Starting method, system and device of fuel cell

Abstract

The invention discloses a fuel cell starting method, system and device, and the method comprises the steps: carrying out the sorting of the starting sequence of each fuel cell according to a preset rule, and controlling each fuel cell to be sequentially connected with an auxiliary inverter according to the starting sequence of each fuel cell after a fuel cell starting signal is received, and the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the fuel cell connected with the auxiliary inverter for starting. Therefore, the auxiliary inverter does not supply power to the fuel cells at the same time to start the fuel cells, but controls the fuel cells to be connected with the auxiliary inverter in sequence, so that the output power of the auxiliary inverter is reduced while the fuel cells can be powered and started by the auxiliary inverter in sequence, and the capacity of the auxiliary inverter does not need to be increased; and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of battery control, and in particular to a method, system and device for starting a fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] Fuel cells, as an important way for the green transformation of rail transit equipment, have received widespread attention in recent years. When a fuel cell is started, the auxiliary inverter in the vehicle system usually draws power from the DC bus to power the auxiliary machine in the fuel cell, so that the auxiliary machine controls the chemical reaction of the fuel cell stack. For example, hydrogen and oxygen react chemically to generate electricity to the DC bus to power the vehicle. After the stack outputs a stable voltage, the auxiliary inverter disconnects the power supply to the auxiliary machine and switches to the stack to power the auxiliary machine, thereby starting the fuel cell.

[0003] However, as the application trend of rail transit equipment gradually develops from low-speed and small-volume to high-speed and large-volume, with the increase of vehicle speed level and volume, the power of the multi-stack fuel cell system that the whole vehicle needs to be equipped with needs to be greatly increased. However, due to the limitation of the current single-stack power of fuel cells, a single fuel cell cannot meet the high-power requirements of the vehicle. It is necessary to use multiple fuel cells in parallel or series to form a multi-stack fuel cell system, that is, a high-power power supply system, to power the vehicle. When the number of fuel cells to be started is large, in order to reduce the impact on the auxiliary inverter, it is necessary to set up more auxiliary inverters to start the fuel cell power supply. However, since the auxiliary inverter only powers the auxiliary machine of the fuel cell when the fuel cell is started, its main function is to provide power for other loads in the vehicle, such as air conditioning and lighting equipment. If an additional auxiliary inverter is set up or the capacity of the inverter is increased in order to meet the starting power requirements of all fuel cells at the same time, it will undoubtedly increase the cost. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method, system and device for starting a fuel cell. Instead of using an auxiliary inverter to supply power to each fuel cell at the same time to start it, each fuel cell is controlled to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in turn. While ensuring that each fuel cell can be powered and started by the auxiliary inverter in turn, the output power of the auxiliary inverter is reduced, and there is no need to increase the capacity of the auxiliary inverter, thereby reducing costs.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a method for starting a fuel cell, comprising:

[0006] Arrange the startup sequence of each fuel cell according to preset rules;

[0007] After receiving the fuel cell start-up signal, controlling each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the start-up sequence;

[0008] When the auxiliary inverter is connected to the fuel cell, the auxiliary inverter is controlled to supply power to the fuel cell connected to the auxiliary inverter so as to start the fuel cell.

[0009] Preferably, controlling each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence comprises:

[0010] Determine the sequence number of each of the fuel cells according to the startup sequence, and set the fuel cell with the smallest sequence number as the current fuel cell;

[0011] Controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0012] After the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the current fuel cell so that the current fuel cell starts normally, determining whether the sequence number of the current fuel cell is the largest sequence number in the startup sequence;

[0013] If not, setting the next fuel cell of the current fuel cell as the current fuel cell according to the sequence number, and returning to the step of controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0014] If so, the startup of each of the fuel cells is completed.

[0015] Preferably, after the startup sequence of each fuel cell is sorted according to a preset rule, the method further includes:

[0016] Setting a minimum start-up quantity of the fuel cell based on a preset total power consumption and a rated power of the fuel cell;

[0017] Controlling each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence includes:

[0018] Setting the first fuel cell as the current fuel cell according to the startup sequence;

[0019] Controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0020] Determining whether the number of the fuel cells that have been started normally has reached the minimum starting number;

[0021] If the minimum startup quantity is not reached, when the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the current fuel cell but the current fuel cell fails to start, the remaining quantity of the fuel cells that have not been started is determined based on the total quantity of the fuel cells and the quantity of the fuel cells that have been started normally;

[0022] When the sum of the remaining number and the number of the fuel cells that have been normally started is not less than the minimum start-up number, setting the next fuel cell of the current fuel cell as the current fuel cell according to the start-up sequence, and returning to the step of controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0023] If the minimum startup number is reached, the startup of the fuel cell is completed.

[0024] Preferably, if the current fuel cell fails to start, the method further comprises:

[0025] A startup failure signal is output, and the battery parameters of the current fuel cell are recorded.

[0026] Preferably, after determining whether the sum of the remaining number and the number of the fuel cells that have been normally started is not less than the minimum start-up number, the method further includes:

[0027] If not, the fuel cell that has been started normally is controlled to stop supplying power, or a fuel cell startup quantity abnormality signal is output to reduce the power consumption of the electrical equipment based on the battery parameters of the fuel cell that has been started normally.

[0028] Preferably, the minimum startup quantity of the fuel cells is set based on the preset total power consumption, the rated power of the fuel cells and the total quantity of the fuel cells, including:

[0029] Determining a first ratio between the preset total power consumption and the rated power of the fuel cell;

[0030] An integer greater than the first ratio and less than the total number of the fuel cells is set as the minimum start-up number of the fuel cells.

[0031] Preferably, after determining the first ratio between the preset total power consumption and the rated power of the fuel cell, the method further comprises:

[0032] Determining a second ratio between the preset total power consumption and the preset efficient minimum power of the fuel cell;

[0033] A minimum integer greater than the first ratio and less than the second ratio is set as a minimum activation number of the fuel cell.

[0034] Preferably, the startup sequence of each fuel cell is sorted according to a preset rule, including:

[0035] Sorting the startup sequence of each of the fuel cells according to the life attenuation degree of each of the fuel cells;

[0036] The serial number of each fuel cell is determined according to the startup sequence, and the serial number of the fuel cell is positively correlated with the degree of life attenuation of the fuel cell.

[0037] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a fuel cell starting system, comprising:

[0038] A sorting unit, used to sort the start-up order of each fuel cell according to a preset rule;

[0039] A first control unit, configured to control each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence after receiving a fuel cell startup signal;

[0040] The second control unit is used for controlling the auxiliary inverter to supply power to the fuel cell connected to the auxiliary inverter when the auxiliary inverter is connected to the fuel cell, so as to start the fuel cell.

[0041] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a fuel cell startup control device, comprising:

[0042] Memory for storing computer programs;

[0043] The processor is used to implement the steps of the fuel cell startup method as described above when executing the computer program.

[0044] The present invention provides a method, system and device for starting a fuel cell. In this scheme, the start-up sequence of each fuel cell is first arranged according to a preset rule, so that after receiving the fuel cell start-up signal, each fuel cell is controlled to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the start-up sequence of each fuel cell, so that the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the fuel cell connected to itself for start-up. It can be seen that the auxiliary inverter does not supply power to each fuel cell at the same time to start it, but controls each fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence, while ensuring that each fuel cell can be powered and started by the auxiliary inverter in sequence, the output power of the auxiliary inverter is reduced, and there is no need to increase the capacity of the auxiliary inverter, thereby reducing the cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a method for starting a fuel cell provided by the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a power-efficiency curve of a fuel cell provided by the present invention;

[0048] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fuel cell startup system provided by the present invention;

[0049] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fuel cell startup control device provided by the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a multi-stack fuel cell hydrogen power system for a high-speed train provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The core of the present invention is to provide a method, system and device for starting a fuel cell. Instead of the auxiliary inverter supplying power to each fuel cell at the same time to start it, each fuel cell is controlled to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in turn. While ensuring that each fuel cell can be powered and started by the auxiliary inverter in turn, the output power of the auxiliary inverter is reduced, and there is no need to increase the capacity of the auxiliary inverter, thereby reducing costs.

[0052] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a method for starting a fuel cell provided by the present invention, the method comprising:

[0054] S11: sorting the startup order of each fuel cell according to a preset rule;

[0055] S12: after receiving the fuel cell start-up signal, controlling each fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the start-up sequence;

[0056] S13: When the auxiliary inverter is connected to the fuel cell, the auxiliary inverter is controlled to supply power to the fuel cell connected to the auxiliary inverter, so as to start the fuel cell.

[0057] As an important way to green transformation of rail transit equipment, fuel cells have received extensive attention in recent years. The application trend of rail transit equipment has gradually developed from low speed and small volume to high speed and large volume. With the increase of vehicle speed level and volume, the power level of the fuel cell system required for the whole vehicle has been increased to MW level or even several MW level. However, due to the limitation of the power of the current fuel cell single stack and the system power, a single fuel cell cannot meet the power requirements of the vehicle. It is necessary to use a parallel or series structure of multiple fuel cells to form a high-power power supply system. When the fuel cell is started, the auxiliary machine needs to be powered by an external power supply. After the fuel cell achieves stable output, it can be self-powered. The higher the power level of the configured fuel cell system, the greater the power and capacity of the required external power supply. At present, in the field of rail transit, the starting power of the fuel cell comes from the auxiliary inverter. First, the power battery or supercapacitor system needs to be started to provide the bus voltage, and then the auxiliary inverter can take power from the DC bus and output it to the outside. Since the main work of the auxiliary inverter is to power the electrical equipment of the vehicle's air conditioner, the capacity of the auxiliary inverter is designed according to the needs of the on-board auxiliary electrical equipment. The demand for external power supply when the fuel cell is started is a short-term load, which mainly occurs when the vehicle is started, that is, the auxiliary inverter is only needed to supply power when the fuel cell is started. However, during the operation of the vehicle, the fuel cell may be cut off for some reasons, such as the SOC of the energy storage unit such as the power battery or supercapacitor is too high, and it will be cut back in when the conditions are met. At this time, the remaining capacity of the auxiliary inverter, that is, the remaining capacity after removing the power supply for the electrical equipment, needs to meet the restart requirements of the fuel cell. For low-speed vehicles, due to the low power level of the configured fuel cell, the external starting power required to be provided to the fuel cell system is small, and because the auxiliary inverter will consider the margin when designing the auxiliary inverter, the auxiliary inverter does not need to increase the capacity or only needs to increase a small capacity to meet the fuel cell startup requirements. However, for high-speed vehicles, the external power supply power required to start the large fuel cell of the whole vehicle is very high, and the instantaneous power of the startup is more than hundreds of kilowatts, which puts higher requirements on the auxiliary inverter. If the startup requirements of all fuel cells are met at the same time, the capacity of the auxiliary inverter needs to be greatly increased, which will increase the cost, and the simultaneous startup of high-power loads will also cause the auxiliary inverter voltage to drop instantly, which will have a great impact on the system. If the capacity of the auxiliary inverter is not significantly increased, auxiliary power equipment such as air conditioners will need to be reduced or shut down when restarting after the high-power multi-stack fuel cell is removed.

[0058] Based on the above situation, in order not to affect the vehicle's electrical equipment and not to significantly increase the capacity of the auxiliary inverter, the present application proposes a method for sequentially starting a high-power multi-stack fuel cell suitable for rail transit vehicles. First, the start-up sequence of each fuel cell is sorted according to a preset rule, and then after receiving the fuel cell start-up signal, each fuel cell is controlled to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the start-up sequence, so that after the auxiliary inverter is connected to the fuel cell, it can supply power to the connected fuel cell to start it.

[0059] As a preferred embodiment, the preset rules in the present application can be but are not limited to sorting according to the life of each fuel cell, that is, sorting the startup order of each fuel cell according to the degree of life decay of each fuel cell. The size of the fuel cell serial number is positively correlated with the size of the fuel cell life decay degree. The smaller the life decay degree of the fuel cell, the smaller its serial number. For example, the life decay degree of the first fuel cell started is the smallest, and the life decay degree of the second fuel cell started is greater than that of the first fuel cell started, and so on.

[0060] It should be noted that when ranking each fuel cell, the life attenuation degree and output efficiency of the fuel cell can also be considered comprehensively. The fuel cell with a smaller life attenuation degree and a greater output efficiency has a smaller sequence number and an earlier start-up sequence. Of course, the life attenuation degree and output efficiency can also be weighted according to actual conditions. For example, when ranking the start-up sequence, the life attenuation degree accounts for 40% and the output efficiency accounts for 60%. This application does not limit this.

[0061] The processor 42 sends a control signal to the auxiliary inverter and the fuel cell through a network or other control methods, and disconnects the fuel cell from the auxiliary inverter after the fuel cell is started normally.

[0062] Of course, the background condition for starting the fuel cell in the present application may be the first start of the vehicle, or it may be the restart when the fuel cell is removed and then put back into operation during vehicle operation, and the present application does not limit this.

[0063] In summary, in the present application, the auxiliary inverter is not used to supply power to each fuel cell at the same time to start it, but each fuel cell is controlled to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence. While ensuring that each fuel cell can be powered and started by the auxiliary inverter in sequence, the output power of the auxiliary inverter is reduced, and there is no need to increase the capacity of the auxiliary inverter, thereby reducing costs.

[0064] Based on the above embodiments:

[0065] As a preferred embodiment, controlling each fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence includes:

[0066] Determine the sequence number of each fuel cell according to the startup sequence, and set the fuel cell with the smallest sequence number as the current fuel cell;

[0067] Control the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0068] After the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the current fuel cell so that the current fuel cell starts normally, determining whether the sequence number of the current fuel cell is the largest sequence number in the start-up sequence;

[0069] If not, the next fuel cell of the current fuel cell is set as the current fuel according to the sequence number, and the process returns to the step of controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0070] If yes, the startup of each fuel cell is completed.

[0071] In this embodiment, when controlling the auxiliary inverter to connect with the fuel cell, the serial number of each fuel cell is first determined according to a predetermined start-up sequence, and the fuel cell with a smaller serial number is started first. After the current fuel cell is connected to the auxiliary inverter and the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the current fuel cell so that the current fuel cell starts normally, the fuel cell with the next serial number is set as the current fuel cell to continue starting until all fuel cells are started normally.

[0072] It should be noted that in this embodiment, only one fuel cell can be controlled to be connected to the auxiliary inverter at a time, or a group of fuel cells can be controlled to be connected to the auxiliary inverter at the same time, depending on the capacity of the auxiliary inverter and the required power setting of the fuel cell. For example, if a group of fuel cells includes 2 or 3 fuel cells, this application does not limit this.

[0073] As a preferred embodiment, after the startup sequence of each fuel cell is sorted according to a preset rule, the method further includes:

[0074] Setting a minimum start-up quantity of the fuel cells based on a preset total power consumption and a rated power of the fuel cells;

[0075] Control each fuel cell to connect to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence, including:

[0076] The first fuel cell is set as the current fuel cell according to the startup sequence;

[0077] Control the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0078] Determine whether the number of fuel cells that have been started normally has reached the minimum starting number;

[0079] If the minimum startup quantity is not reached, when the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the current fuel cell but the current fuel cell fails to start, the remaining quantity of the unstarted fuel cells is determined based on the total quantity of fuel cells and the quantity of fuel cells that have been started normally;

[0080] When the sum of the remaining number and the number of fuel cells that have been normally started is not less than the minimum start-up number, the next fuel cell of the current fuel cell is set as the current fuel cell according to the start-up sequence, and the process returns to the step of controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter;

[0081] If the minimum startup number is reached, the fuel cell startup is completed.

[0082] In this embodiment, a minimum starting number is set, that is, the minimum starting number of fuel cells required is set according to actual vehicle needs. Specifically, based on the preset total power consumption of the vehicle, that is, the total required power allocated to the fuel cell of the entire vehicle, the rated power of a single fuel cell determines the minimum number of fuel cells that need to be started, that is, there is no need to start all the fuel cells, so as to reduce energy consumption while meeting the vehicle's power demand.

[0083] For example, the vehicle is equipped with 15 fuel cells, and based on the preset total power consumption and the rated power of the fuel cells, it is determined that 10 fuel cells need to be started. In this case, only the first 10 fuel cells need to be started in the starting order.

[0084] If the current fuel cell fails to start, first calculate whether the sum of the number of fuel cells that have been started normally and the remaining number of fuel cells that have not yet started is not less than the minimum startup number, that is, whether the fuel cells that have been started normally and the fuel cells that have not yet started can meet the preset total power consumption. If it is not less than the minimum startup number, the fuel cell that failed to start can be skipped, and the next fuel cell can be connected to the auxiliary inverter in the startup sequence, so that the auxiliary inverter can power the next fuel cell to start, until the number of fuel cells that have been started normally reaches the minimum startup number.

[0085] For example, the vehicle is equipped with 15 fuel cells, and the minimum number to be started is 10. After the first and second fuel cells are started, the third fuel cell fails to start, and the remaining number is 12. The number of fuel cells that have been started normally is 2, 12+2=14, and 14 is not less than 10. In this case, the third fuel cell can be skipped and the fourth fuel cell can be started, and so on.

[0086] As a preferred embodiment, if the current fuel cell fails to start, the method further includes:

[0087] Output the startup failure signal and record the current battery parameters of the fuel cell.

[0088] In addition, if the current fuel cell fails to start, a start failure signal needs to be output to remind the staff that the fuel cell startup is abnormal, and the battery parameters of the current fuel cell need to be recorded for the staff to perform subsequent maintenance.

[0089] As a preferred embodiment, after determining whether the sum of the remaining number and the number of fuel cells that have been normally started is not less than the minimum start-up number, the method further includes:

[0090] If not, the fuel cell that has been started normally is controlled to stop supplying power, or a fuel cell startup quantity abnormality signal is output to reduce the power consumption of the electrical equipment based on the battery parameters of the fuel cell that has been started normally.

[0091] However, if the current fuel cell fails to start, and the sum of the remaining number and the number of fuel cells that have been started normally is less than the minimum startup number, all the remaining fuel cell startup pages will not be able to meet the vehicle's power demand. At this time, the fuel cell will no longer be started, but an abnormal fuel cell startup number signal will be output for later maintenance.

[0092] In addition, after outputting a fuel cell startup quantity abnormal signal, the fuel cells that have been started normally can continue to supply power, and the processor 42 adjusts the power consumption of the electrical equipment itself based on the number of fuel cells that have been started and the battery parameters of the fuel cells that have been started, such as reducing the vehicle speed; or controls the fuel cells that have been started normally to stop supplying power to reduce power consumption, which is not limited in the present application.

[0093] As a preferred embodiment, the minimum startup number of fuel cells is set based on the preset total power consumption, the rated power of the fuel cells and the total number of fuel cells, including:

[0094] Determining a first ratio between a preset total power consumption and a rated power of the fuel cell;

[0095] An integer greater than the first ratio and less than the total number of fuel cells is set as the minimum start-up number of fuel cells.

[0096] When determining the minimum starting number, the first ratio between the preset total power consumption and the rated power of the fuel cell is calculated, so that an integer greater than the first ratio and less than the total number of fuel cells is set as the minimum starting number of fuel cells, that is, to ensure that the number of fuel cells started is sufficient to power the vehicle.

[0097] The smallest integer greater than the first ratio and less than the total number of fuel cells may be set as the minimum startup number of fuel cells, which is not limited in the present application.

[0098] As a preferred embodiment, after determining the first ratio between the preset total power consumption and the rated power of the fuel cell, the method further includes:

[0099] determining a second ratio between a preset total power consumption and a preset efficient minimum power of the fuel cell;

[0100] The smallest integer greater than the first ratio and less than the second ratio is set as the minimum activation number of the fuel cell.

[0101] Considering that the output capacity of the fuel cell must meet the required power allocated by the vehicle, that is, the preset total power consumption, and try to make a single fuel cell work in the high efficiency range, this range can be set according to the design and application of the fuel cell, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a power-efficiency curve of a fuel cell provided by the present invention.

[0102] Among them, P FC_total_r is the total power demand allocated to the fuel cell system by the vehicle, that is, the preset total power consumption, P FC_rate is the rated power of a single fuel cell, P FC_total_r / P FC_rate is the first ratio, P FC_eff_low is the minimum power value of the power range corresponding to the high efficiency of the fuel cell, that is, the preset minimum power for high efficiency operation, P FC_total_r / P FC_eff_low The second ratio is the smallest integer between the first ratio and the second ratio, and the smallest integer between the first ratio and the second ratio is set as the minimum startup quantity. The specific setting can be based on actual needs, and this application does not limit this.

[0103] In summary, in the present application, by controlling each fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence, at the vehicle level, there is no need to significantly increase the capacity of the auxiliary inverter, saving the cost increase caused by the capacity expansion of the auxiliary inverter; when the vehicle is tested on the ground, there is no need to configure a high-power starting power supply to start the fuel cell, which facilitates testing; the number and order of fuel cells to be started can be controlled according to the degree of life attenuation and the principle of maximizing output efficiency, thereby playing a role in coordinating the system.

[0104] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fuel cell startup system provided by the present invention, the system comprising:

[0105] A sorting unit 31 is used to sort the start-up order of each fuel cell according to a preset rule;

[0106] A first control unit 32 is used to control each fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to a start-up sequence after receiving a fuel cell start-up signal;

[0107] The second control unit 33 is used to control the auxiliary inverter to supply power to the fuel cell connected to the auxiliary inverter when the auxiliary inverter is connected to the fuel cell, so as to start the fuel cell.

[0108] For an introduction to the fuel cell startup system provided by the present invention, please refer to the above method embodiment, and the present invention will not be described in detail here.

[0109] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fuel cell startup control device provided by the present invention, the device comprises:

[0110] A memory 41, used for storing computer programs;

[0111] The processor 42 is used to implement the steps of the fuel cell startup method as described above when executing the computer program.

[0112] The multi-stack fuel cell hydrogen power system for high-speed trains to which the step-by-step starting method proposed in this application is applicable is composed of a power system, a processor 42 and an auxiliary system. Figure 5 , Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a multi-stack fuel cell hydrogen power system for a high-speed train provided by the present invention.

[0113] The power system consists of a traction system, an energy storage system, a DC / DC (Direct Current / Direct Current) converter and a multi-stack fuel cell system. The traction system is directly connected to the bus, and each fuel cell in the multi-stack fuel cell system needs to be connected to the bus through a DC / DC converter. The DC / DC converter plays the role of voltage conversion and controlling the output power of each fuel cell. The energy storage system can be directly connected to the bus or through a DC / DC converter.

[0114] The processor 42 includes a vehicle-level controller, a multi-stack fuel cell system controller, and a fuel cell controller within the multi-stack fuel cell system.

[0115] The auxiliary system is composed of an auxiliary inverter and other electrical equipment, such as air conditioners. The auxiliary inverter is connected to the DC bus and has multiple voltage output ports. The specific voltage format and voltage level can be set according to the vehicle design requirements.

[0116] The multi-stack fuel cell system is composed of a fuel cell stack, auxiliary machines, a fuel cell controller FCU (Fuel cell Control Unit), a DC / DC converter and a switch K1. The fuel cell controller FCU exchanges information with the multi-stack fuel cell system controller through a communication interface, and is connected to other components in the system through a network or hardware, and sends relevant signals to control the actions of other components. When the fuel cell controller FCU receives the start signal from the vehicle-level controller, the fuel cell controller FCU first controls the switch K1 to close and turn on the auxiliary inverter. The conversion module converts the DC power taken from the DC bus by the auxiliary inverter into the voltage format required by the auxiliary machine. The fuel cell controller FCU sends a start signal and an action signal to each auxiliary machine in the fuel cell system. Each auxiliary machine completes the start as required, supplies air, hydrogen and coolant to the fuel cell stack, and after the fuel cell stack outputs a stable voltage and the voltage meets the power supply voltage required by the auxiliary machine, the fuel cell controller FCU sends a signal to cut off the switch K1, disconnecting the connection with the auxiliary inverter, and the start of a single fuel cell is completed.

[0117] For a multi-stack fuel cell system, when the multi-stack fuel cell controller receives the start-up signal and train load information sent by the vehicle-level controller, the multi-stack fuel cell controller determines the start-up order of each fuel cell, calculates the minimum start-up number, and exchanges information with the FCU inside each multi-stack fuel cell to control the fuel cells to connect to the auxiliary inverter in turn. After the start-up is completed, the multi-stack fuel cell controller feeds back the required signal to the vehicle-level controller.

[0118] For an introduction to the starting device of the fuel cell provided by the present invention, please refer to the above method embodiment, and the present invention will not be described in detail here.

[0119] It should also be noted that, in this specification, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0120] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for starting a fuel cell, characterized in that: include: Arrange the startup sequence of each fuel cell according to preset rules; After receiving the fuel cell start-up signal, controlling each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the start-up sequence; When the auxiliary inverter is connected to the fuel cell, the auxiliary inverter is controlled to supply power to the fuel cell connected to the auxiliary inverter so as to start the fuel cell.

2. The method for starting a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein: Controlling each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence includes: Determine the sequence number of each of the fuel cells according to the startup sequence, and set the fuel cell with the smallest sequence number as the current fuel cell; Controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter; After the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the current fuel cell so that the current fuel cell starts normally, determining whether the sequence number of the current fuel cell is the largest sequence number in the startup sequence; If not, setting the next fuel cell of the current fuel cell as the current fuel cell according to the sequence number, and returning to the step of controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter; If so, the startup of each of the fuel cells is completed.

3. The method for starting a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein: After the startup sequence of each fuel cell is arranged according to the preset rules, it also includes: Setting a minimum start-up quantity of the fuel cell based on a preset total power consumption and a rated power of the fuel cell; Controlling each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence includes: Setting the first fuel cell as the current fuel cell according to the startup sequence; Controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter; Determining whether the number of the fuel cells that have been started normally has reached the minimum starting number; If the minimum startup quantity is not reached, when the auxiliary inverter supplies power to the current fuel cell but the current fuel cell fails to start, the remaining quantity of the fuel cells that have not been started is determined based on the total quantity of the fuel cells and the quantity of the fuel cells that have been started normally; When the sum of the remaining number and the number of the fuel cells that have been normally started is not less than the minimum start-up number, setting the next fuel cell of the current fuel cell as the current fuel cell according to the start-up sequence, and returning to the step of controlling the current fuel cell to be connected to the auxiliary inverter; If the minimum startup quantity is reached, the startup of the fuel cell is completed.

4. The method for starting a fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein: If the current fuel cell fails to start, the method further includes: A startup failure signal is output, and the battery parameters of the current fuel cell are recorded.

5. The method for starting a fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein: After determining whether the sum of the remaining number and the number of the fuel cells that have been normally started is not less than the minimum start-up number, the method further includes: If not, the fuel cell that has been started normally is controlled to stop supplying power, or a fuel cell startup quantity abnormality signal is output to reduce the power consumption of the electrical equipment based on the battery parameters of the fuel cell that has been started normally.

6. The method for starting a fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein: The method further comprises: setting a minimum startup quantity of the fuel cells based on a preset total power consumption, a rated power of the fuel cells, and a total quantity of the fuel cells, comprising: Determining a first ratio between the preset total power consumption and the rated power of the fuel cell; An integer greater than the first ratio and less than the total number of the fuel cells is set as the minimum start-up number of the fuel cells.

7. The method for starting a fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein: After determining a first ratio between the preset total power consumption and the rated power of the fuel cell, the method further includes: Determining a second ratio between the preset total power consumption and the preset efficient minimum power of the fuel cell; A minimum integer greater than the first ratio and less than the second ratio is set as a minimum activation number of the fuel cell.

8. The method for starting a fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The startup sequence of each fuel cell is sorted according to preset rules, including: Sorting the startup sequence of each of the fuel cells according to the life attenuation degree of each of the fuel cells; The serial number of each fuel cell is determined according to the startup sequence, and the serial number of the fuel cell is positively correlated with the degree of life attenuation of the fuel cell.

9. A fuel cell startup system, characterized in that: include: A sorting unit, used to sort the start-up order of each fuel cell according to a preset rule; A first control unit, configured to control each of the fuel cells to be connected to the auxiliary inverter in sequence according to the startup sequence after receiving a fuel cell startup signal; The second control unit is used for controlling the auxiliary inverter to supply power to the fuel cell connected to the auxiliary inverter when the auxiliary inverter is connected to the fuel cell, so as to start the fuel cell.

10. A fuel cell startup control device, characterized in that: include: Memory for storing computer programs; A processor, for implementing the steps of the fuel cell startup method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 when executing a computer program.

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