program product includes a computer program executable by a programmable device. The computer program has a code portion for executing the above-mentioned fuel cell control method when executed by the programmable device.

[0194] In addition, the word "exemplary" is used in this article to represent serving as an example, instance, or diagram. Any aspect or design described as "exemplary" in this article is not necessarily understood to be advantageous compared to other aspects or designs. On the contrary, the use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a specific way. As used in this article, the term "or" is intended to represent an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, "X applies A or B" is intended to represent any one of the natural inclusive arrangements. In addition, unless otherwise specified or clearly pointed to a singular form from the context, the articles "one" and "an" as used in this application and the appended claims are generally understood to mean "one or more".

[0195] Likewise, although the present disclosure has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art after reading and understanding the specification and drawings. The present disclosure includes all such modifications and variations and is limited only by the scope of the claims. In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the components (e.g., elements, resources, etc.) described above, unless otherwise indicated, the terms used to describe such components are intended to correspond to any component (functionally equivalent) that performs the specific functions of the described components, even if the structure is not equivalent to the disclosed structure. In addition, although specific features of the present disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features of other implementations as may be desired and beneficial to any given or specific application. In addition, with respect to "including", "having", "having", "having", or variations thereof used in a specific embodiment or claim, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising".

[0196] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present disclosure, which follows the general principles of the present disclosure and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

[0197] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fuel cell control method, characterized in that: include: Obtaining the state of charge of the power battery and the operating state of the fuel cell of the vehicle; According to the charge state of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell, the fuel cell is subjected to attenuation recovery control, wherein the attenuation recovery control includes controlling the fuel cell to enter a standby mode after startup or controlling the fuel cell to be activated before shutdown, and the standby mode includes the fuel cell operating at a preset idle power and not outputting power to the power battery.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The attenuation recovery control of the fuel cell according to the state of charge of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell comprises: When the working state of the fuel cell is the shutdown state, if the charge state of the power battery is greater than or equal to the first charge state, the fuel cell is controlled to start up and run at a preset idle power, and no power is output to the power battery, until the charge state of the power battery is less than the first charge state, then the fuel cell is controlled to output power to the power battery.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The attenuation recovery control of the fuel cell according to the state of charge of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell comprises: When the working state of the fuel cell is the on state, if the charge state of the power battery is greater than or equal to the second charge state and less than the third charge state, the fuel cell is activated and controlled until the charge state of the power battery is greater than or equal to the third charge state and then the fuel cell is controlled to shut down.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The controlling the fuel cell to shut down comprises: determining a current fault state of the vehicle; When the current fault level is greater than or equal to a preset fault level, controlling the fuel cell to perform a deep shutdown; When the current fault level is less than the preset fault level, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a mild shutdown, wherein the high-pressure system of the fuel cell remains on after the mild shutdown, and the high-pressure system of the fuel cell is turned off after the deep shutdown.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the fuel cell completes a mild shutdown, obtaining the temperature of the internal cells of the fuel cell stack; If the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is lower than a preset low temperature threshold, the fuel cell is controlled to start up in the standby mode, and the fuel cell is controlled to shut down according to the number of low temperature times after the fuel cell is lightly shut down, the number of low temperature times being the number of times the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is lower than the preset low temperature threshold; If the temperature of the battery cells inside the fuel cell stack is greater than or equal to the preset low temperature threshold, the steps of obtaining the charge state of the power battery of the vehicle and the working state of the fuel cell and subsequent steps are performed.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The controlling of the fuel cell according to the number of low temperatures after the fuel cell is gently shut down comprises: When the number of low temperatures is less than a preset number, performing the steps of obtaining the state of charge of the power battery of the vehicle and the working state of the fuel cell and subsequent steps; If the low temperature times are greater than or equal to the preset times, the fuel cell is controlled to perform a deep shutdown.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Obtaining the temperature of the fuel cell at a plurality of different stack assemblies; According to the temperatures of a plurality of different stack assemblies and control conditions corresponding to the temperature combinations of the stack assemblies, the fuel cell is subjected to load reduction control or shutdown control corresponding to the control conditions.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The stack assembly includes a battery cell inside the stack, a stack outlet, and a stack inlet. According to the control conditions corresponding to the temperatures at a plurality of different stack assemblies and the temperature combinations of the stack assemblies, controlling the fuel cell to perform load reduction control or shutdown control corresponding to the control conditions includes: When the temperature of the battery cells inside the stack is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, or the temperature of the battery cells inside the stack is greater than a target stack temperature by a preset first difference, reducing the output power of the fuel cell to an economic output power at a first load reduction rate; When the temperature at the outlet of the fuel cell stack is greater than a preset second temperature threshold, or the difference between the temperature at the outlet of the fuel cell stack and the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack exceeds a preset second difference and reaches a preset over-temperature duration, controlling the fuel cell to perform a mild shutdown; When the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack exceeds the target inlet temperature by a preset third difference, reducing the output power of the fuel cell according to a second load reduction rate until the difference between the temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack and the target inlet temperature is within the preset second difference; The target stack temperature and the target inlet temperature correspond to the target power demand of the power battery, and the first load reduction rate is greater than the second load reduction rate.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After the fuel cell is load-reduced and the output power of the fuel cell enters a stable stage, determining whether the cooling fan corresponding to the fuel cell reaches a maximum fan speed at a preset time interval; When the cooling fan does not reach the maximum fan speed, determining whether the output power of the fuel cell meets the target power requirement of the power battery; If the output power of the fuel cell does not meet the target power requirement of the power battery, the output power of the fuel cell is increased according to the preset load current until the output power of the fuel cell meets the target power requirement of the power battery or the cooling fan reaches the maximum fan speed.

10. A fuel cell control device, characterized in that: include: an acquisition module, configured to acquire a charge state of a power battery and an operating state of a fuel cell of the vehicle in response to powering on the vehicle; A control module is configured to perform attenuation recovery control on the fuel cell according to the charge state of the power battery and the working state of the fuel cell, wherein the attenuation recovery control includes controlling the fuel cell to enter a standby mode after startup or controlling the fuel cell to be activated before shutdown, and the standby mode includes the fuel cell operating at a preset idle power and not outputting power to the power battery.

11. A vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a power battery, a fuel cell and an electronic device for executing any one of the methods of claims 1 to 9.

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