A fuel cell system and a cooperative control method and controller thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cell, and particularly provides a fuel cell system, a cooperative control method and a controller thereof.The method comprises the following steps: determining the health degree evaluation value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system; selecting at least one calling fuel cell from each fuel cell according to the health degree evaluation value of each fuel cell and a fuel cell cost accounting algorithm; and calling each selected calling fuel cell.The method combines the health degree evaluation value of the fuel cell which can reflect the health degree of the fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm which can reflect the operation cost during the calling process of the fuel cell in the fuel cell system, so that the efficient calling of the fuel cell in the fuel cell system is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and more specifically to a fuel cell system and its coordinated control method and controller. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of technology, the requirements for power supply stability are also increasing. Powering a single fuel cell may result in insufficient stability. Therefore, connecting multiple fuel cells in parallel to form a fuel cell system for power supply is an important direction for the development of the fuel cell field.

[0003] Since there are multiple fuel cells connected in parallel in a fuel cell system, and these fuel cells have different performance characteristics, how to efficiently and stably control the power supply of these fuel cells is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a fuel cell system and its coordinated control method and controller, which aims to solve the problems in the prior art to a certain extent.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] This application provides a fuel cell cooperative control method based on a fuel cell system, the method comprising:

[0007] Determine the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system;

[0008] Based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from all the fuel cells.

[0009] The selected fuel cells to be invoked are invoked.

[0010] Preferably, the method further includes:

[0011] The power generation capacity of each fuel cell to be used is determined based on its health assessment value.

[0012] Preferably, the power generation capacity of each fuel cell to be called up is determined based on its health assessment value, specifically by determining the power generation capacity of each fuel cell to be called up using the following formula:

[0013] ;

[0014] in: Let be the power generation capacity of the i-th fuel cell to be used; The total power demand of the fuel cell system is n; n is the total number of fuel cells to be used. This represents the health assessment value of the i-th fuel cell to be called. The weighting coefficient corresponding to the health assessment value of the i-th fuel cell to be called; This represents the health assessment value of the j-th fuel cell to be called. The weighting coefficient is the weighting coefficient corresponding to the health assessment value of the j-th fuel cell to be called.

[0015] Preferably, the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system is determined, specifically including:

[0016] Obtain the actual maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell, wherein the actual maximum operating parameters are used to characterize the actual power output capability of the corresponding fuel cell;

[0017] Based on the actual maximum operating parameters and theoretical maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell, the health assessment value of each fuel cell is determined.

[0018] Preferably, the health assessment value of each fuel cell is determined based on its actual maximum operating parameters and theoretical maximum operating parameters, specifically including:

[0019] The quotient obtained by dividing the actual maximum operating parameter of each fuel cell by the theoretical maximum operating parameter is determined as the health assessment value of each fuel cell.

[0020] Preferably, the actual maximum operating parameter is the actual maximum output power, and the theoretical maximum operating parameter is the initial rated output power; or,

[0021] The actual maximum operating parameter is specifically the actual maximum output voltage, and the theoretical maximum operating parameter is specifically the initial rated output voltage.

[0022] Preferably, before selecting at least one fuel cell to be used from among the various fuel cells based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, the method further includes:

[0023] From the various fuel cells of the fuel cell system, multiple candidate fuel cells with health assessment values ​​greater than a preset threshold are selected; and,

[0024] Based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from all fuel cells, specifically including:

[0025] Based on the health assessment values ​​of each candidate fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from the candidate fuel cells.

[0026] Preferably, based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from among the fuel cells, specifically including:

[0027] Based on the total power demand of the fuel cell system, a variety of fuel cell start-up combinations that can meet the total power demand are determined, wherein at least one of the fuel cells to be started and the number of fuel cells to be started differs among the various fuel cell start-up combinations.

[0028] For each fuel cell start-up combination, the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination is substituted into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm to calculate the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up combination.

[0029] The fuel cell start-up combination with the lowest operating cost is selected, and each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination with the lowest operating cost is identified as the fuel cell to be called up.

[0030] Preferably, the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up assembly are substituted into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm to calculate the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up assembly. Specifically, this includes substituting the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up assembly into the calculation formula shown below to calculate the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up assembly:

[0031] ;

[0032] Where Q is the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up assembly; is the health assessment value of the m-th fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination; N represents each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination. Let m be the unit operating cost of the m-th fuel cell in the fuel cell startup combination.

[0033] This application also provides a controller that uses the fuel cell cooperative control method based on the fuel cell system provided in the embodiments of this application to perform cooperative control of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system.

[0034] This application also provides a fuel cell system comprising multiple fuel cells connected in parallel and a controller provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0035] Based on the above technical solution, the advantages of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0036] The fuel cell collaborative control method based on a fuel cell system provided in this application includes first determining the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system, then selecting at least one fuel cell to be called up from among the fuel cells based on the health assessment value and a fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, and then calling up each of the selected fuel cells to be called up. This method combines the fuel cell health assessment value, which reflects the health status of the fuel cells, and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, which reflects the operating costs, in the process of calling up fuel cells in the fuel cell system, thus achieving efficient calling up of fuel cells in the fuel cell system. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the fuel cell system provided in this application is shown.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the specific process of the fuel cell collaborative control method based on a fuel cell system, as provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0042] As mentioned earlier, since there are multiple fuel cells connected in parallel in a fuel cell system, and these fuel cells have different performance characteristics, how to efficiently and stably control the power supply of these fuel cells is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0043] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a fuel cell system and its cooperative control method and controller, which can be used to cooperatively control multiple parallel fuel cells in a fuel cell system, thereby enabling it to better supply power to external systems and thus solving the problems in the prior art.

[0044] To facilitate understanding, a brief description of the structure of the fuel cell system provided in the embodiments of this application can be given first, such as... Figure 1 The diagram shows the specific structure of the fuel cell system 10, which includes M fuel cells 12 connected in parallel. These M fuel cells 12 are interconnected. The fuel cell system 10 may also include a secondary battery 11 (e.g., a lithium battery). Each fuel cell 12 can be connected to the secondary battery 11, facilitating power supply to the secondary battery 11. For example, when the secondary battery 11 is low on power, the fuel cells 12 can supply power to the secondary battery 11, allowing it to be recharged. Here, M is a positive integer greater than 1, and N can be 2, 3, 4, 5, or other positive integers.

[0045] In addition, the fuel cell system 10 may also include an energy storage converter 13, with each fuel cell 12 and secondary battery 11 connected to the energy storage converter 13, so that the energy storage converter 13 can output electrical energy to external devices. In other words, the energy storage converter 13 can output the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell 12 and the electrical energy stored in the secondary battery 11.

[0046] Of course, the fuel cell system 10 may also include a fuel-electric system, other core components, and other auxiliary components. The fuel-electric system includes an air compressor, humidifier, and hydrogen circulation pump within the fuel cell. Other core components may include the fuel cell stack, and other auxiliary components may include the fuel cell casing. During the operation of the fuel cell in the fuel cell system 10, the fuel-electric system and other core components may cause internal power losses, while other auxiliary components are less likely to cause internal power losses.

[0047] It should be noted that the structure of the fuel cell 12 in this embodiment can also be described here. The fuel cell 12 may include a stack, which may include multiple fuel cell units connected in series. Each fuel cell unit may include a proton exchange membrane, a catalyst, a gas diffusion layer, a bipolar plate, end plates, etc. For example, multiple fuel cell units connected in series can form the stack, which can then be combined with a protective shell to form the fuel cell 12. By connecting multiple fuel cells 12 in parallel, and further combining them with a secondary battery 11, the fuel cell system 10 in this embodiment can be obtained.

[0048] like Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic flowchart of a fuel cell cooperative control method based on a fuel cell system, provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0049] Step S21: Determine the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system.

[0050] The health assessment value is used to evaluate the health level of the corresponding fuel cell. Generally speaking, the higher the health assessment value, the higher the health level of the corresponding fuel cell, and therefore the greater the ability of the fuel cell to generate electricity. Conversely, the lower the health assessment value, the lower the health level of the corresponding fuel cell, and the worse the ability of the fuel cell to generate electricity.

[0051] In practical applications, certain operating parameters of a fuel cell can typically reflect its ability to output electrical energy. These operating parameters may include the actual output voltage and actual output power of the fuel cell. Therefore, the specific implementation of step S21 can be as follows: first, obtain the actual maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell, which characterize the actual electrical output capability of the corresponding fuel cell; then, determine the health assessment value of each fuel cell based on the actual maximum operating parameters and the theoretical maximum operating parameters.

[0052] For example, the actual maximum operating parameter can be specifically the actual maximum output power, while the theoretical maximum operating parameter is specifically the initial rated output power. In practical applications, after a period of use, the ability of a fuel cell to output electrical energy may decrease to some extent. This decrease can be reflected by its actual output power, especially the actual maximum output power.

[0053] Specifically, for example, the fuel cell can be used to output electrical energy at its maximum power, and its actual output power can be measured to obtain the actual maximum output power of the fuel cell. After obtaining the actual maximum output power of the fuel cell, the health assessment value of the fuel cell can be determined based on the actual maximum output power and the initial rated output power. One way is to calculate the difference between the two. This difference reflects the degradation of the output power relative to the initial rated output power. The larger the difference, the more severe the degradation; the smaller the difference, the less severe the degradation. Therefore, this difference can be directly used as the health assessment value of the fuel cell.

[0054] Another approach is to calculate the quotient of the actual maximum output power and the initial rated output power. The larger the quotient, the smaller the decline in actual maximum output power relative to the initial rated output power. Conversely, the smaller the quotient, the greater the decline in actual maximum output power relative to the initial rated output power. Therefore, the quotient of the actual maximum output power and the initial rated output power can be used as the health assessment value of the fuel cell.

[0055] Similarly, the actual maximum operating parameter can be specifically the actual maximum output voltage. In this case, the theoretical maximum operating parameter is specifically the initial rated output voltage. In practical applications, after a period of use, the decay of the fuel cell's ability to output electrical energy can also be reflected by its actual output voltage, especially the actual maximum output voltage.

[0056] Specifically, for example, the fuel cell can be used to output electrical energy at its maximum voltage, and its actual output voltage can be measured to obtain the actual maximum output voltage of the fuel cell. After obtaining the actual maximum output voltage, the health assessment value of the fuel cell can be determined based on the actual maximum output voltage and the initial rated output voltage. Based on the same principle, the difference between the actual maximum output voltage and the initial rated output voltage, or the quotient between the actual maximum output voltage and the initial rated output voltage, can be determined as the health assessment value of the fuel cell.

[0057] Therefore, in practical applications, for step S21, for example, the actual maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell can be obtained (e.g., the actual maximum output power). Then, based on the actual maximum operating parameters and the theoretical maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell (which correspond to the initial rated output power), the quotient of the actual maximum output power of each fuel cell and the initial rated output power can be calculated, and the quotient can be used to determine the health assessment value of the corresponding fuel cell.

[0058] Step S22: Based on the health assessment value of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, select at least one fuel cell to be used from among the fuel cells.

[0059] The fuel cell cost accounting algorithm is used to calculate the operating cost of a fuel cell (or multiple fuel cells) based on the health assessment value of the fuel cell. Therefore, in practical applications, the health assessment value of the fuel cell can be directly substituted into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm to calculate its operating cost, and then at least one fuel cell to be used can be selected.

[0060] It should be noted that step S22 can also be implemented in the following manner. In this implementation, based on the total power demand of the fuel cell system, multiple fuel cell start-up combinations that can meet the total power demand are first determined. Among these combinations, at least one of the required number of fuel cells to be started and the required number of fuel cells to be started must differ. How to determine the total power demand of the fuel cell system will be explained later.

[0061] In practical applications, the sum of the initial rated output power of the fuel cells in each fuel cell start-up combination can be used to determine whether the total power demand is met. For example, if the sum of the initial rated output power is greater than the total power demand, it means that the total power demand can be met. In this case, the sum of the initial rated output power of the fuel cells in the fuel cell start-up combination is greater than the total power demand. Of course, considering the factor of fuel cell degradation, the sum of the initial rated output power can also be multiplied by the limit degradation factor 'a' (the value of 'a' can be, for example, around 70%). If it is still greater than the total power demand after multiplying by 'a', it means that the total power demand can be met. Otherwise, it cannot meet the total power demand. In this case, the product of the sum of the initial rated output power of the fuel cells in the fuel cell start-up combination and the limit degradation factor 'a' is greater than the total power demand.

[0062] Therefore, after obtaining the total power demand of the fuel cell system, the following methods can be used to determine various fuel cell start-up combinations that can meet this total power demand: First, the initial rated output power of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system can be compared with the total power demand to screen out fuel cells whose initial rated output power is greater than the total power demand. These fuel cells can be used as different fuel cell start-up combinations. Then, randomly select two fuel cells from the fuel cell system as a group, and calculate whether the sum of the initial rated output power of the two fuel cells in the group is greater than the total power demand. If so, the group can be used as a fuel cell start-up combination; otherwise, the group cannot be used as a fuel cell start-up combination. This method can screen out various fuel cell start-up combinations that can meet the total power demand with just two fuel cells. Next, group three fuel cells together, randomly select three fuel cells from the fuel cell system as a group, and calculate whether the sum of the initial rated output power of the three fuel cells in the group is greater than the total power demand. If so, the group can be used as a fuel cell start-up combination; otherwise, the group cannot be used as a fuel cell start-up combination. This process continues until various fuel cell start-up combinations that meet the total power demand are obtained.

[0063] For example, the fuel cell system includes four fuel cells, namely fuel cell 1, fuel cell 2, fuel cell 3 and fuel cell 4, with initial rated output powers of 90kW, 70kW, 160kW and 55kW respectively, and a total power demand of 150kW. At this time, the various fuel cell start-up combinations shown in Table 1 can be obtained.

[0064] Table 1

[0065] 1 Fuel Cell 3 160kW 2 Fuel cell 1, fuel cell 2 160kW 3 Fuel cell 3, fuel cell 1 250kW 4 Fuel cell 3, fuel cell 2 230kW 5 Fuel cell 3, fuel cell 4 215kW 6 Fuel cell 1, fuel cell 2, fuel cell 3 320kW 7 Fuel cell 1, fuel cell 2, fuel cell 4 215kW 8 Fuel cell 1, fuel cell 3, fuel cell 4 305kW 9 Fuel cell 2, fuel cell 3, fuel cell 4 285kW 10 Fuel cell 1, fuel cell 2, fuel cell 3, fuel cell 4 375kW

[0066] As shown in Table 1, 10 fuel cell start-up combinations can be obtained. The sum of the initial rated output power of the fuel cells in these fuel cell start-up combinations is greater than the total power demand of 150kW (in this example, the sum of the initial rated output power is not multiplied by the limit degradation factor a), so all of them can meet the total power demand.

[0067] After obtaining the various fuel cell start-up combinations through the above method, the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell in the start-up combination can be substituted into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm to calculate the operating cost of the start-up combination. Then, the start-up combination with the lowest operating cost is selected, and each fuel cell in the start-up combination with the lowest operating cost is identified as the fuel cell to be called up. Obviously, the fuel cells to be called up obtained through this method can meet the total power demand while also having the lowest operating cost.

[0068] The fuel cell cost calculation algorithm can be specifically defined by the following formula:

[0069]

[0070] In this formula, Q represents the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up assembly; Let be the health assessment value of the m-th fuel cell in the fuel cell startup combination; N represents the individual fuel cells in the fuel cell startup combination. Let m be the unit operating cost of the m-th fuel cell in the fuel cell startup combination. The unit operating cost of the fuel cell reflects the average operating cost per unit output power of the fuel cell.

[0071] In this calculation formula, the unit operating cost of the m-th fuel cell is... Divide by the health assessment value of the m-th fuel cell ,at this time The decrease indicates that the health of the m-th fuel cell has declined, which in turn leads to a significant increase in operating costs.

[0072] This allows for the calculation of the operating cost of each fuel cell in a given fuel cell start-up combination. The health assessment value of each fuel cell in the combination is then substituted into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm shown in the formula to calculate the operating cost of the combination. Ultimately, the combination with the lowest operating cost can be selected, and the fuel cells in that combination can be identified as fuel cells to be used.

[0073] It should be further explained that, since the health assessment value of a fuel cell can reflect the health level of the fuel cell, and fuel cells with low health levels are more likely to suffer structural damage during operation, the method may also include, before performing step S22, selecting multiple candidate fuel cells with health assessment values ​​greater than a preset threshold from the various fuel cells in the fuel cell system. In this case, step S22 may be, based on the health assessment values ​​of each candidate fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, selecting at least one fuel cell to be used from the candidate fuel cells.

[0074] At this point, since the health assessment values ​​of these candidate fuel cells are all greater than the preset threshold, fuel cells with health assessment values ​​less than or equal to the preset threshold are excluded. This avoids the final selection of fuel cells to be used including fuel cells with excessively low health assessment values, thereby preventing these fuel cells with excessively low health assessment values ​​from malfunctioning and affecting the overall stable operation.

[0075] Of course, based on the same implementation principle, the specific implementation method for selecting at least one fuel cell to be called from among the candidate fuel cells according to the health assessment value of each candidate fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm can also be as follows: First, based on the total power demand of the fuel cell system, determine multiple fuel cell start-up combinations that can meet the total power demand. At this time, the fuel cells in the fuel cell start-up combination are all candidate fuel cells. After obtaining multiple fuel cell start-up combinations, for each fuel cell start-up combination, substitute the health assessment value of each candidate fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm to calculate the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up combination. Then, select the fuel cell start-up combination with the lowest operating cost, and determine each candidate fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination with the lowest operating cost as the fuel cell to be called.

[0076] Step S23: Call each of the selected fuel cells to be called.

[0077] In step S23, the specific method for calling each fuel cell to be called is as follows: for fuel cells in standby mode, they can be directly controlled to be called; for fuel cells in running mode, they can also be directly controlled to be called; for fuel cells that have not been started, they can be started first and then called.

[0078] The fuel cell collaborative control method based on a fuel cell system provided in this application includes first determining the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system, then selecting at least one fuel cell to be called up from among the fuel cells based on the health assessment value and a fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, and then calling up each of the selected fuel cells to be called up. This method combines the fuel cell health assessment value, which reflects the health status of the fuel cells, and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, which reflects the operating costs, in the process of calling up fuel cells in the fuel cell system, thus achieving efficient calling up of fuel cells in the fuel cell system.

[0079] It should be noted that the above mentioned how to determine the total power demand of a fuel cell system. In practical applications, when the fuel cell system supplies power to the outside world, one method is to directly use the external power demand (PTG) as the total power demand of the fuel cell system. Specifically, the external power demand is the power that the fuel cell system needs to output to external devices. For example, if the fuel cell system is connected to a certain electrical device (i.e., the external device), and the electrical device needs to operate at a certain target power, then the target power that the fuel cell system needs to output is the external power demand.

[0080] Of course, considering that there will be some power loss within the fuel cell system, i.e., internal power consumption, which can be specifically defined as the power consumed internally due to factors such as resistance, the fuel cell system's structure, including the fuel cell power generation system, energy storage converter, and other core components, can all contribute to internal power consumption. Therefore, in practical applications, the total power demand of the fuel cell system can be calculated by adding the external demand power (PTG) to the internal power consumption.

[0081] The internal power consumption of a fuel cell system can be determined by first obtaining the power consumption of the fuel cell system's fuel cell system, the power consumption of the energy storage converter, and the power consumption of other core components. Then, the internal power consumption of the system can be calculated based on the power consumption of the fuel cell system, the power consumption of the energy storage converter, and the power consumption of other core components. For example, the sum of the three can be used as the internal power consumption of the system.

[0082] In addition, when a secondary battery is provided in the fuel cell system, the secondary battery undergoes charging and discharging processes. During charging, it consumes the power generated by the fuel cell system, while during discharging, it provides power to the fuel cell system. Therefore, when determining the total power demand of the fuel cell system, the external power demand (PTG) plus the power consumed by the system and the charging and discharging power of the secondary battery can be used as the total power demand of the fuel cell system. The power of the secondary battery is positive when charging and negative when discharging.

[0083] Therefore, in practical applications, the appropriate method can be selected according to actual needs to determine the total power demand of the fuel cell system.

[0084] It should be further explained that, as mentioned in step S23 above, each of the selected fuel cells to be called is called. Before or after calling each fuel cell to be called, the method provided in this application embodiment may further include determining the power generation power of each fuel cell to be called. For example, the first implementation may be to divide the total power demand of the fuel cell system by the number of fuel cells to be called to obtain the power generation power of each fuel cell to be called, and then these fuel cells to be called generate electricity externally with the power generation power.

[0085] A second approach to determining the power generation capacity of each fuel cell to be used is to determine its power generation capacity based on its health assessment value. For example, fuel cells with relatively high health assessment values ​​can be allocated relatively higher power generation capacity, while those with relatively low health assessment values ​​can be allocated relatively lower power generation capacity. The following formula can be used to determine the power generation capacity of each fuel cell to be used:

[0086]

[0087] In this formula, Let be the power generation capacity of the i-th fuel cell to be used; is the total power demand of the fuel cell system; n is the total number of fuel cells to be used; This represents the health assessment value of the i-th fuel cell to be called. The weighting coefficient corresponding to the health assessment value of the i-th fuel cell to be called; This represents the health assessment value of the j-th fuel cell to be called. The weighting coefficient is the weighting coefficient corresponding to the health assessment value of the j-th fuel cell to be called.

[0088] For example, for the i-th fuel cell to be used, the power generation of the i-th fuel cell can be calculated using this method. Therefore, the power generation can be allocated to the i-th fuel cell before or after it is invoked. This enables the i-th fuel cell to be called up to generate power at that output power. It is used to generate electricity for external use.

[0089] Specifically, the weighting coefficients for the health assessment values ​​of the fuel cells to be called upon can be determined by dividing the health assessment values ​​into multiple intervals (e.g., 2, 3, or other intervals), with each interval corresponding to a different weighting coefficient. The larger the interval value, the larger its corresponding weighting coefficient; conversely, the smaller the interval value, the smaller its corresponding weighting coefficient. Thus, the weighting coefficients for the health assessment values ​​of the i-th fuel cell to be called upon are... We can first determine the interval to which the health assessment value of the i-th fuel cell to be called belongs, and then obtain the weight coefficient of that interval. Of course, you can also assign different weight coefficients to each interval and set them all to the same value, such as 1.

[0090] Based on the fuel cell collaborative control method for a fuel cell system provided in the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application can also provide a controller that uses the method provided in the embodiments of this application to collaboratively control multiple parallel fuel cells in a fuel cell system. In practical applications, the controller can be, for example, the energy management unit (EMU) in the fuel cell system, or the controller (Fuel Cell Control Unit (FCU)) in the fuel cell system.

[0091] Of course, embodiments of this application may also provide a fuel cell system, which, in addition to processing multiple parallel fuel cells, may also include the controller, thereby enabling the controller to perform coordinated control of multiple parallel fuel cells.

[0092] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications are also considered within the scope of protection of this invention. Contents not described in detail in this specification are prior art known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A fuel cell cooperative control method based on a fuel cell system, characterized in that, The method includes: Determine the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell system; Based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from all the fuel cells. Call each of the selected fuel cells to be called; The method further includes: determining the power generation capacity of each fuel cell to be called; Specifically, based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from among the various fuel cells, including: Based on the total power demand of the fuel cell system, a variety of fuel cell start-up combinations that can meet the total power demand are determined, wherein at least one of the fuel cells to be started and the number of fuel cells to be started differs among the various fuel cell start-up combinations. For each fuel cell start-up combination, the health assessment value of each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination is substituted into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm to calculate the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up combination. The fuel cell start-up combination with the lowest operating cost is selected, and each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination with the lowest operating cost is identified as the fuel cell to be called up; Specifically, the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up assembly are substituted into the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm to calculate the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up assembly. This includes substituting the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up assembly into the calculation formula shown below to calculate the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up assembly: ； Where Q is the operating cost of the fuel cell start-up assembly; is the health assessment value of the m-th fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination; N represents each fuel cell in the fuel cell start-up combination. Let m be the unit operating cost of the m-th fuel cell in the fuel cell startup combination.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The power generation capacity of each fuel cell to be used is determined based on its health assessment value.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell to be called upon, the power generation capacity of each fuel cell is determined, specifically using the following formula: ； in: Let be the power generation capacity of the i-th fuel cell to be used; The total power demand of the fuel cell system is n; n is the total number of fuel cells to be used. This represents the health assessment value of the i-th fuel cell to be called. The weighting coefficient corresponding to the health assessment value of the i-th fuel cell to be called; This represents the health assessment value of the j-th fuel cell to be called. The weighting coefficient is the weighting coefficient corresponding to the health assessment value of the j-th fuel cell to be called.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determine the health assessment values ​​for each fuel cell in the fuel cell system, specifically including: Obtain the actual maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell, wherein the actual maximum operating parameters are used to characterize the actual power output capability of the corresponding fuel cell; Based on the actual maximum operating parameters and theoretical maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell, the health assessment value of each fuel cell is determined.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Based on the actual maximum operating parameters and theoretical maximum operating parameters of each fuel cell, the health assessment value of each fuel cell is determined, specifically including: The quotient obtained by dividing the actual maximum operating parameter of each fuel cell by the theoretical maximum operating parameter is determined as the health assessment value of each fuel cell.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before selecting at least one fuel cell to be used from among the various fuel cells based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, the method further includes: From the various fuel cells of the fuel cell system, multiple candidate fuel cells with health assessment values ​​greater than a preset threshold are selected; and, Based on the health assessment values ​​of each fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from all fuel cells, specifically including: Based on the health assessment values ​​of each candidate fuel cell and the fuel cell cost accounting algorithm, at least one fuel cell to be used is selected from the candidate fuel cells.

7. A controller, characterized in that, The controller uses the method described in any one of claims 1-6 to perform coordinated control of the individual fuel cells in the fuel cell system.

8. A fuel cell system, characterized in that, The fuel cell system includes multiple fuel cells connected in parallel and a controller as described in claim 7.

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