Power control apparatus, method, and system for fuel cell vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle, a power control method, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device. An embodiment power control apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a first relay connected to a fuel cell stack; a second relay selectively connected to an external charger; a converter connected to the first relay and the second relay, in which the converter is configured to convert first power input via the first relay into first demand power, convert second power input via the second relay into second demand power, and supply the first demand power and the second demand power to the power consumption device; and a controller configured to control the first relay, the second relay, and the converter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power control device and a power control method for a fuel cell vehicle and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device. Background Art

[0002] The hydrogen fuel cell vehicles currently in mass production use hydrogen fuel cells and high-voltage batteries as power sources. In such hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a fuel cell DC-DC converter arranged between the hydrogen fuel cell and the high-voltage battery is used to boost the energy generated by the hydrogen fuel cell, and then the boosted energy is provided to the motor system or used to charge the high-voltage battery.

[0003] Excessive use of the high-voltage battery may cause an electric vehicle (EV) driving or a fuel cell using the high-voltage battery to fail in initial startup, and thus, a vehicle driving failure may occur.

[0004] In order to prevent vehicle driving failure due to insufficient energy of the high-voltage battery, it is necessary to stably maintain the state of charge (SOC) of the high-voltage battery by additionally charging the high-voltage battery.

[0005] Therefore, much research is required to stably maintain the SOC of a high-voltage battery for a fuel cell vehicle.

[0006] The above-mentioned background technology is technical information possessed by the inventors of the embodiments of the present invention when designing the embodiments of the present invention or obtained in the process of designing the embodiments of the present invention, and is not necessarily regarded as known technology disclosed to the public before submitting the application. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention relates to a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle, a power control method, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device. Specific embodiments relate to a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle capable of charging a high-voltage battery using a fuel cell stack and an external charger, a power control method thereof, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device.

[0008] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention is made in view of the problems in the prior art, and an embodiment of the present invention provides a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle capable of charging a high-voltage battery using a fuel cell stack, a power control method thereof, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle capable of charging a high voltage battery using an external charger (eg, a fast charger), a power control method thereof, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device.

[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle capable of charging a high voltage battery using a fuel cell stack and an external charger, a power control method thereof, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device.

[0011] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle, which is capable of charging a high-voltage battery using a fuel cell stack and an external charger without adding a separate power converter, and a power control method thereof, as well as a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device.

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other embodiments of the present invention that have not been described will be more clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned and other features can be achieved by providing the following scheme, namely, a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle and a power control method thereof, which are capable of charging a high-voltage battery using a fuel cell stack and an external charger, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle is provided, comprising: a first relay connected to a fuel cell stack; a second relay selectively connected to an external charger; a converter connected to the first relay and the second relay; and a controller configured to control the first relay, the second relay and the converter.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the converter may convert the first power input via the first relay into the first demand power, may convert the second power input via the second relay into the second demand power, and may then supply the first demand power and the second demand power to the power consumption device.

[0016] According to an embodiment, when the first relay is turned on, the second relay may be turned off, and when the first relay is turned off, the second relay may be turned on, so that the first power and the second power are not simultaneously input to the converter.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the controller may turn on the first relay, may turn off the second relay, and may control the converter to convert the first power into the first demand power.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the controller may turn off the first relay, may turn on the second relay, and may control the converter to convert the second power into the second demand power.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the converter may supply the first demand power to the high voltage battery and the motor system.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the converter may supply the second required power to the high voltage battery.

[0021] According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the current state is the vehicle start-off state and the current mode is the fast charging mode based on vehicle related information input from the outside, the controller may turn off the first relay and may turn on the second relay.

[0022] According to an embodiment, when judging that the current state is the vehicle start-on state and the current mode is the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) mode based on vehicle related information input from the outside, the controller may turn on the first relay and may turn off the second relay.

[0023] According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the current state is a vehicle start-on state and the current mode is not a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) mode based on vehicle related information input from the outside, the controller may control the converter not to be driven.

[0024] In another embodiment of the present invention, a power control method for a fuel cell vehicle is provided, comprising: converting first power input to the converter via a first relay connected to a fuel cell stack into first demand power by a converter, converting second power input to the converter via a second relay selectively connected to an external charger into second demand power by the converter, and supplying one of the first demand power and the second demand power to a power consumption device by the converter.

[0025] According to an embodiment, converting the first power into the first demand power may include: a controller turning on the first relay, a controller turning off the second relay, and the controller controlling the converter to convert the first power into the first demand power.

[0026] According to an embodiment, converting the second power into the second demand power may include: a controller turning off the first relay, a controller turning on the second relay, and a controller controlling a converter to convert the second power into the second demand power.

[0027] According to an embodiment, supplying may include supplying the first demand power to a high voltage battery and a motor system.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the supplying may include supplying the second demand power to a high voltage battery.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the power control method may further include determining, by the controller, control of the first relay, the second relay, and the converter based on vehicle related information input to the controller from outside the controller.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the determining may include turning on the first relay and turning off the second relay when it is judged that the current state is the vehicle start-on state and the current mode is the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) mode.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the determination may include: when it is determined that the current state is the vehicle start-off state and the current mode is the fast charging mode, turning off the first relay and turning on the second relay.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the determination may include controlling the converter not to be driven when it is judged that the current state is the vehicle start-on state and the current mode is not a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) mode.

[0033] In another embodiment of the present invention, a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle is provided, comprising: a power control device, the power control device including a first relay, a second relay, a converter connected to one end of each of the first relay and the second relay, and a controller; a fuel cell stack connected to the other end of the first relay; an external charger selectively connected to the other end of the second relay; and a high-voltage battery configured to receive power output from the converter.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the converter may convert the first power input via the first relay into the first demand power, may convert the second power input via the second relay into the second demand power, and may then supply the first demand power and the second demand power to the power consumption device.

[0035] In addition to solutions to the above problems, details of various embodiments according to the present invention are included in the following description and drawings.

[0036] The above-mentioned problems to be solved and solutions to the problems should not be interpreted as essential features of the claims. Therefore, the scope of the claims is not limited by the matters described in the content of this application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0038] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a power control system of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a converter of a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a controller of a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4 is a diagram showing states of a first relay and a second relay according to control of a control signal output circuit in an embodiment according to the present invention; and

[0042] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a power control method of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The advantages, features and methods for achieving these advantages and features of the embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the following specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the various embodiments described below and may be implemented in various forms. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided only to fully disclose the embodiments of the present invention and to fully inform the ordinary technicians in the field to which the present invention belongs of the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are limited by the scope of the claims.

[0044] The shapes, sizes, proportions, angles, quantities, etc. shown in the drawings for illustrating the embodiments of the present invention are for illustration only and are not limited to the contents shown in the drawings. Where possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. In the following description, a detailed description of the technology or configuration related to the embodiments of the present invention may be omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the embodiments of the present invention. When terms such as "including", "having" and "comprising" are used throughout the specification, additional components may also be present unless "only" is used. Unless otherwise specifically stated, components described in the singular encompass components in the plural.

[0045] It should be understood that although no additional specific description is given for the components included in the embodiments of the present invention, they also include a range of error.

[0046] When describing various embodiments of the present invention, when describing time relationships, for example, when using terms such as "after", "subsequently", "next", and "before" that represent the time relationship of events, there may be situations where events are not continuous unless "immediately" or "directly" is used.

[0047] On the other hand, although terms including ordinal numbers such as first or second can be used to describe various constituent elements, the constituent elements are not limited to these terms, and these terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one constituent element from other constituent elements. Therefore, the first constituent element described below can be referred to as the second constituent element.

[0048] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used herein to describe various elements of embodiments of the present invention, these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another, and the necessity, order, sequence, quantity, etc. of the corresponding elements are not limited by these terms. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected to", "coupled to" or "accessed" through another element, although an element may be directly connected to or directly accessed through another element, an element may also be "connected to", "coupled to" or "accessed" through another element via yet another element.

[0049] The term "at least one" should be understood to include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. For example, the meaning of "at least one of the first item, the second item, and the third item" means a combination of two or more of the first item, the second item, and the third item, as well as all items proposed from the first item, the second item, or the third item.

[0050] The following embodiments may be partially or entirely connected or combined, and may be technically linked and implemented in various ways. These embodiments may be implemented independently or in a mutually dependent relationship.

[0051] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, for the convenience of description, the size ratios of the constituent elements shown in the accompanying drawings may be different from the actual size ratios. That is, the size ratios of the constituent elements shown in the accompanying drawings should not be interpreted as being the same as those shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Hereinafter, a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle, a power control method, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a power control system 1 of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Reference Figure 1 , a power control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a fuel cell stack 100 , a high voltage battery 200 , an external charger 300 , a power control device 400 , and a motor system 500 .

[0055] According to an embodiment, the fuel cell stack 100 (or the first energy storage device or the first energy supplier) may generate and output first electricity (or first electrical energy) through a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen.

[0056] The first power output from the fuel cell stack 100 may be supplied to the motor system 500 or the high voltage battery 200 through the power control device 400 .

[0057] That is, the first power output from the fuel cell stack 100 may be used to drive the motor 510 or may be used to charge the high voltage battery 200 .

[0058] For example, the fuel cells of the fuel cell stack 100 may be polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) or proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), but are not limited thereto.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the high voltage battery 200 (or the second energy storage device or the second energy supplier) may supply the second power (or the second electric energy).

[0060] The high voltage battery 200 may be charged by the first power supplied from the power control device 400. In addition, the high voltage battery 200 may receive the third power (or third electric energy) output from the external charger 300 through the power control device 400 and may be charged with the third power.

[0061] The second power supplied from the high-voltage battery 200 may be supplied to the fuel cell stack 100 through the power control device 400 , and thus may be used for start-up (or driving) of the fuel cell stack 100 .

[0062] According to an embodiment, the external charger 300 (or the third energy storage device or the third energy supplier) is an energy supply source installed outside the fuel cell vehicle rather than installed in the fuel cell vehicle. For example, the external charger 300 may be a fast charger (or a high-speed charger).

[0063] When the external charger 300 is connected to the power control device 400 , the external charger 300 may be included in the power control system 1 for a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, so that the third power (or third electric energy) can be supplied to the power control device 400 side.

[0064] The third power supplied from the external charger 300 may be supplied to the high voltage battery 200 through the power control device 400. That is, the third power supplied from the external charger 300 may be used to charge the high voltage battery 200.

[0065] According to the embodiment, the power control device 400 may perform processing on power in a fuel cell vehicle.

[0066] The power control device 400 can appropriately convert the power (or electric energy) input from the outside, if necessary. The power control device 400 can distribute the input power, and then can transmit the distributed power to other configurations in the fuel cell vehicle.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the power control device 400 can receive the first power supplied from the fuel cell stack 100, and can supply the received first power to the high-voltage battery 200 to charge the high-voltage battery 200, or, the power control device 400 can supply the received first power to the motor system 500 to drive the motor system 500.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the power control device 400 may receive the second power supplied from the high voltage battery 200 , and may supply the received second power to the fuel cell stack 100 to operate the fuel cell stack 100 .

[0069] According to an embodiment, the power control device 400 may receive the third power supplied from the external charger 300 , and may supply the received third power to the high voltage battery 200 to charge the high voltage battery 200 .

[0070] For example, the power control device 400 may be connected to the fuel cell stack 100 via a first connection terminal CT1 (or a fuel cell connection terminal), and may be connected to the external charger 300 via a second connection terminal CT2 (or a charger connection terminal).

[0071] According to an embodiment, the power control device 400 may include a first relay (Relay_1) R_1, a second relay (Relay_2) R_2, a converter 410, and a controller 420.

[0072] The first relay R_1 may be provided at the first input side of the converter 410, and may be provided between the fuel cell stack 100 and the converter 410. For example, the first relay R_1 may be provided between the converter 410 and the first connection terminal CT1. Therefore, one end of the first relay R_1 may be connected to the converter 410, and the other end of the first relay R_1 may be connected to the fuel cell stack 100 while being connected to the first connection terminal CT1.

[0073] The first relay R_1 may be turned on or off under the control of the controller 420 , and may selectively interconnect the fuel cell stack 100 and the converter 410 in response to a first control signal CS1 of the controller 420 .

[0074] The second relay R_2 may be provided at the second input side of the converter 410, and may be provided between the external charger 300 and the converter 410. For example, the second relay R_2 may be provided between the converter 410 and the second connection terminal CT2. Therefore, one end of the second relay R_2 may be connected to the converter 410, and the other end of the second relay R_2 may be selectively connected to the external charger 300 while being connected to the second connection terminal CT2.

[0075] The second relay R_2 may be turned on or off under the control of the controller 420 , and may selectively interconnect the external charger 300 and the converter 410 in response to a second control signal CS2 of the controller 420 .

[0076] The converter 410 may operate in response to the third control signal CS3 , and thus may convert input power into required power, and then may output the required power.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the converter 410 may be a fuel cell DC-DC converter (FDC) (or a high voltage boost DC-DC converter).

[0078] The converter 410 may convert the first power input to its first input side into the first required power and then may output the first required power in response to the control of the controller 420. The first required power may be supplied to the high voltage battery 200 or the motor system 500 via the third connection terminal CT3.

[0079] In this case, the converter 410 may receive the first power output from the fuel cell stack 100 via the first relay R_1. The first required power may be power for driving the motor 510.

[0080] In response to the control of the controller 420 , the converter 410 may convert the second power supplied from the high voltage battery 200 into the second required power and then may output the second required power. The second required power may be supplied to the fuel cell stack 100 .

[0081] In this case, the second required power may be power required to drive the fuel cell stack 100 .

[0082] In response to the control of the controller 420 , the converter 410 may convert the third power input to the second input side thereof into the third demand power and then may output the third demand power. The third demand power may be supplied to the high voltage battery 200 .

[0083] In this case, the converter 410 may receive the third power output from the external charger 300 via the second relay R_2. The third required power may be power for charging the high voltage battery 200.

[0084] The controller 420 may control the overall operation of the power control device 400 , and may control the first relay R_1 , the second relay R_2 , and the converter 410 , thereby enabling the converter 410 to supply required power to the power consumption device.

[0085] For example, the controller 420 may control the first relay R_1 , the second relay R_2 , and the converter 410 based on vehicle start on / off state information and vehicle mode information input from the outside.

[0086] According to an embodiment, the controller 420 may output a fourth control signal CS4 for controlling the operation of the inverter 520 of the motor system 500 .

[0087] According to an embodiment, the motor system 500 may drive the motor using power supplied from the power control device 400 .

[0088] For example, the motor system 500 may include a motor 510 and an inverter 520 that converts the phase of power supplied from the power control device 400 into power required to drive the motor 510 , thereby driving the motor 510 .

[0089] According to an embodiment, the inverter 520 may convert a voltage input from the power control device 400 into a three-phase AC voltage through semiconductor switching elements based on a fourth control signal CS4 applied from the controller 420 , thereby driving the motor 510 .

[0090] According to the embodiment of the present invention as described above, the high voltage battery 200 can be charged not only by the fuel cell stack 100 but also by the external charger 300 .

[0091] In addition, driving (or starting) the fuel cell stack 100 , charging the high-voltage battery 200 using the fuel cell stack 100 , charging the high-voltage battery 200 using the external charger 300 , and supplying power to the motor system 500 can all be achieved through one power control device 400 .

[0092] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a converter 410 of a power control device 400 for a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a controller 420 of a power control device 400 for a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 3 A power control device 400 for a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0094] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the converter 410 may include a power conversion module 411 , a current sensor unit 412 , a coil unit 413 , a first capacitor C1 , and a second capacitor C2 , but is not limited thereto.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 420 may include a control signal output circuit 421 , a current sensing circuit 422 , and a voltage sensing circuit 423 , but is not limited thereto.

[0096] The power conversion module 411 may include a plurality of switching elements SW1 to SW6 configured to perform switching according to a third control signal CS3 output from the control signal output circuit 421 .

[0097] For example, the third control signal CS3 may include a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) signals PWM1 to PWM6 for controlling the plurality of switching elements SW1 to SW6 , respectively.

[0098] For example, each of the plurality of switching elements SW1 to SW6 included in the power conversion module 411 may be an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a silicon carbide field effect transistor (SiC-FET).

[0099] The power conversion module 411 may convert input power into required power according to the control signal CS3 of the control signal output circuit 421 , and then may output the required power.

[0100] The first capacitor C1 may be connected in parallel to each of the fuel cell stack 100 and the power conversion module 411 between the fuel cell stack 100 and the power conversion module 411. For example, the first capacitor C1 may be connected in parallel to each of the first relay R_1 and the power conversion module 411 between the first relay R_1 and the power conversion module 411.

[0101] One end of the first capacitor C1 may be connected between the first relay R_1 and the power conversion module 411 , and the other end of the first capacitor C1 may be connected to the ground.

[0102] The first capacitor C1 may filter out a ripple component of a DC voltage input to the power conversion module 411 , and thus may prevent the ripple component from being input to the power conversion module 411 .

[0103] In addition, the first capacitor C1 may filter out a ripple component of the DC voltage supplied to the fuel cell stack 100 after being output from the power conversion module 411 , and thus may prevent the ripple component from being input to the fuel cell stack 100 .

[0104] The second capacitor C2 may be connected in parallel to each of the power conversion module 411 and the high-voltage battery 200 between the power conversion module 411 and the high-voltage battery 200 .

[0105] One end of the second capacitor C2 may be connected between the power conversion module 411 and the high voltage battery 200 , and the other end of the second capacitor C2 may be connected to the ground.

[0106] The second capacitor C2 may filter out a ripple component of the DC voltage that is input to the high-voltage battery 200 after being output from the power conversion module 411 , and thus may prevent the ripple component from being input to the high-voltage battery 200 .

[0107] The current sensor unit 412 may be provided at one side of the fuel cell stack 100 of the power conversion module 411 to measure the DC currents Idc1 to Idc3 input to the power conversion module 411. For example, the current sensor unit 412 may be provided between the first relay R_1 and the power conversion module 411.

[0108] The coil unit 413 may be disposed on one side of the fuel cell stack 100 of the power conversion module 411. For example, the coil unit 413 may be disposed in series between the first relay R_1 and the power conversion module 411. For example, the coil unit 413 may form a filter unit together with the first capacitor C1.

[0109] The control signal output circuit 421 may control the first relay R_1 , the second relay R_2 , and the power conversion module 411 of the converter 410 based on vehicle startup on / off state information and vehicle mode information input from the outside.

[0110] According to an embodiment, in the vehicle start-off state IG OFF and the fast charging mode, the control signal output circuit 421 may turn off the first relay R_1 and turn on the second relay R_2 .

[0111] In addition, the control signal output circuit 421 may control the power conversion module 411 to convert the power input through the second relay R_2 into power for high voltage battery charging.

[0112] Therefore, the power of the external charger 300 input through the second relay R_2 may be supplied to the high voltage battery 200 .

[0113] According to an embodiment, in the vehicle start-up on state IG ON and in the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) mode, the control signal output circuit 421 may turn on the first relay R_1 and turn off the second relay R_2 .

[0114] In addition, the control signal output circuit 421 can convert the power of the high-voltage battery 200 into power for starting the fuel cell stack by controlling the power conversion module 411, and then supply the converted power to the fuel cell stack 100 for starting the fuel cell stack 100 (FDC step-down mode).

[0115] Thereafter, the control signal output circuit 421 may convert the power output from the fuel cell stack 100 into power for driving the motor by controlling the power conversion module 411 .

[0116] In addition, the control signal output circuit 421 may convert the electric power for motor driving into electric power for driving the three-phase motor by controlling the inverter 520 of the motor system 500 .

[0117] Therefore, the power of the fuel cell stack 100 input through the first relay R_1 may be supplied to the motor system 500 (FCEV mode), and thus, the high voltage battery 200 connected in parallel between the converter 410 and the motor system 500 may be charged.

[0118] According to the embodiment, in the vehicle start-on state IG ON and in a non-FCEV mode (ie, EV mode), the control signal output circuit 421 does not perform control of the converter 410 .

[0119] For example, the control signal output circuit 421 may turn off both the first relay R_1 and the second relay R_2 , and may not output the control signal CS3 to the power conversion module 411 .

[0120] Figure 4 4 is a diagram illustrating states of the first relay R_1 and the second relay R_2 according to control of the control signal output circuit 421 in the embodiment according to the present invention.

[0121] like Figure 4 As shown, when the vehicle is operated in FCEV mode or high voltage battery charging mode, the first relay R_1 and the second relay R_2 can be maintained in different states respectively. On the other hand, when the vehicle is operated in EV mode that does not require FDC driving, the first relay R_1 and the second relay R_2 can be maintained in the off state.

[0122] Since the second relay R_2 is turned off when the first relay R_1 is turned on, and the second relay R_2 is turned on when the first relay R_1 is turned off, the power from the first relay R-1 and the power from the second relay R_2 are not input to the converter 410 at the same time.

[0123] The current sensing circuit 422 may be connected to the current sensor unit 412 and may thus obtain the DC currents Idc1 to Idc3 measured by the current sensor unit 412 .

[0124] The voltage sensing circuit 423 may measure both ends of the first capacitor C1 and thus may obtain the low-side DC voltage Vdc1 .

[0125] In addition, the voltage sensing circuit 423 may measure both ends of the second capacitor C2 and thus may obtain the high-side DC voltage Vdc2 .

[0126] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a power control method of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0127] Figure 5 The sequence of operations shown can be referred to by Figures 1 to 4 The described power control system 1 for a fuel cell vehicle performs.

[0128] Hereinafter, the power control method of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is described mainly in conjunction with the operation of the power control device 400 of the fuel cell vehicle.

[0129] First, the controller 420 may receive vehicle-related information from the outside (eg, a hybrid control unit) ( S500 ).

[0130] In step S500 , the vehicle related information may include vehicle startup on / off state information and vehicle mode information.

[0131] The controller 420 may determine control of the first relay R_1 , the second relay R_2 , and the converter 410 based on vehicle-related information input from the outside.

[0132] Thereafter, the controller 420 may determine whether the current state is the vehicle start-on state based on the vehicle start-on / off state information ( S510 ).

[0133] When it is determined in step S510 that the current state is not the vehicle start-on state (No in S510 ) or the current state is the vehicle start-off state, the controller 420 may determine whether the current mode is a fast charge mode based on the vehicle mode information ( S520 ).

[0134] When it is determined in step S520 that the current mode is not the fast charging mode (No in S520), the controller 420 may not perform the control operation and then may end the operation.

[0135] When it is determined in step S520 that the current mode is the fast charging mode (Yes in S520), the controller 420 can charge the high voltage battery 200 using power supplied from the external charger 300 connected to the second relay R_2 by controlling the first relay R_1, the second relay R_2 and the power conversion module 411 of the converter 410 (S530).

[0136] In step S530 , the controller 420 may turn off the first relay R_1 connected to the fuel cell stack 100 , and may turn on the second relay R_2 connected to the external charger 300 .

[0137] In addition, the controller 420 may control the power conversion module 411 of the converter 410 so as to convert the power supplied from the external charger 300 into the power for charging the high voltage battery 200 .

[0138] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S510 that the current state is the vehicle start-on state (Yes in S510 ), the controller 420 may determine whether the current mode is the FCEV mode based on the vehicle mode information ( S540 ).

[0139] When it is determined in step S540 that the current mode is the FCEV mode (Yes in S540), the controller 420 may supply power output from the fuel cell stack 100 connected to the first relay R_1 to the motor system 500 by controlling the first relay R_1, the second relay R_2 and the power conversion module 411 of the converter 410 (S550).

[0140] In step S550 , the controller 420 may turn on the first relay R_1 connected to the fuel cell stack 100 and may turn off the second relay R_2 .

[0141] In addition, the controller 420 may control the power conversion module 411 of the converter 410 to convert the power of the high voltage battery 200 into power for starting the fuel cell stack 100, and then supply the converted power to the fuel cell stack 100 (S551). Therefore, the fuel cell stack 100 may perform startup based on the power for starting the fuel cell stack.

[0142] After the fuel cell stack 100 is started, the controller 420 may control the power conversion module 411 of the converter 410 to convert the power output from the fuel cell stack 100 into power for motor driving, and then supply the converted power to the motor system 500 (S552). Therefore, the motor 510 may be driven based on the power for motor driving.

[0143] In this case, the controller 420 may control the inverter 520 of the motor system 500 in addition to the power conversion module 411 of the converter 410. According to the control of the controller 420, the inverter 520 may convert the voltage input from the power conversion module 411 into a three-phase AC voltage to drive the motor 510.

[0144] When it is determined in step S540 that the current mode is not the FCEV mode (No in S540), the controller may not perform control of converter 410, and thus, may not drive converter 410 (S560).

[0145] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle capable of charging a high voltage battery using a fuel cell stack, a power control method thereof, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device can be provided.

[0146] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle capable of charging a high-voltage battery using an external charger (e.g., a fast charger), a power control method thereof, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device can be provided.

[0147] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a power control device for a fuel cell vehicle capable of charging a high voltage battery using a fuel cell stack and an external charger, a power control method thereof, and a power control system for a fuel cell vehicle including the power control device may be provided.

[0148] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an FDC may be provided that is capable of all of driving (or starting) a fuel cell stack, charging a high voltage battery using a fuel cell stack, charging a high voltage battery using an external charger, and supplying power to a motor system.

[0149] Since FDC is provided as a power conversion device having multiple functions (or operations), charging of the high voltage battery using a fuel cell stack and charging of the high voltage battery using an external charger can be achieved without adding a separate power converter in addition to the existing FDC.

[0150] Therefore, compared with the case where separate power conversion devices should be provided for driving the fuel cell stack and charging the high-voltage battery respectively, charging of the high-voltage battery using the fuel cell stack and charging of the high-voltage battery using an external charger can be achieved while reducing costs.

[0151] In addition, through the cooperative control of the power control device and the fuel cell control unit (FCU) for a fuel cell vehicle according to each of the embodiments of the present invention, the durability of the fuel cell stack and the fuel economy of the fuel cell vehicle can be enhanced.

[0152] In the case where infrastructure related to fast chargers is expanded, it is expected that the power control device for a fuel cell vehicle according to each of the embodiments of the present invention can be very useful and effectively used in the field of fuel cell vehicles.

[0153] Effects obtainable in the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and other effects of the embodiments of the present invention that have not been described will be more clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the appended claims.

[0154] Although embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, and various changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all aspects. The scope of the embodiments of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent schemes of the embodiments of the present invention are intended to be included in the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power control device for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising: a first relay connected to the fuel cell stack; a second relay, selectively connected to an external charger; a converter connected to the first relay and the second relay, wherein the converter is configured to convert first power input via the first relay into first demand power, convert second power input via the second relay into second demand power, and supply the first demand power and the second demand power to a power consumption device; as well as A controller is configured to control the first relay, the second relay, and the converter.

2. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The second relay is configured to be turned off when the first relay is turned on, and the second relay is configured to be turned on when the first relay is turned off, so that the first power and the second power are not input to the converter at the same time.

3. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to turn on the first relay, turn off the second relay, and control the converter to convert the first power into the first demand power.

4. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to turn off the first relay, turn on the second relay, and control the converter to convert the second power into the second demand power.

5. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The power consumption device includes a high-voltage battery and a motor system, and the converter is configured to supply the first demand power to the high-voltage battery and the motor system.

6. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The power consumption device includes a high voltage battery, and the converter is configured to supply the second required power to the high voltage battery.

7. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to turn off the first relay and turn on the second relay according to judging that a current state is a vehicle start-off state and a current mode is a fast charging mode based on vehicle-related information input to the controller from outside the controller.

8. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to turn on the first relay and turn off the second relay based on a determination that a current state is a vehicle start-up state and a current mode is a fuel cell electric vehicle mode (FCEV mode) based on vehicle-related information input to the controller from outside the controller.

9. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to control the converter not to be driven based on a determination that a current state is a vehicle start-up state and a current mode is not a fuel cell electric vehicle mode (FCEV mode) based on vehicle-related information input to the controller from outside the controller.

10. A power control method for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising: converting first power input to the converter via a first relay connected to the fuel cell stack into first demand power; converting second power input to the converter via a second relay selectively connected to an external charger into second demand power; and The first demanded electric power or the second demanded electric power is supplied to a power consuming device.

11. The power control method according to claim 10, wherein: The second relay is turned off when the first relay is turned on, and the second relay is turned on when the first relay is turned off, so that the first power and the second power are not input to the converter at the same time.

12. The power control method according to claim 10, wherein: Converting the first power into the first demand power includes turning on the first relay, turning off the second relay, and controlling the converter to convert the first power into the first demand power.

13. The power control method according to claim 10, wherein: Converting the second power into the second demand power includes turning off the first relay, turning on the second relay, and controlling the converter to convert the second power into the second demand power.

14. The power control device according to claim 10, wherein: The power consumption device includes a high-voltage battery and a motor system, and supplying the first demand power or the second demand power to the power consumption device includes supplying the first demand power to the high-voltage battery and the motor system.

15. The power control method according to claim 10, wherein: The power consumption device includes a high voltage battery, and supplying the first demand power or the second demand power to the power consumption device includes supplying the second demand power to the high voltage battery.

16. The power control method according to claim 10, further comprising: Control of the first relay, the second relay, and the converter is determined based on vehicle-related information input to the controller from outside the controller.

17. The power control method according to claim 16, wherein: Determining the control includes: when it is determined that the current state is a vehicle start-up state and the current mode is a fuel cell electric vehicle mode (FCEV mode), turning on the first relay and turning off the second relay.

18. The power control method according to claim 16, wherein: Determining the control includes: when it is determined that the current state is a vehicle start-off state and the current mode is a fast charging mode, turning off the first relay and turning on the second relay.

19. The power control method according to claim 16, wherein: Determining the control includes: when it is determined that the current state is a vehicle start-up state and the current mode is not a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) mode, controlling the converter not to be driven.

20. A power control system for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising: Power control device, comprising: First relay; Second relay; a converter connected to a first end of each of the first relay and the second relay, wherein the converter is configured to convert a first power input via the first relay into a first demand power, convert a second power input via the second relay into a second demand power, and supply the first demand power and the second demand power to a power consumption device, the power consumption device including a high-voltage battery; and a controller configured to control the first relay, the second relay, and the converter; a fuel cell stack connected to the second end of the first relay; and An external charger is selectively connected to the second end of the second relay.

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