Hydrogen fuel cell control method and device

Abstract

The invention provides a hydrogen fuel cell control method and device, relates to the technical field of hydrogen fuel cells, and solves the technical problem of high safety risk caused by high-voltage supply purging operation. According to the scheme, the hydrogen fuel cell system at least structurally comprises an air compressor and an air storage tank which are sequentially arranged in the air supply direction of an air supply channel, and an air supply outlet of the air storage tank is communicated with a galvanic pile and used for supplying air to the galvanic pile; the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank, so that oxygen supply is not influenced when the hydrogen fuel cell works to realize hydrogen-oxygen reaction; after shutdown, high-voltage power supply can be controlled to be cut off and low-voltage power supply can be kept, so that air in the air storage tank can be controlled to be conveyed to the electric pile by utilizing the low-voltage power supply, and the blowing device is applied to realizing blowing operation on the electric pile.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that generates electric current through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. It is a clean energy technology that produces water as the only byproduct without any pollutants.

[0003] At present, in hydrogen fuel cell stacks, multi-channel distribution is mainly used to evenly and efficiently distribute hydrogen and oxygen to each single cell, so that the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is more complete, and the performance and stability of the entire stack are improved. However, the structural design of multi-channel distribution still has some disadvantages, such as making it difficult to discharge the byproduct (i.e. "water") of hydrogen fuel cells, which will cause blockage of the channel and affect the performance of the fuel cell.

[0004] At present, in order to deal with the "water" discharge problem of hydrogen fuel cells, the main measures adopted are: using an air compressor to supply air to perform a purge operation during shutdown, so as to blow out excess water in the fuel cell stack in time. However, in the process of realizing the invention, the inventors found that the above purge process must be supplied with high voltage electricity, which will increase safety risks. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a hydrogen fuel cell control method and device, the main purpose of which is to solve the technical problem of high safety risks caused by using an air compressor to supply air to achieve a purge operation.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the first aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hydrogen fuel cell control method, which is applied to a hydrogen fuel cell system architecture. The hydrogen fuel cell system architecture at least includes: an air compressor and an air storage tank are sequentially arranged in the air supply direction of an air supply passage, and the air supply outlet of the air storage tank is connected to the fuel cell stack for supplying air to the fuel cell stack. The method includes:

[0007] Before shutting down, on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank;

[0008] After shutdown, the control disconnects the high voltage power supply and keeps the low voltage power supply;

[0009] Under low-voltage power supply, the air in the air storage tank is controlled to be delivered to the fuel cell stack, which is used to realize the purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0010] In some embodiments, under low voltage power supply, controlling the air in the air storage tank to be delivered to the fuel cell stack, which is applied to implement a purge operation on the fuel cell stack, includes:

[0011] Under low-voltage power supply, a controller corresponding to the purge operation is connected, the controller is used to control a first flow control valve on the air supply passage, and the first flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the air supply passage between the air storage tank and the fuel cell stack;

[0012] The controller is used to control the first flow control valve to open so as to transport the air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement the purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0013] In some embodiments, during the process of implementing the purge operation on the stack under low voltage power supply, it is characterized in that: the controller is also used to control a second flow control valve on the hydrogen supply passage, and the second flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the hydrogen supply passage between the hydrogen storage tank and the stack;

[0014] The controller is used to control the second flow control valve to open so as to transport the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement the purge operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0015] In some embodiments, before using the controller to control the opening of the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve, the method further includes:

[0016] Obtaining a temperature value corresponding to the coolant of the monitored hydrogen fuel cell from a preset temperature sensor;

[0017] Determining whether the temperature value is less than or equal to a first preset threshold;

[0018] If so, it is determined that a purge operation is to be performed;

[0019] determining a target purge mode corresponding to the purge operation based on whether the temperature value falls within a numerical interval consisting of a first preset threshold and a second preset threshold, the second preset threshold being less than the first preset threshold;

[0020] According to the target purge mode, the controller is controlled to open the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve to assist in performing the purge operation in the target purge mode.

[0021] In some embodiments, after performing a purge operation according to a preset duration, the method further includes:

[0022] Calculate the current water content present on the stack;

[0023] Determining whether the current water content is less than a third preset threshold;

[0024] If not, the purge operation and the current water content determination operation are iteratively performed until the current water content is not higher than the third preset threshold.

[0025] In some embodiments, after shutting down and before controlling to disconnect the high voltage power supply and retain the low voltage power supply, the method further includes:

[0026] Blocking the air supply passage for delivering air to the fuel cell stack and the hydrogen supply passage for inputting hydrogen;

[0027] Get the air volume value corresponding to the current air stored in the air storage tank;

[0028] Determine whether the air volume value reaches a fourth preset threshold value, where the fourth preset threshold value is an evaluation value of the air demand corresponding to the historical purge stack;

[0029] If not, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank until a fourth preset threshold is reached.

[0030] A second aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hydrogen fuel cell control device, which is applied to the hydrogen fuel cell control method provided in the first aspect above, and the device includes:

[0031] A first control unit is used to control the air compressor to supply air to the air storage tank on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell before shutdown;

[0032] A second control unit is used for controlling the disconnection of the high voltage power supply and the retention of the low voltage power supply after the shutdown;

[0033] The third control unit is used to control the delivery of air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack under low voltage power supply, so as to realize the purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0034] In some embodiments, the third control unit includes:

[0035] A connection module, used to connect a controller corresponding to the purge operation under low voltage power supply, the controller is used to control a first flow control valve on the air supply passage, the first flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the air supply passage between the air storage tank and the fuel cell stack;

[0036] The control module is used to control the opening of the first flow control valve by using a controller to transport the air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement a purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0037] In some embodiments, during the process of implementing the purge operation on the stack under low voltage power supply, it is characterized in that: the controller is also used to control a second flow control valve on the hydrogen supply passage, and the second flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the hydrogen supply passage between the hydrogen storage tank and the stack;

[0038] The control module is also used to control the opening of the second flow control valve using the controller to transport the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement the purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0039] In some embodiments, before the controller is used to control the opening of the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve, the third control unit further includes:

[0040] An acquisition module is used to acquire a temperature value corresponding to the coolant of the monitored hydrogen fuel cell from a preset temperature sensor;

[0041] A judgment module, used to judge whether the temperature value is less than or equal to a first preset threshold;

[0042] A first determination module, configured to determine whether to perform a purge operation when the temperature value is less than or equal to a first preset threshold value;

[0043] A second determination module, configured to determine a target purge mode corresponding to the purge operation based on whether the temperature value falls within a numerical interval consisting of a first preset threshold and a second preset threshold, wherein the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold;

[0044] The control module is further used to control the controller to open the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve according to the target purge mode, so as to assist in performing the purge operation under the target purge mode.

[0045] In some embodiments, after performing a purge operation according to a preset time, the device further includes a first verification unit, which is specifically used to:

[0046] Calculate the current water content present on the stack;

[0047] Determining whether the current water content is less than a third preset threshold;

[0048] When the current water content is not less than the third preset threshold, the purging operation and the current water content determination operation are iteratively performed until the current water content is not higher than the third preset threshold.

[0049] In some embodiments, after shutdown and before controlling to disconnect the high voltage power supply and retain the low voltage power supply, the device further includes a second verification unit, specifically configured to:

[0050] Blocking the air supply passage for delivering air to the fuel cell stack and the hydrogen supply passage for inputting hydrogen;

[0051] Get the air volume value corresponding to the current air stored in the air storage tank;

[0052] Determine whether the air volume value reaches a fourth preset threshold value, where the fourth preset threshold value is an evaluation value of the air demand corresponding to the historical purge stack;

[0053] If not, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank until a fourth preset threshold is reached.

[0054] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the above hydrogen fuel cell control method is implemented.

[0055] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the computer program implements the above hydrogen fuel cell control method when executed by the processor.

[0056] Through the above technical scheme, the hydrogen fuel cell control method and device provided by the present disclosure, in terms of system structure, the present disclosure sequentially arranges an air compressor and an air storage tank in the air supply direction on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell, and the air supply outlet of the air storage tank is connected to the fuel cell stack for supplying air to the fuel cell stack. Therefore, the control method based on such a system structure is: before shutdown, on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank, so as not to affect the supply of oxygen to realize the hydrogen-oxygen reaction when the hydrogen fuel cell is working; after shutdown, the high-voltage power supply can be controlled to be disconnected and the low-voltage power supply can be retained, so that the low-voltage power supply can be used to control the air in the air storage tank to be transported to the fuel cell stack, thereby being applied to realize the purge operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0057] Compared with the prior art which uses an air compressor to supply air to realize the purging operation on the fuel cell stack, the present invention utilizes the air in the air storage tank instead of the immediate air supply by the air compressor, so that there is no need to use an air compressor during shutdown purging, so there is no need to use high-voltage power supply, but only to retain low-voltage power supply, thereby solving the technical problem of the safety risk brought by retaining high-voltage power supply after shutdown, and because the air storage tank is used to store air and low-voltage power supply is used to realize shutdown purging, it not only ensures operational safety, but also reduces the overall energy consumption of the system.

[0058] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present disclosure. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present disclosure, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present disclosure are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0060] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a hydrogen fuel cell system structure is provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0061] Figure 2 A flow chart of a hydrogen fuel cell control method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure

[0062] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another hydrogen fuel cell system structure is provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0063] Figure 4 A flow chart of another hydrogen fuel cell control method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0064] Figure 5 A block diagram of a hydrogen fuel cell control device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0065] Figure 6 A block diagram of another hydrogen fuel cell control device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The following is a further detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The detailed description of the following embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to exemplarily illustrate the principles of the present disclosure, but cannot be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

[0067] The present disclosure provides these embodiments to make the present disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully express the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, the composition of the materials, the numerical expressions and the numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, and not as limiting.

[0068] It should be noted that, in the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "multiple" is greater than or equal to two; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0069] In addition, the words "first", "second" and similar words used in the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different parts. "Vertical" does not mean vertical in the strict sense, but is within the tolerance range. "Parallel" does not mean parallel in the strict sense, but is within the tolerance range. "Include" or "comprising" and similar words mean that the elements before the word include the elements listed after the word, and do not exclude the possibility of including other elements.

[0070] It should also be noted that in the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances. When a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, there may or may not be an intermediate device between the specific device and the first device or the second device.

[0071] All terms used in the present disclosure have the same meanings as those understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries, for example, should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or extremely formal sense, unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0072] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0073] The electrochemical reaction principle of hydrogen fuel cells is mainly based on the reverse reaction of water electrolysis, which is the process of directly converting the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy. The only by-product produced is water without any pollutant emissions. Based on this feature, hydrogen fuel cells are regarded as a clean energy technology and are widely used.

[0074] The inventor has discovered through research that in order to improve the performance of hydrogen fuel cells, multi-channel distribution is often used in hydrogen fuel cell stacks to evenly and efficiently distribute hydrogen and oxygen to each single cell. Although this makes the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen more complete, it adds a new problem, namely how to drain water. Because in the structural design of multi-channel distribution, the space of each channel is very narrow. Once water is deposited, it will cause blockage of the channel, which will eventually have a negative impact on battery performance.

[0075] At present, the measures often adopted for drainage are: using an air compressor to supply air to perform purging operations during shutdown to blow out excess water in the battery stack in time. However, the inventors found that such a purging process must be supplied with high voltage electricity, and maintaining high voltage electricity supply for a long time will increase safety risks.

[0076] Based on the above considerations, the inventors found that drainage of hydrogen fuel cells is crucial, but if high-voltage power supply is not used, but low-voltage power supply is used instead, timely purge operation can still be achieved, which will ensure both safety and hydrogen fuel cell performance.

[0077] To this end, the present disclosure provides a hydrogen fuel cell system structure, as shown in the schematic diagram Figure 1 As shown, it includes: an air filter 10, an air storage tank 11, an air compressor 12, a fuel cell stack 13 and a hydrogen storage tank 14; the air storage tank 11 is arranged on the air supply passage of the hydrogen fuel cell; in the air supply direction of the air supply passage, the air compressor 12 and the air storage tank 11 are arranged in sequence, and the air supply outlet of the air storage tank 11 is connected to the fuel cell stack, so that the air storage tank 11 is used to store the air supplied by the air compressor 12, and the air stored in the air storage tank 11 is used to purge water in the fuel cell stack 13, and the water is the reaction product of hydrogen and oxygen under the action of a catalyst on the fuel cell stack 13.

[0078] In the hydrogen fuel cell system structure, the air filter 10 (i.e., air cleaner) is mainly used to filter out fine particles in the air entering the fuel cell system, such as dust, sand, etc. If these particles enter the fuel cell stack, they may block the flow channel and affect the normal operation of the fuel cell.

[0079] A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen and oxygen. In this process, the air compressor 12 is responsible for compressing the air and sending it into the fuel cell stack 13 to provide the necessary oxygen for the electrochemical reaction. When the hydrogen fuel cell is working normally, the air compressor 12 is needed, so a high-voltage power supply is required, that is, before shutting down, a high-voltage power supply is required.

[0080] In the disclosed embodiment, an air storage tank 11 is disposed on the air supply passage of the hydrogen fuel cell, and on both sides of the air storage tank 11, one side is connected to an air compressor 12, and the other side is connected to a fuel cell stack 13, so that during the normal working time period of the hydrogen fuel cell, the air compressor 12 is used to first supply air into the air compressor 12, and then based on such a passage, the air is supplied to the fuel cell stack 13.

[0081] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present disclosure provides for performing a purge operation after shutdown. Therefore, after the hydrogen fuel cell stops working, it can still be ensured that there is sufficient air in the air storage tank 11. When the purge operation is required, the air compressor 12 is no longer required to supply air. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure disconnects the high-voltage power supply and instead retains the low-voltage power supply. It is only necessary to ensure that the air in the air storage tank 11 is controlled to be supplied to the fuel cell stack 13, so as to be used to purge the water on the fuel cell stack, which is the reaction product of hydrogen and oxygen on the fuel cell stack under the action of a catalyst.

[0082] For a more detailed explanation, Figure 1 The purge operation is implemented based on the hydrogen fuel cell system structure shown in FIG. 1 , and the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hydrogen fuel cell control method, such as Figure 2 As shown, the present disclosure provides the following steps:

[0083] 201. Before shutdown, on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell, control the air compressor to supply air to the air storage tank.

[0084] A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that uses the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity. In this process, the air compressor is responsible for compressing the air and sending it into the fuel cell stack to provide the necessary oxygen for the electrochemical reaction. When a hydrogen fuel cell is working normally, it needs to use an air compressor, so a high-voltage power supply is required, that is, before shutting down, a high-voltage power supply is required.

[0085] In the disclosed embodiment, during the normal working time of the hydrogen fuel cell, the air compressor is used to supply air to the air compressor first, and then the air is supplied to the fuel cell stack based on such a passage. In this way, while not affecting the normal working of the hydrogen fuel cell, it is ensured that the air storage tank stores a sufficient amount of air in advance, which is applied to the purge operation on the fuel cell stack after shutdown.

[0086] 202. After shutdown, control disconnection of high voltage power supply and retention of low voltage power supply.

[0087] 203. Under low voltage power supply, control the delivery of air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement the purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0088] As shown in 202-203, after shutdown, the embodiment of the present disclosure is to disconnect the high-voltage power supply and retain the low-voltage power supply. By utilizing the low-voltage power supply, it is only necessary to ensure that the gas outflow from the air storage tank can be controlled and transported to the fuel cell stack to participate in the purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0089] In some embodiments, as shown Figure 3In order to utilize low-voltage electricity supply to control the air storage tank 11 to supply air to the fuel cell stack 13, the embodiment of the present disclosure sets a first flow control valve 15 on the connection path between the air storage tank 11 and the fuel cell stack 13, so that as long as the opening / closing of the first flow control valve 15 is controlled by low-voltage electricity supply, the amount of air supplied to the fuel cell stack 13 can be controlled based on the air stored in the air storage tank 11.

[0090] The above is to rely on low-voltage electricity supply in the air supply path to supply air to the stack 13, but considering the working principle of the hydrogen fuel cell, it mainly includes: hydrogen is transported to the anode (negative electrode) area through the hydrogen cavity of the fuel cell, and oxygen is transported to the cathode (positive electrode) area through the oxygen cavity of the fuel cell; in the anode (negative electrode) area, hydrogen molecules are decomposed into hydrogen ions (protons) and electrons under the action of the catalyst, and the hydrogen ions migrate to the cathode (positive electrode) area through the proton exchange membrane, while the electrons flow through the external circuit to form a current to provide electrical energy for external devices; in the cathode (positive electrode) area, oxygen molecules react with hydrogen ions migrated through the proton exchange membrane and electrons transmitted through the external circuit. In this reaction process, oxygen is reduced by electrons and combines with hydrogen ions to generate water molecules. The byproducts (i.e., water) generated when the hydrogen fuel cell is working are mainly present in the cathode (positive electrode) area, but because of the concentration difference, water will also penetrate into the anode (negative electrode) area through the proton exchange membrane, so there will be water in both areas, so both need to be purged in time.

[0091] Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure sets a second flow control valve 16 on the hydrogen supply passage of the hydrogen fuel cell, so that as long as a low-voltage electricity supply is used to control the opening / closing of the second flow control valve 16, it is possible to control the amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell stack 13 based on the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage tank 14.

[0092] The above disclosed embodiments achieve the following: after shutdown, only low-voltage electricity supply is retained, so that the first flow control valve 15 can be controlled to supply air to the battery stack 13 to purge excess water on the cathode (positive electrode) area, and the second flow control valve 16 can be controlled to supply hydrogen to the battery stack 13 to purge excess water on the anode (negative electrode) area.

[0093] In some embodiments, the hydrogen fuel cell system structure provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure also includes: a preset temperature sensor 17 for monitoring the coolant temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell; a controller 18 for determining whether to control the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve to be opened / closed after shutdown, based on the coolant temperature fed back by the preset temperature sensor 17, so that air and hydrogen enter the fuel cell stack to perform a purge operation.

[0094] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure realizes that the first flow control valve 14 and the second flow control valve 15 can be controlled under a low-voltage power supply, the opening time should be controlled to ensure timely purging and drainage. The embodiment of the present disclosure adopts a preset temperature sensor 17 to monitor the coolant temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell, and also provides a controller 18 for connecting and controlling the first flow control valve 14 and the second flow control valve 15.

[0095] A large amount of heat is generated during the operation of hydrogen fuel cells. The coolant circulates to quickly take away the heat generated by the battery stack and battery cells, keeping the battery temperature stable. Therefore, after shutdown, if the temperature of the coolant is relatively high, it indicates that the internal temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell is also relatively high. If the temperature is high enough to vaporize water into a gas state, there will be no problem of water deposition. However, if the temperature of the coolant is relatively low, it indicates the risk of water deposition. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure uses a preset temperature sensor 17 to monitor the coolant temperature, and determines the timing of triggering the purge operation based on the temperature change of the coolant temperature, that is, triggering the control controller 18 to open the first flow control valve 14 and the second flow control valve 15 to facilitate the subsequent purge operation.

[0096] For a more detailed explanation, Figure 3 The purge operation is implemented on the hydrogen fuel cell system structure shown in FIG. 1 . The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides another hydrogen fuel cell control method, such as Figure 4 As shown, the present disclosure provides the following steps:

[0097] 301. Before shutdown, on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell, control the air compressor to supply air to the air storage tank.

[0098] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, this step is explained as 201 and will not be repeated here.

[0099] 302. After shutdown, control disconnection of high voltage power supply and retention of low voltage power supply.

[0100] After shutdown, before controlling the disconnection of high-voltage power supply, the disclosed embodiment adds a verification step of whether the air volume of the air storage tank is sufficient, which is conducive to the subsequent use of sufficient air to perform the purge operation on the battery stack. The specific implementation steps include the following:

[0101] (1) Block the air supply passage for delivering air to the fuel cell stack and the hydrogen supply passage for inputting hydrogen;

[0102] (2) Obtaining the air volume value corresponding to the current air stored in the air storage tank;

[0103] (3) determining whether the air volume value reaches a fourth preset threshold;

[0104] The fourth preset threshold is an evaluation value of the air required for purge of the stack based on history, and the evaluation value may be, but is not limited to, a value of the maximum amount of air required for purge of the stack calculated using historical data. For example, the volume of the air storage tank may be calculated using, but is not limited to, the following formula.

[0105] v = nRT / p;

[0106] Where p: represents pressure, the unit is Pascal (Pa); V: represents gas volume, the unit is cubic meter (m 3 ); n: represents the amount of gas in moles (mol); T: represents the thermodynamic temperature in Kelvin (K); R: represents the gas constant. For any ideal gas, the value of R is approximately 8.314 J / (mol·K). It can be seen that the volume of the air storage tank is fixed, and the temperature and pressure will affect its storage capacity, which can be referred to as the air volume value.

[0107] (4) If the air volume value does not reach the fourth preset threshold, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank until the fourth preset threshold is reached.

[0108] Since the high voltage power supply has not been disconnected at this time, if the air volume pre-stored in the air storage tank is insufficient as measured by the fourth preset threshold, the air compressor can continue to supply air to the air storage tank for a short period of time. And, until it is determined that the air volume value reaches the fourth preset threshold, the verification steps (1) to (4) above can be completed, and the high voltage power supply is controlled to be disconnected while the low voltage power supply is retained.

[0109] 303. Under low voltage power supply, connect the controller corresponding to the purge operation.

[0110] The embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to retain a low-voltage power supply and to provide a connection controller, which is used to control a first flow control valve on an air supply passage, and the first flow control valve is used to control the connection or blockage of the air supply passage between the air storage tank and the fuel cell stack; the controller is also used to control a second flow control valve on a hydrogen supply passage, and the second flow control valve is used to control the connection or blockage of the hydrogen supply passage between the hydrogen storage tank and the fuel cell stack.

[0111] It should be noted that, however, considering the working principle of hydrogen fuel cells, such as mainly including: hydrogen is transported to the anode (negative electrode) area through the hydrogen chamber of the fuel cell, and oxygen is transported to the cathode (positive electrode) area through the oxygen chamber of the fuel cell; in the anode (negative electrode) area, hydrogen molecules are decomposed into hydrogen ions (protons) and electrons under the action of catalysts, and hydrogen ions migrate to the cathode (positive electrode) area through the proton exchange membrane, while electrons flow through the external circuit to form a current to provide power for external devices; in the cathode (positive electrode) area, oxygen molecules react with hydrogen ions migrated through the proton exchange membrane and electrons transmitted through the external circuit. In this reaction process, oxygen is reduced by electrons and combines with hydrogen ions to form water molecules. Therefore, the byproduct (i.e., water) generated when the hydrogen fuel cell is working mainly exists in the cathode (positive electrode) area, but because of the concentration difference, water will also penetrate into the anode (negative electrode) area through the proton exchange membrane, so there will be water in both areas, so both areas need to be purged in time.

[0112] Therefore, after shutdown, the embodiment of the present disclosure only retains the low-voltage power supply, so as to control the first flow control valve to supply air to the fuel cell stack to purge excess water on the cathode (positive electrode) area, and control the second flow control valve to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell stack to purge excess water on the anode (negative electrode) area.

[0113] Next, in some embodiments, in addition to realizing the gas required for the purge operation, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide trigger timing and purge mode corresponding to the purge operation, as specifically explained in 304-308b.

[0114] 304. Obtain a temperature value corresponding to the coolant of the monitored hydrogen fuel cell from a preset temperature sensor.

[0115] A large amount of heat is generated during the operation of a hydrogen fuel cell. The coolant circulates to quickly remove the heat generated by the battery stack and the battery cells, keeping the battery temperature stable. Therefore, after shutdown, if the temperature of the coolant is relatively high, it indicates that the internal temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell is also relatively high. If the temperature is high enough to vaporize water into a gas state, there will be no problem of water deposition. However, if the temperature of the coolant is relatively low, it indicates the risk of water deposition. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure uses the temperature of the coolant as the trigger timing for determining the purge operation.

[0116] 305. Determine whether the temperature value is less than or equal to a first preset threshold.

[0117] 306a. If the temperature of the coolant is greater than a first preset threshold, it is determined that the purge operation is not performed.

[0118] 306b. If the temperature value of the coolant is not greater than the first preset threshold, determine to perform a purge operation.

[0119] As shown in 305, 306a, 306b, the first preset threshold is used to measure the temperature of water condensed due to temperature reduction in the hydrogen fuel cell. The disclosed embodiment adds a step of determining the temperature of the coolant to verify whether there is a risk of water deposition, so a purge operation needs to be performed as shown in 306b.

[0120] 307b. Determine a target purge mode corresponding to the purge operation based on whether the temperature value falls within a numerical interval consisting of a first preset threshold and a second preset threshold, wherein the second preset threshold is smaller than the first preset threshold.

[0121] 308b. According to the target purge mode, the controller is controlled to open the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve to assist in performing the purge operation in the target purge mode.

[0122] As shown in 307b-308b, after determining that a purge operation needs to be performed, the embodiment of the present disclosure adds a judgment step to verify the required purge mode.

[0123] For example, there are generally two purge modes, such as normal temperature purge and cold purge.

[0124] Normal temperature purge: Usually carried out under relatively high ambient temperature conditions, when the water inside the fuel cell is not easy to freeze. The main purpose of purge is to remove residual water and gas to maintain the cleanliness and performance of the fuel cell.

[0125] Cold purge: It is performed when the ambient temperature is low, especially when it is close to or below freezing. At this time, the water inside the fuel cell is easy to freeze. The purpose of cold purge is not only to remove the residual water and gas, but more importantly to prevent the water from freezing and causing damage to the fuel cell. This purge mode is especially suitable for application scenarios with low temperatures in winter.

[0126] The disclosed embodiment uses a first preset threshold and a second preset threshold to measure which purge mode to adopt, wherein the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold, and thus can be set, but not limited to: when it is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, a cold purge mode is adopted, and when it is greater than the second preset threshold but less than or equal to the first preset threshold (i.e., falls within the numerical interval formed by the first preset threshold and the second preset threshold), a normal temperature purge mode is adopted.

[0127] In the above, based on the timing of the purge trigger, it is possible to avoid the situation where the purge is performed once the system is shut down, and to truly implement the purge according to the demand, thereby avoiding frequent purge operations that consume the overall performance. In addition, different purge modes can be applied to different scenarios, thereby improving the drainage effect on the hydrogen fuel cell and ensuring the working performance of the hydrogen fuel cell.

[0128] Exemplarily, after determining the triggering timing and mode of the purge operation, the controller is used to control the opening of the first flow control valve to transport the air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack, and the controller is simultaneously used to control the opening of the second flow control valve to transport the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell stack, and the determined target purge mode is used to implement the purge operation on the fuel cell stack to achieve timely drainage.

[0129] In some embodiments, in order to save energy consumption, the duration of a purge operation can be preset, and a better drainage effect can be achieved based on multiple iterative purge operations. The specific implementation steps include the following: (1)-(3);

[0130] (1) Calculate the current water content in the battery stack.

[0131] The embodiment of the present disclosure indirectly calculates the current water content by monitoring the internal resistance of the fuel cell stack.

[0132] (2) Determine whether the current water content is less than a third preset threshold.

[0133] (3) If the current water content is less than the third preset threshold, the purge operation is stopped; however, if the current water content is not less than the third preset threshold, the purge operation and the current water content determination operation are continued to be iteratively performed until the current water content is no higher than the third preset threshold.

[0134] The disclosed embodiment adopts a third preset threshold value as a pre-calibrated value to measure whether there is a risk of water deposition on the fuel cell stack causing blockage. If there is no such risk, multiple iterations of the purge operation are required. The specific purge operation mode is determined based on the coolant temperature as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0135] As the above Figure 2 and Figure 4 The present disclosure provides a hydrogen fuel cell control device for realizing the method shown. The device embodiment corresponds to the aforementioned method embodiment. For ease of reading, the present device embodiment will not repeat the details of the aforementioned method embodiment one by one, but it should be clear that the device in the present disclosure embodiment can realize all the contents of the aforementioned method embodiment. The device is used to realize the purge operation on the fuel cell stack with low voltage power supply, specifically as follows Figure 5 As shown, the device comprises:

[0136] The first control unit 41 is used to control the air compressor to supply air to the air storage tank on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell before shutdown;

[0137] A second control unit 42 is used for controlling the disconnection of the high voltage power supply and the retention of the low voltage power supply after the shutdown;

[0138] The third control unit 43 is used to control the delivery of air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack under low voltage power supply, so as to implement a purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0139] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, the third control unit 43 includes:

[0140] The connection module 431 is used to connect the controller corresponding to the purge operation under low voltage power supply, and the controller is used to control the first flow control valve on the air supply passage, and the first flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the air supply passage between the air storage tank and the fuel cell stack;

[0141] The control module 432 is used to control the first flow control valve to open by using a controller so as to transport the air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack, so as to implement a purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0142] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, in the process of implementing the purge operation on the stack under low voltage power supply, it is characterized in that: the controller is also used to control the second flow control valve on the hydrogen supply passage, and the second flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the hydrogen supply passage between the hydrogen storage tank and the stack;

[0143] The control module 432 is also used to control the second flow control valve to open using the controller, so as to transport the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement the purge operation on the fuel cell stack.

[0144] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, before the controller is used to control the opening of the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve, the third control unit 43 further includes:

[0145] The acquisition module 433 is used to acquire the temperature value corresponding to the coolant of the monitored hydrogen fuel cell from the preset temperature sensor;

[0146] A determination module 434 is used to determine whether the temperature value is less than or equal to a first preset threshold;

[0147] A first determination module 435 is used to determine whether to perform a purge operation when the temperature value is less than or equal to a first preset threshold value;

[0148] A second determination module 436, configured to determine a target purge mode corresponding to the purge operation based on whether the temperature value falls within a numerical interval consisting of a first preset threshold and a second preset threshold, wherein the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold;

[0149] The control module 432 is further configured to control the controller to open the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve according to the target purge mode, so as to assist in performing the purge operation in the target purge mode.

[0150] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, after a purge operation is performed according to the preset time, the device further includes a first verification unit 44, which is specifically used to:

[0151] Calculate the current water content present on the stack;

[0152] Determining whether the current water content is less than a third preset threshold;

[0153] When the current water content is not less than the third preset threshold, the purging operation and the current water content determination operation are iteratively performed until the current water content is not higher than the third preset threshold.

[0154] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, after the shutdown and before the control disconnects the high voltage power supply and retains the low voltage power supply, the device further includes a second verification unit 45, which is specifically used to:

[0155] Blocking the air supply passage for delivering air to the fuel cell stack and the hydrogen supply passage for inputting hydrogen;

[0156] Get the air volume value corresponding to the current air stored in the air storage tank;

[0157] Determine whether the air volume value reaches a fourth preset threshold value, where the fourth preset threshold value is an evaluation value of the air demand corresponding to the historical purge stack;

[0158] If not, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank until a fourth preset threshold is reached.

[0159] In summary, the hydrogen fuel cell control device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a processor and a memory. The above-mentioned first control unit, second control unit and third control unit, etc. are all stored in the memory as program units, and the processor executes the above-mentioned program units stored in the memory to realize corresponding functions.

[0160] The processor includes a kernel, which retrieves the corresponding program unit from the memory. One or more kernels can be set, and the technical problem of high safety risk caused by using air compressor to supply air to achieve purge operation can be solved by adjusting kernel parameters.

[0161] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the above hydrogen fuel cell control method is implemented.

[0162] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the above hydrogen fuel cell control method is implemented.

[0163] The present disclosure is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0164] In a typical configuration, the device includes one or more processors (CPU), memory and bus. The device may also include input / output interface, network interface and the like.

[0165] The memory may include non-permanent memory in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM, and the memory includes at least one memory chip. The memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0166] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer readable media does not include temporary computer readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0167] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity 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, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0168] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, systems or computer program products. Therefore, the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0169] The above are only embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, the present disclosure may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent substitution, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included in the scope of the claims of the present disclosure.

[0170] All terms used in the present disclosure have the same meanings as those understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries, for example, should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or extremely formal sense, unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0171] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0172] So far, various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail. In order to avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure, some details known in the art are not described. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solution disclosed here.

[0173] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of examples, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be modified or some technical features may be replaced by equivalents without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In particular, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict.

Claims

1. A hydrogen fuel cell control method, characterized in that: Applied to a hydrogen fuel cell system architecture, the hydrogen fuel cell system architecture at least includes: an air compressor and an air storage tank are sequentially arranged in the air supply direction of the air supply passage, the air supply outlet of the air storage tank is connected to the fuel cell stack, and is used to supply air to the fuel cell stack, and the method includes: Before shutting down, on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank; After shutdown, the control disconnects the high voltage power supply and keeps the low voltage power supply; Under the low-voltage power supply, the air in the air storage tank is controlled to be transported to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement a purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Under the low voltage power supply, controlling the air in the air storage tank to be delivered to the fuel cell stack, and applying to implement the purge operation on the fuel cell stack, includes: Under the low-voltage power supply, a controller corresponding to the purge operation is connected, the controller is used to control a first flow control valve on the air supply passage, and the first flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the air supply passage between the air storage tank and the fuel cell stack; The controller is used to control the first flow control valve to open, so as to transport the air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement a purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein during the process of implementing the purge operation on the stack under the low voltage power supply, it is characterized in that: The controller is also used to control a second flow control valve on the hydrogen supply passage, and the second flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the hydrogen supply passage between the hydrogen storage tank and the fuel cell stack; The controller is used to control the second flow control valve to open, so as to transport the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement a purge operation on the fuel cell stack.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Before using the controller to control opening of the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve, the method further includes: Obtaining a temperature value corresponding to the coolant of the monitored hydrogen fuel cell from a preset temperature sensor; Determining whether the temperature value is less than or equal to a first preset threshold; If so, it is determined that a purge operation is to be performed; determining a target purge mode corresponding to the purge operation based on whether the temperature value falls within a numerical interval consisting of the first preset threshold and a second preset threshold, the second preset threshold being smaller than the first preset threshold; According to the target purge mode, the controller is controlled to open the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve to assist in performing the purge operation under the target purge mode.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that After the purge operation is performed once according to the preset duration, the method further includes: calculating a current water content present on the stack; Determining whether the current water content is less than a third preset threshold; If not, the purging operation and the judging operation of the current water content are iteratively performed until the current water content is not higher than the third preset threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that After the shutdown and before controlling to disconnect the high voltage power supply and retain the low voltage power supply, the method further includes: Blocking an air supply passage for conveying air to the fuel cell stack and a hydrogen supply passage for inputting hydrogen; Obtaining an air volume value corresponding to the air currently stored in the air storage tank; Determining whether the air volume value reaches a fourth preset threshold, where the fourth preset threshold is an evaluation value of air demand corresponding to a historical purge of the fuel cell stack; If not, the air compressor is controlled to supply air to the air storage tank until the fourth preset threshold is reached.

7. A hydrogen fuel cell control device, characterized in that: Applied to implement the hydrogen fuel cell control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the device comprises: A first control unit is used to control the air compressor to supply air to the air storage tank on the air supply path of the hydrogen fuel cell before shutdown; A second control unit is used for controlling the disconnection of the high voltage power supply and the retention of the low voltage power supply after the shutdown; The third control unit is used to control the delivery of air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack under the low-voltage power supply, so as to implement a purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that The device comprises: A connection module, used to connect a controller corresponding to the purge operation under low voltage power supply, the controller is used to control a first flow control valve on the air supply passage, the first flow control valve is used to control the connection or blocking of the air supply passage between the air storage tank and the fuel cell stack; The control module is used to control the opening of the first flow control valve by using a controller to transport the air in the air storage tank to the fuel cell stack, which is used to implement a purging operation on the fuel cell stack.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A computer program is stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the hydrogen fuel cell control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the hydrogen fuel cell control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

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