Method and device for testing conductivity of cooling liquid of fuel cell system and vehicle

By optimizing the structure and hardware circuit of the conductivity sensor, the problems of serious polarization, high failure rate and high cost of conductivity sensors in the automotive industry are solved, and the effects of reducing failure rate, extending electrode life and improving system stability are achieved.

CN120064389APending Publication Date: 2025-05-30BEIJING CAVAN NEW ENERGY AUTOMOTIVE CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411977795.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-12-30
Publication Date
2025-05-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing conductivity sensors have problems such as serious polarization, high failure rate and high cost in the automotive industry, resulting in inaccurate conductivity detection of the coolant of the fuel cell system, affecting the normal operation of the system.

Method used

The conductivity sensor without the source circuit is used to optimize the structure, hardware circuits and control methods to reduce the failure rate of the conductivity detection process, delay the electrode maintenance cycle, and improve the stability of the system.

Benefits of technology

It effectively reduces the failure rate of the conductivity detection process, extends the service life of the electrode, improves the stability of the entire system, and solves the problems of serious polarization, high failure rate and high cost.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel cell system cooling liquid conductivity testing method and device and a vehicle, the method adopts a conductivity sensor without an active circuit, an outer side electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected with a digital output interface of a control unit, and an inner side electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected with an analog input interface of the control unit; the method comprises the following steps: if a conductivity test requirement exists, controlling a digital output interface to output a first level signal to an outer side electrode of a conductivity sensor, and acquiring a resistance value between the outer side electrode of the conductivity sensor and an inner side electrode of the conductivity sensor by using an analog input interface; and obtaining the current conductivity of the cooling liquid of the fuel cell system according to the resistance value. Therefore, the problems of serious polarization, high failure rate, high cost and the like of the existing conductivity sensor are solved, and the structure, the hardware circuit and the control mode are optimized, so that the failure rate in the conductivity detection process is reduced, the electrode maintenance period is delayed, and the stability of the system is improved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and particularly relates to a method and device for measuring the conductivity of the coolant of a fuel cell system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the increasingly serious global energy crisis and environmental pollution problems, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have gradually become an important development direction of new energy for vehicles due to their high efficiency and zero emissions. In a fuel cell system, the insulation resistance value is one of the key indicators to ensure the electrical safety of the whole vehicle, and the conductivity of the coolant flowing through the system stack is an important factor affecting the insulation performance of the system. Therefore, accurately monitoring and controlling the conductivity of the coolant is crucial for ensuring the normal operation of the fuel cell system.

[0003] For this reason, conductivity sensors used in the field of civil water quality detection have been introduced into the automotive industry. After simple structural modifications (such as using automotive industry plugs and improving vibration resistance) to the introduced conductivity sensors, they are used in the fuel cell field to judge the conductivity of the special coolant for fuel cells, so as to intervene in conductivity control in advance and prevent system insulation problems caused by too high conductivity.

[0004] However, directly applying the sensors introduced from the civil field to the automotive industry has a series of challenges and limitations. The working conditions in the civil field are relatively tolerant, with low temperature requirements and good heat dissipation environment, and it is convenient to clean after electrode polarization. In contrast, the application conditions in the automotive industry are more severe, resulting in problems such as sensor body failures (such as glue detachment and water ingress, controller failure, etc.), serious polarization leading to inaccurate detection, and high prices, which bring many troubles to engine manufacturers and vehicle users and urgently need to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a method and device for measuring the conductivity of the coolant of a fuel cell system and a vehicle, to solve the problems of serious polarization, high failure rate, high cost, etc. existing in the existing conductivity sensors. By using the unique resources of engine design and optimizing the structure, hardware circuit and control method, the failure rate in the process of conductivity detection is reduced, the maintenance period of the electrodes is delayed, and the stability of the system is improved.

[0006] The first aspect embodiment of the present application provides a method for measuring the conductivity of the coolant of a fuel cell system. The method uses a conductivity sensor without an active circuit. The outer electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to the digital output interface of the control unit, and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to the analog input interface of the control unit. Wherein, the method includes the following steps:

[0007] Determine whether there is a need for conductivity testing;

[0008] If there is the need for conductivity testing, control the digital output interface to output a first-level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and use the analog input interface to obtain the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor;

[0009] Obtain the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system according to the resistance value.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present application, after obtaining the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system, it further includes:

[0011] Control the digital output interface to output a second-level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, so that the electrodes of the conductivity sensor stop polarizing; wherein, the level of the second-level signal is lower than the level of the first-level signal.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present application, the determination of whether there is a need for conductivity testing includes:

[0013] Obtain the duration since the last conductivity test;

[0014] If the duration is greater than a preset duration, it is determined that there is the need for conductivity testing.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present application, the preset duration is determined by the number of conductivity detections in each engine operating cycle.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present application, the determination of whether there is a need for conductivity testing includes:

[0017] Determine whether a conductivity test instruction is received;

[0018] If the conductivity test instruction is received, it is determined that there is the need for conductivity testing.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present application, after obtaining the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system, it further includes:

[0020] Determine whether the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is within a preset range;

[0021] If the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is not within the preset range, generate a reminder message;

[0022] Perform acoustic reminder and / or optical reminder according to the reminder message.

[0023] According to the conductivity testing method of the coolant of the fuel cell system provided by the embodiments of the present application, when there is a need for conductivity testing, the digital output interface is controlled to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is obtained by using the analog input interface; the conductivity of the current coolant of the fuel cell system is obtained according to the resistance value. Thus, the problems existing in the existing conductivity sensors, such as serious polarization, high failure rate, and high cost, are solved. Through the optimization of the structure, hardware circuit, and control method, the failure rate in the conductivity detection process is reduced, the electrode maintenance period is delayed, and the stability of the entire system is improved.

[0024] The second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a conductivity testing device for the coolant of a fuel cell system. The device uses a conductivity sensor without an active circuit. The outer electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to the digital output interface of the control unit, and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to the analog input interface of the control unit. Wherein, the device includes:

[0025] A judgment module, configured to judge whether there is a need for conductivity testing;

[0026] A processing module, configured to, if there is a need for conductivity testing, control the digital output interface to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and use the analog input interface to obtain the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor;

[0027] A conductivity determination module, configured to obtain the conductivity of the current coolant of the fuel cell system according to the resistance value.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present application, after obtaining the conductivity of the current coolant of the fuel cell system, the conductivity determination module is further configured to:

[0029] Control the digital output interface to output a second level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, so that the electrode of the conductivity sensor stops polarizing; wherein, the level of the second level signal is lower than the level of the first level signal.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present application, the judgment module is configured to:

[0031] Obtain the duration since the last conductivity test;

[0032] If the duration is greater than a preset duration, it is determined that there is a need for conductivity testing.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present application, the preset duration is determined by the number of conductivity detections within each engine operating cycle.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present application, the determination module is configured to:

[0035] Determine whether a conductivity test instruction is received;

[0036] If the conductivity test instruction is received, it is determined that there is a need for the conductivity test.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present application, after obtaining the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system, the conductivity determination module is further configured to:

[0038] Determine whether the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is within a preset range;

[0039] If the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is not within the preset range, a reminder message is generated;

[0040] Perform an acoustic reminder and / or an optical reminder according to the reminder message.

[0041] According to the conductivity test device for the coolant of the fuel cell system provided by the embodiment of the present application, when there is a need for a conductivity test, the digital output interface is controlled to output a first-level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is obtained by using the analog input interface; the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is obtained according to the resistance value. Thus, the problems of serious polarization, high failure rate, high cost, etc. existing in the existing conductivity sensors are solved. Through the optimization of the structure, hardware circuit and control method, the failure rate in the conductivity detection process is reduced, the electrode maintenance period is delayed, and the stability of the entire system is improved.

[0042] An embodiment of the third aspect of the present application provides a vehicle, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, where the processor executes the program to implement the conductivity test method for the coolant of the fuel cell system as described in the above embodiment.

[0043] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, where the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to cause the computer to execute the conductivity test method for the coolant of the fuel cell system as described in the above embodiment.

[0044] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the following description, become apparent in part from the following description, or be learned through the practice of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0045] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and be readily understood from the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an existing conductivity sensor;

[0047] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an optimized conductivity sensor according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram comparing the installation completion effects of the optimized conductivity sensor according to an embodiment of the present application and the existing conductivity sensor;

[0049] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the hardware processing method of an existing conductivity sensor;

[0050] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the hardware processing method of an optimized conductivity sensor according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method for testing the conductivity of the coolant of a fuel cell system provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 7 is a top view of a conductivity test electrode according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 8 is a control flowchart of a method for testing the conductivity of the coolant of a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 9 is a block schematic diagram of a device for testing the conductivity of the coolant of a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0056] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present application and should not be construed as limiting the present application.

[0057] The method, device, and vehicle for testing the conductivity of the coolant of a fuel cell system according to the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] Before introducing the method for testing the conductivity of the coolant in the fuel cell system according to the embodiments of the present application, the existing conductivity sensors and hardware processing methods will be briefly introduced, as well as the optimized conductivity sensors and optimized hardware processing methods involved in the method for testing the conductivity of the coolant in the fuel cell system of the present application.

[0059] Those skilled in the art can understand that since the existing conductivity sensors are introduced from the field of civil water quality detection, compared with the automotive industry, the working conditions in the civil field are relatively tolerant, with low temperature requirements and good heat dissipation environment. After electrode polarization, it is convenient to clean. In contrast, the existing conductivity sensors mainly have the following disadvantages when applied to vehicles:

[0060] (1) After the existing conductivity sensors are installed on the engine, the electrodes are continuously in a DC-powered state, and there are serious polarization problems with the electrodes, ultimately resulting in distorted values. The recommended maintenance (cleaning the electrodes) cycle of the product is about half a year, and the disassembly and assembly process involves the loss of coolant, and it is necessary to re-add water and exhaust air, which causes great trouble to the after-sales market.

[0061] (2) In response to the polarization problem, sensor manufacturers in the market have adopted various optimization schemes, such as pulsed power supply, reverse-polarity power supply, etc., but at the same time, it further increases the complexity of the circuit, raises the cost, increases the volume, and has more risk points. The structure of the existing conductivity sensor is as Figure 1 shown, including a wire harness connector, a potting waterproof area, a data acquisition circuit, an ECU, an external output circuit, a wrench operation area, potting to prevent coolant leakage, and a stainless steel probe. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the existing sensors often protrude a large part beyond the pipeline, and it is necessary to separately reserve and check the installation space.

[0062] (3) The circuit part is relatively close to the sensor electrodes, and when the fuel cell stack is operating normally, the coolant temperature usually reaches about 85°C. If the heat dissipation capacity around the sensor is average, the temperature of the control circuit part may be higher, ultimately resulting in problems such as the failure of the sensor control circuit or the failure of the sealing structure and then the entry of coolant, ultimately leading to sensor damage.

[0063] (4) The working mode of the currently used conductivity sensors is usually to use the ECU to process the collected resistance data and then adopt a temperature compensation strategy to calculate the conductivity of the liquid at room temperature, that is, mainly to characterize the water quality conductivity at room temperature. However, the actual fuel cell engine mainly focuses on the change in insulation value caused by the real-time conductivity. The existing sensors do not fully meet the real needs of customers, and the temperature detection is a redundant design.

[0064] (5) Currently, among conductivity sensors, only those with CAN communication can achieve on-demand access to data from the fuel cell controller. For other analog signal sensors, electrode polarization will continue online all the time. However, using sensors with CAN communication will lead to complex hardware circuits outside the engine, unreasonable CAN network terminals, and ultimately affect the stability of the overall CAN communication.

[0065] Based on the deficiencies of existing conductivity sensors applied in the vehicle field, this application proposes an optimized conductivity sensor.

[0066] Specifically, the optimized conductivity sensor in this application completely isolates the electrode from the data acquisition and processing circuit, and the control circuit part will not be affected by the coolant temperature during its operation. The structure of the optimized conductivity sensor is as Figure 2 shown, including a wire harness connector, a wrench operation area, sealant to prevent coolant leakage, and a stainless steel probe.

[0067] Thus, from Figure 3 the comparison schematic diagram of the installation completion effects of the optimized conductivity sensor shown and the existing conductivity sensor, it can be seen that the existing conductivity sensor requires a large installation space, while the optimized conductivity sensor in this application only retains the electrode part of the existing sensor. Except for the necessary wire connections and sealing structures, there is no active circuit in the electrode, and great optimization has been achieved in terms of installation space requirements.

[0068] Next, the hardware processing methods of the existing conductivity sensor and the optimized conductivity sensor proposed in this application are introduced.

[0069] First, the hardware processing method of the existing conductivity sensor is introduced.

[0070] Specifically, as Figure 4 shown, the hardware processing method of the existing conductivity sensor includes three main parts: the coolant with conductivity to be measured, the conductivity meter control circuit, and the fuel cell controller (FCU, Fuel-cell Control Unit). Among them, the conductivity meter control circuit includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). There are two solutions inside the ECU: Solution ①: Use a D / A converter to convert digital signals into analog signals and output current signals or voltage signals. Solution ②: Transmit data through the CAN bus via the CAN module.

[0071] When conductivity testing is required, the measuring contact 1 and the measuring contact 2 are immersed in the coolant with unknown conductivity to detect the conductivity of the liquid. The ECU in the conductivity meter control circuit receives the signals from the measuring contacts and processes them according to the selected scheme. If it is Scheme ①, the ECU converts the signals into analog signals and sends them to the FCU; if it is Scheme ②, the ECU sends the signals to the FCU through the CAN bus via the CAN module. After receiving the signals, the FCU performs further processing and analysis to determine the conductivity of the coolant.

[0072] Secondly, the hardware processing method of the optimized conductivity sensor is introduced.

[0073] Specifically, as Figure 5 shown, the optimized hardware processing method of this application cancels complex circuits such as the signal acquisition circuit, the core ECU, and the signal processing and output circuit of the existing conductivity sensor, and replaces the functions of the circuit part on the existing conductivity sensor entirely with the existing resources of the fuel cell controller FCU (or other ECUs with resistance acquisition functions), effectively reducing the space required for electrode installation and improving the overall reliability. The optimized hardware processing method of this application uses the AI (Input_analog, analog input) acquisition pin, DO (Output_Ditigal, digital output) and other pin resources that are relatively abundant in common controllers, and does not require the existing controllers on the market to make adaptive adjustments.

[0074] Therefore, compared with the existing conductivity sensor, the optimized conductivity sensor of this application minimizes the installation space requirements to the greatest extent. The space requirement outside the cooling pipeline is small, and there is only the space for the connector, which conforms to the common sensor installation method and is easy to be accepted by the industry; the controller only uses the common abundant resources, and the existing controllers do not need to make hardware modifications for special matching, and the data requirements come entirely from the controller itself and can be obtained as needed.

[0075] Next, the conductivity testing method for the coolant of the fuel cell system using the above-mentioned optimized hardware processing method of the conductivity sensor is introduced in detail.

[0076] Specifically, Figure 6 is a schematic flow chart of a conductivity testing method for the coolant of a fuel cell system provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0077] As Figure 6 shown, the conductivity testing method for the coolant of the fuel cell system includes the following steps:

[0078] In step S601, it is judged whether there is a conductivity testing requirement.

[0079] Optionally, in some embodiments, determining whether there is a need for conductivity testing includes: obtaining the duration since the last conductivity test; if the duration is greater than a preset duration, it is determined that there is a need for conductivity testing.

[0080] Wherein, the preset duration is determined by the number of conductivity detections within each engine operating cycle, and no specific limitation is provided here.

[0081] Specifically, the embodiments of the present application can obtain the duration since the last conductivity test through a timer. If the current time exceeds the preset duration since the last test, it is determined that there is a need for conductivity testing to automatically trigger the conductivity testing process.

[0082] Thus, by presetting the number of conductivity detections within each engine operating cycle, the electrode maintenance period can be greatly extended. After exceeding the engine maintenance period, electrode maintenance-free can be achieved.

[0083] Optionally, in some embodiments, determining whether there is a need for conductivity testing includes: determining whether a conductivity test instruction is received; if a conductivity test instruction is received, it is determined that there is a need for conductivity testing.

[0084] Specifically, in addition to being triggered regularly, the embodiments of the present application can also manually start the conductivity test through an external command. For example, it can be achieved through a vehicle diagnostic interface or other forms of human-machine interfaces. If a valid conductivity test instruction is received, it is determined that there is a need for conductivity testing, and the system immediately responds and starts to prepare for the test.

[0085] In step S602, if there is a need for conductivity testing, control the digital output interface to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and use the analog input interface to obtain the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor.

[0086] Wherein, the first level signal is a high-level signal.

[0087] Specifically, the top view of the conductivity test electrode in the embodiments of the present application can be as Figure 7 shown. The digital output interface of the control unit in the embodiments of the present application can be Figure 7 DO in Figure 7 , and the analog input interface of the control unit in the embodiments of the present application can be AI in

[0088] When there is a need for conductivity testing, the digital output interface is controlled to output. At the same time, the analog input interface is controlled to monitor the voltage drop between the inner and outer electrodes, and then the resistance value is calculated. This step utilizes Ohm's law (V = IR), where I is a known constant current and R is the resistance calculated from the voltage drop.

[0089] Further, when there is a need for conductivity testing, the electrode is controlled to connect to the digital channel circuit part DO to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor at the high side. The positive pole of the circuit starts to be connected, the electrode is charged, and the analog input interface AI - NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) pin (a pull - down circuit is required to ensure signal stability) is used to obtain the resistance value between the electrodes in real time to calculate the real - time conductivity of the area where the electrode is located.

[0090] Thus, by combining the resistance detection port of the fuel cell controller and the high - level output circuit, the polarization of the electrode is mitigated. In addition, the cost of the electrode material is low, and the corresponding electrical verification cost is even lower, which can save a large amount of cost for the engine manufacturer. Moreover, since the electrode itself is a passive device, the circuit design is simple, the possibility of affecting the overall circuit is small, and the probability of failure is reduced.

[0091] In step S603, the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is obtained according to the resistance value.

[0092] Specifically, according to the resistance value, the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system can be obtained using the conductivity calculation formula. The final numerical unit can be converted according to actual needs. The commonly used unit of conductivity σ in the fuel cell industry is (uS / cm). Among them, the conductivity calculation formula is:

[0093] σ = l / s / R

[0094] Among them, σ is the conductivity, and the unit is ohm - meter (Ω·m); l is the conductor length, and the unit is meter (m); s is the conductor cross - sectional area, and the unit is square meter (m 2 ); R is the resistance value between the electrodes, and the unit is ohm (Ω). Among them, R = ρ*l / s, σ = 1 / ρ, where ρ is the resistivity.

[0095] Further, in some embodiments, after obtaining the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system, it further includes: controlling the digital output interface to output a second level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, so that the electrode of the conductivity sensor stops polarizing; where the level of the second level signal is lower than the level of the first level signal.

[0096] Among them, the second level signal is a low - level signal.

[0097] Specifically, to prevent polarization from occurring when the electrodes are at the same potential for a long time, after the test is completed, the digital output interface is controlled to output a second-level signal to the outer electrodes of the conductivity sensor, the circuit is disconnected, there is no voltage on the electrodes, and polarization stops. The overall operation can be completed in a short time, which can reduce the influence of polarization on the test results and extend the service life of the electrodes.

[0098] Thus, after the electrode polarization is slowed down, the maintenance period can exceed the life cycle of the engine or the whole vehicle, achieving lifelong maintenance-free for the electrodes, and reducing the cost of the engine's later maintenance.

[0099] Further, in some embodiments, after obtaining the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system, it further includes: determining whether the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is within a preset range; if the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is not within the preset range, generating a reminder message; and performing acoustic reminder and / or optical reminder according to the reminder message.

[0100] Among them, the preset range can be a range preset by those skilled in the art, a range obtained through a limited number of experiments, or a range obtained through computer simulation, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0101] Specifically, the reminder method of the present application can be to control the acoustic reminder device to emit an alarm sound, such as a beeping sound, or voice broadcast, such as "The conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is abnormal, please check", etc. It can also be reminded through an optical reminder device, such as flashing through an indicator light, and the flashing type can be preset to correspond to this scenario for display.

[0102] In the specific execution process, when the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is not within the preset range, it can be reminded only through the acoustic reminder device or the optical reminder device, or reminded simultaneously through the acoustic reminder device or the optical reminder device, without limitation.

[0103] To facilitate those skilled in the art to more clearly and intuitively understand the conductivity test method of the coolant of the fuel cell system proposed in the present application, the following is combined with Figure 8 for detailed description.

[0104] As Figure 8 shown, the conductivity test method of the coolant of the fuel cell system includes the following steps:

[0105] S801, Conductivity acquisition.

[0106] S802, Determine whether conductivity is required. If so, execute S804; otherwise, execute S803.

[0107] S803, Do nothing.

[0108] S804, control the DO to continuously output 1 (high level).

[0109] S805, collect the resistance value between the electrodes through the AI pin.

[0110] S806, the FCU calculates the conductivity according to the electrode parameters.

[0111] S807, determine whether the conductivity calculation is completed. If so, execute S808; otherwise, execute S804.

[0112] S808, control the DO to continuously output 0 (low level).

[0113] S809, the numerical acquisition ends.

[0114] According to the conductivity test method for the coolant of the fuel cell system proposed in the embodiment of the present application, when there is a need for conductivity testing, control the digital output interface to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and use the analog input interface to obtain the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor; obtain the conductivity of the current coolant of the fuel cell system according to the resistance value. Thus, the problems existing in the existing conductivity sensors, such as serious polarization, high failure rate, and high cost, are solved. Through the optimization of the structure, hardware circuit, and control method, the failure rate in the conductivity detection process is reduced, the electrode maintenance period is extended, and the stability of the entire system is improved.

[0115] Secondly, refer to the drawings to describe the conductivity test device for the coolant of the fuel cell system proposed in the embodiment of the present application.

[0116] Figure 9 It is a block diagram of the conductivity test device for the coolant of the fuel cell system in the embodiment of the present application.

[0117] As Figure 9 shown, the conductivity test device 10 for the coolant of the fuel cell system includes: a judgment module 100, a processing module 200, and a conductivity determination module 300.

[0118] Among them, the judgment module 100 is used to judge whether there is a need for conductivity testing; the processing module 200 is used to control the digital output interface to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor and use the analog input interface to obtain the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor if there is a need for conductivity testing; the conductivity determination module 300 is used to obtain the conductivity of the current coolant of the fuel cell system according to the resistance value.

[0119] Further, in some embodiments, after obtaining the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system, the conductivity determination module 300 is further configured to: control the digital output interface to output a second level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, so that the electrodes of the conductivity sensor stop polarizing; wherein, the level of the second level signal is lower than the level of the first level signal.

[0120] Further, in some embodiments, the determination module 100 is configured to: obtain the duration since the last conductivity test; if the duration is greater than a preset duration, it is determined that there is a need for a conductivity test.

[0121] Further, in some embodiments, the preset duration is determined by the number of conductivity detections in each engine operating cycle.

[0122] Further, in some embodiments, the determination module 100 is configured to: determine whether a conductivity test instruction is received; if a conductivity test instruction is received, it is determined that there is a need for a conductivity test.

[0123] Further, in some embodiments, after obtaining the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system, the conductivity determination module 300 is further configured to: determine whether the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is within a preset range; if the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is not within the preset range, generate a reminder message; perform an acoustic reminder and / or an optical reminder according to the reminder message.

[0124] It should be noted that the foregoing explanation of the embodiments of the conductivity test method for the coolant of the fuel cell system also applies to the conductivity test device for the coolant of the fuel cell system in this embodiment, and will not be elaborated here.

[0125] According to the conductivity test device for the coolant of the fuel cell system proposed in the embodiments of the present application, when there is a need for a conductivity test, the digital output interface is controlled to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and the resistance value between the outer electrode and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is obtained by using the analog input interface; the conductivity of the coolant of the current fuel cell system is obtained according to the resistance value. Thus, the problems existing in the existing conductivity sensors, such as serious polarization, high failure rate, and high cost, are solved. Through the optimization of the structure, hardware circuit, and control method, the failure rate in the conductivity detection process is reduced, the electrode maintenance period is delayed, and the stability of the entire system is improved.

[0126] Figure 10 The structural schematic diagram of the vehicle provided by the embodiments of the present application. The vehicle may include:

[0127] A memory 1001, a processor 1002, and a computer program stored on the memory 1001 and executable on the processor 1002.

[0128] When the processor 1002 executes the program, it implements the method for testing the conductivity of the coolant of the fuel cell system provided in the above embodiments.

[0129] Furthermore, the vehicle further includes:

[0130] A communication interface 1003 for communication between the memory 1001 and the processor 1002.

[0131] A memory 1001 for storing a computer program that can run on the processor 1002.

[0132] The memory 1001 may include a high-speed RAM memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk memory.

[0133] If the memory 1001, the processor 1002, and the communication interface 1003 are implemented independently, the communication interface 1003, the memory 1001, and the processor 1002 can be interconnected through a bus and communicate with each other. The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 10 only a thick line is shown in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0134] Optionally, in a specific implementation, if the memory 1001, the processor 1002, and the communication interface 1003 are integrated on a chip, the memory 1001, the processor 1002, and the communication interface 1003 can communicate with each other through an internal interface.

[0135] The processor 1002 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application.

[0136] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and when the program is executed by a processor, the conductivity testing method of the coolant of the fuel cell system as described above is implemented.

[0137] In the description of this specification, the descriptions with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or N embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, without conflict, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0138] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "N" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0139] Any process or method description in the flowchart or described in other ways herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or part of code including one or more N executable instructions for implementing a customized logic function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present application includes additional implementations, where the functions may be executed in a substantially simultaneous manner or in a reverse order according to the functions involved, rather than in the order shown or discussed, which should be understood by those skilled in the art of the embodiments of the present application.

[0140] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a definable sequence list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be specifically implemented in any computer-readable medium for use by an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a system including a processor, or other systems that can fetch and execute instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device), or in conjunction with these instruction execution systems, apparatus, or devices. For the purposes of this specification, a "computer-readable medium" can be any device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium include the following: an electrical connection part (electronic device) having one or N wirings, a portable computer disk cartridge (magnetic device), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber device, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM). Additionally, the computer-readable medium can even be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, because the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other media, followed by editing, interpretation, or otherwise processing as appropriate, and then storing it in a computer memory.

[0141] It should be understood that various parts of the present application can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above-described embodiments, the N steps or methods can be implemented by software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, any one or a combination of the following techniques well known in the art can be used: discrete logic circuits having logic gate circuits for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits having suitable combinational logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0142] Those of ordinary skill in the art of this technology can understand that all or part of the steps carried by the method of implementing the above embodiments can be completed by a program instructing relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0143] In addition, each functional unit in various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing module, may exist separately as individual physical units, or two or more units may be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated module may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional module. When the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0144] The above-mentioned storage medium may be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disc, etc. Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present application. Those of ordinary skill in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for testing the conductivity of a fuel cell system coolant, characterized in that: The method uses a conductivity sensor without an active circuit, wherein the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to a digital output interface of a control unit, and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to an analog input interface of the control unit, wherein the method comprises the following steps: Determine whether there is a need for conductivity testing; If the conductivity test requirement exists, the digital output interface is controlled to output a first level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, and the resistance value between the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is obtained by using the analog input interface; The current electrical conductivity of the fuel cell system coolant is obtained according to the resistance value.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After obtaining the conductivity of the current fuel cell system coolant, the method further includes: The digital output interface is controlled to output a second level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, so that the electrode of the conductivity sensor stops polarizing; wherein the level of the second level signal is lower than the level of the first level signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining whether there is a conductivity test requirement includes: Get the duration from the last conductivity test; If the duration is longer than a preset duration, it is determined that there is a conductivity test requirement.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The preset time duration is determined by the number of conductivity detections in each engine working cycle.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining whether there is a conductivity test requirement includes: Determine whether a conductivity test instruction is received; If the conductivity test instruction is received, it is determined that there is a conductivity test requirement.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After obtaining the conductivity of the current fuel cell system coolant, it also includes: Determining whether the conductivity of the current fuel cell system coolant is within a preset range; If the electrical conductivity of the current fuel cell system coolant is not within the preset range, generating a reminder message; An acoustic reminder and / or an optical reminder is performed according to the reminder information.

7. A conductivity test device for a fuel cell system coolant, characterized in that: The device uses a conductivity sensor without an active circuit, the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to the digital output interface of the control unit, and the inner electrode of the conductivity sensor is connected to the analog input interface of the control unit, wherein the device includes: A judgment module is used to judge whether there is a conductivity test requirement; a processing module, configured to control the digital output interface to output a first level signal to an outer electrode of the conductivity sensor if the conductivity test requirement exists, and to obtain a resistance value between the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor and an inner electrode of the conductivity sensor by using the analog input interface; The conductivity determination module is used to obtain the conductivity of the current fuel cell system coolant according to the resistance value.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that After obtaining the conductivity of the current fuel cell system coolant, the conductivity determination module is further used to: The digital output interface is controlled to output a second level signal to the outer electrode of the conductivity sensor, so that the electrode of the conductivity sensor stops polarizing; wherein the level of the second level signal is lower than the level of the first level signal.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the conductivity testing method for a fuel cell system coolant according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: The program is executed by a processor to implement the conductivity testing method for a fuel cell system coolant according to any one of claims 1 to 6.