Fuel cell unit, system and related equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a fuel cell unit, a system and related equipment. The fuel cell unit comprises a fuel cell, a material interaction module, a heat dissipation module and a controller. The fuel cell unit is used for converting chemical energy of fuel into electric energy. And the substance interaction module is used for interacting fuel and byproducts in the fuel cell power generation process with the outside. And the heat dissipation module is used for dissipating heat of the fuel cell through a heat dissipation medium. The controller comprises a preset signal input interface. Through the signal input interface, the controller can obtain an upper control signal and a sensor signal, and controls the fuel cell, the substance exchange module and the heat dissipation module according to the upper control signal and the sensor signal. Wherein the upper control signal comes from an upper controller of the fuel cell. Therefore, the integrated fuel cell unit can adapt to different application scenes, has relatively high universality, and reduces the development difficulty.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and particularly to a fuel cell unit, system and related equipment. Background Art

[0002] In order to curb the trend of global warming, reducing carbon emissions has attracted more and more attention. Among them, developing new energy and clean energy is one of the important means to reduce carbon emissions. By replacing traditional energy with clean energy, not only can carbon emissions be reduced, but also emissions of other pollutants can be reduced. Fuel cells are an important development direction of clean energy, with advantages such as low pollution and high energy conversion efficiency.

[0003] Compared with traditional internal combustion engines or generators, fuel cells can directly convert the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy without first converting the chemical energy of fuel into mechanical energy or thermal energy, improving the energy conversion efficiency.

[0004] Fuel cells have a wide range of application scenarios. However, the supporting system of fuel cells is relatively complex. If it is necessary to use fuel cells in a new scenario, it is necessary to re-design and plan the fuel cells and the corresponding supporting system, and the development difficulty is relatively large. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, this application provides a fuel cell unit, system and related equipment, aiming to reduce the development difficulty through standardized fuel cell units.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a fuel cell unit, which includes a fuel cell, a material interaction module, a heat dissipation module and a controller;

[0007] The fuel cell is used to convert the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy;

[0008] The material interaction module is used to interact with the outside world for the fuel and by-products in the power generation process of the fuel cell;

[0009] The heat dissipation module is used to dissipate heat from the fuel cell through a heat dissipation medium;

[0010] The controller is connected to an external device through a preset signal input interface, and is used to obtain an upper control signal and a sensor signal, and control the fuel cell, the material interaction module and the heat dissipation module according to the upper control signal and the sensor signal. The upper control signal comes from the upper controller of the fuel cell unit.

[0011] In some possible implementation manners, the controller includes a vehicle application interaction layer, a system state control module, a power control module and a heat dissipation control module;

[0012] The vehicle application interaction layer is used to convert the upper control signal and the sensor signal into a target signal in a preset format;

[0013] The system state control module is used to determine the working state of the fuel cell unit according to the target signal, and the working state includes at least one of an enabling state, a starting state, an operating state, and a shutdown state;

[0014] The power control module is used to control the substance interaction module and the fuel cell according to the working state and the target signal to adjust the actual power generation power of the fuel cell unit;

[0015] The heat dissipation control module is used to control the heat dissipation module according to the working state and the target signal.

[0016] In some possible implementation manners, the sensor signal includes an air outlet temperature signal of the radiator and an ambient temperature signal;

[0017] The heat dissipation control module is specifically used to determine a target fan speed according to the air outlet temperature of the radiator and the ambient temperature, where the target fan speed is used to control the fan speed of the radiator, and the target signal is used to describe the air outlet temperature and the ambient temperature.

[0018] In some possible implementation manners, the controller further includes at least one extended function module;

[0019] The system state control module is used to manage the at least one extended function module;

[0020] The extended function module is used to implement the extended function of the fuel cell unit according to the working state and the target signal.

[0021] In some possible implementation manners, the at least one extended function module includes any one of an energy consumption calculation module, a heat dissipation management module, and a system activation module;

[0022] The energy consumption calculation module is used to calculate the fuel consumption parameter of the fuel cell according to the target signal;

[0023] The heat dissipation management module is used to supplement the heat dissipation medium in the heat dissipation module according to the heat dissipation medium filling control signal in the target signal;

[0024] The system activation module is used to activate and restore the catalyst in the fuel cell after the system state enters the shutdown state.

[0025] In some possible implementations, the fuel cell unit further includes a preset signal output interface;

[0026] The signal output interface includes any one or more of a CXN signal interface, a hardwired interface, and a bottom layer signal interface;

[0027] The signal output interface is used to output the operating parameters of the fuel cell unit.

[0028] In a second aspect, the present application provides a fuel cell system, which includes a main controller, a fuel cell application controller, a fuel controller, and at least one fuel cell unit as described in any one of the foregoing first aspects;

[0029] The main controller is configured to generate a main control signal according to a control instruction and send it to the fuel controller and the fuel cell application controller;

[0030] The fuel controller is configured to control the fuel to enter the fuel cell unit according to the main control signal;

[0031] The fuel cell application controller is configured to generate an upper-level control signal for the fuel cell unit according to the main control signal

[0032] In a third aspect, the present application provides a control device, which includes a memory and a controller. The memory is used to store instructions or codes, and the controller is used to direct the instructions or codes stored in the memory, so that the control device is used to implement the functions of the controller as described in any one of the foregoing first aspects.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a vehicle, which includes the fuel cell unit as described in any one of the foregoing first aspects.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer storage medium, in which codes are stored. When the codes are run, the device running the codes implements the method executed by the controller in the fuel cell unit as described in any one of the foregoing first aspects.

[0035] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product including instructions is provided. When it runs on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the method executed by the controller in the fuel cell unit as described in any one of the foregoing first aspects.

[0036] The present application provides a fuel cell unit, a system and related devices. Among them, the fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell, a material interaction module, a heat dissipation module and a controller. The fuel cell unit is used to convert the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy. The material interaction module is used to interact with the outside world for the fuel and by-products in the fuel cell power generation process. The heat dissipation module is used to dissipate heat from the fuel cell through a heat dissipation medium. The controller includes a preset signal input interface. Through the signal input interface, the controller can obtain the upper control signal and the sensor signal, and control the fuel cell, the material exchange module and the heat dissipation module according to the upper control signal and the sensor signal. Among them, the upper control signal comes from the upper controller of the fuel cell.

[0037] That is to say, the power generation function of the fuel cell, the material exchange function required during the operation of the fuel cell, and the heat dissipation function can be fixed in the fuel cell unit, and the controller inside the fuel cell unit can control the hardware modules corresponding to the power generation function, the material exchange function and the heat dissipation function. In this way, if it is necessary to use a fuel cell in a certain application scenario, only the corresponding upper controller and sensor need to be deployed to use the preset fuel cell unit. In this way, through the integrated fuel cell unit, different application scenarios can be adapted, with strong versatility and reduced development difficulty. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0039] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell unit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 2 It is another schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell unit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell system provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Fuel cells have the advantages of being clean, environmentally friendly and efficient, and have been widely used in many fields. For example, in the vehicle field, fuel cells can be used as a power source. Compared with traditional internal combustion engines or range-extended engines, using fuel cells as a power source has a higher energy conversion efficiency, achieving the effect of saving fuel.

[0043] However, fuel cells require a relatively large number of auxiliary devices. If a fuel cell is to be used as a power source in a certain scenario, not only the fuel cell itself needs to be designed, but also the auxiliary devices of the fuel cell need to be designed and the control methods for the auxiliary devices need to be developed. Since a relatively large amount of configuration and development work is required, a significant amount of development work is needed to use a fuel cell in a new scenario.

[0044] Based on this problem, the inventors of the present application found that although fuel cells have many auxiliary devices, some of these auxiliary devices can be standardized and integrated. Based on this, the fuel cell and the necessary auxiliary devices of the fuel cell can be fixedly integrated into a module, and each auxiliary device can be controlled by a standardized controller. In addition, a standardized input / output interface with the outside world can be designed for this module, and the controller interacts with the outside world through the input / output interface to control the fuel cell and the auxiliary devices.

[0045] In this way, if a fuel cell needs to be used in a new scenario, only the above integrated module needs to be used, and corresponding signal inputs and signal outputs need to be configured outside. There is no need to redesign the auxiliary devices for the fuel cell, nor to re-develop the corresponding control algorithms. In this way, the portability and versatility of the fuel cell are improved, and the development work for using the fuel cell in a new scenario is reduced.

[0046] The following will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specification.

[0047] See Figure 1 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell unit provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the Figure 1 scenario shown, the fuel cell unit 10 includes a fuel cell 11, a mass interaction module 12, a heat dissipation module 13, and a controller 14.

[0048] Among them, the fuel cell 11 is used to convert the chemical energy of the fuel into electrical energy. The mass interaction module 12 interacts with substances outside the fuel cell unit 10. The heat dissipation module 13 is used to dissipate heat from the fuel cell 11.

[0049] Specifically, the mass interaction module 12 is connected to the fuel storage device, can obtain the fuel stored in the fuel storage device, and convey the fuel to the fuel cell. In addition, the mass exchange module 12 also has a function of conveying products, and can discharge the by-products generated during the operation of the fuel cell 11 out of the fuel cell unit 10. For example, if the fuel cell 11 is a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell, the above fuel storage device can be a hydrogen storage tank, and the mass interaction module 12 can discharge by-products such as water vapor generated by the fuel cell 11 into the atmosphere.

[0050] It can be understood that the energy utilization rate of the fuel cell 11 often cannot reach 100%. It is impossible to convert all the chemical energy of the fuel into electrical energy, and the chemical energy that cannot be converted into electrical energy will be lost in the form of heat, resulting in a gradual increase in the temperature of the fuel cell 11. The increase in the temperature of the fuel cell poses a safety hazard on the one hand and may cause the actual temperature of the fuel cell to exceed the optimal operating temperature of the fuel cell, reducing the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell on the other hand.

[0051] For this reason, a heat dissipation module 13 is integrated in the fuel cell unit 10. The heat dissipation module 13 is used to control the temperature of the fuel cell 11. The heat dissipation module 13 can dissipate heat from the fuel cell 11 through a heat dissipation medium. Optionally, the heat dissipation medium can be cooling water. Specifically, the heat dissipation module 13 can include a water pump and a cooling circuit. Through the water pump and the cooling circuit, the cooling water can be pumped into the fuel cell and the heated cooling water can be pumped out of the fuel cell.

[0052] Optionally, the heat dissipation module 13 can include an input interface and an output interface for the heat dissipation medium, which are used for the heat dissipation module 13 to interact with the outside world for the heat dissipation medium.

[0053] Specifically, the heat dissipation module 13 can output the heated heat dissipation medium to external devices through the output interface. The external devices can include heat dissipation devices such as heat exchangers and cooling fans. Through the heat dissipation of these heat dissipation devices, the temperature of the heat dissipation medium can be reduced. The cooled heat dissipation medium can be input into the heat dissipation module 13 again through the input interface, so as to dissipate heat from the fuel cell 11 through the heat dissipation module 13.

[0054] Optionally, the output interface can include a thermostat. The thermostat can output the heat dissipation medium to external devices through the output interface when the temperature of the heat dissipation medium is high, and can refuse to output the heat dissipation medium to external devices when the temperature of the heat dissipation medium is low. If the temperature of the heat dissipation medium is low, the thermostat can circulate the heat dissipation medium into the cooling circuit and continue to be used for the heat dissipation of the fuel cell 11.

[0055] In the implementation method introduced above, the heat dissipation module 13 can be used as the first-level heat dissipation to dissipate heat from the fuel cell 11. If the heat dissipation effect of the heat dissipation module 13 is good, the heat dissipation module 13 can circulate the heat dissipation medium inside the fuel cell system 10. If the heat dissipation effect of the heat dissipation module 13 is poor, the second-level heat dissipation can be carried out through external devices. In this way, more or fewer levels of heat dissipation mechanisms can be used according to the actual heat dissipation requirements, so as to meet the actual heat dissipation requirements of the fuel cell 11.

[0056] That is to say, the fuel cell unit is equipped with a primary heat dissipation mechanism. In actual application scenarios, other heat dissipation mechanisms can be added according to the heat dissipation requirements of the application scenario, or only the heat dissipation mechanism inside the fuel cell unit can be used. Moreover, even if more levels of heat dissipation mechanisms need to be added, only the heat dissipation medium needs to be cooled, without the need to redesign the heat dissipation circuit of the fuel cell 11. In this way, when it comes to the heat dissipation system of the fuel cell system, only the heat dissipation of the heat dissipation medium needs to be considered, and there is no need to consider the heat dissipation design of the fuel cell 11.

[0057] The controller 14 is connected to external devices through a preset signal input interface to receive the upper-level control signal from the upper controller and the sensor signal from the sensor. Optionally, the signal input interface can include interfaces such as a CXN signal interface, a hard wire interface, and a bottom layer signal interface. In some implementation manners, multiple signal input interfaces can be configured for the controller 14. In this way, when the fuel cell unit 10 needs to be used, the corresponding signal input interface can be selected for signal input according to the actual situation of the external device.

[0058] In addition to the signal input interface, the controller 14 can also include a signal output interface. The signal output interface can include interfaces such as a CXN signal interface, a hard wire interface, and a bottom layer signal interface. Through these interfaces, the fuel cell unit 10 can also output signals to the outside.

[0059] According to the upper-level control signal and the sensor signal, the controller 14 can control the fuel cell 11, the material interaction module 12, and the heat dissipation module 13 according to a preset control mechanism.

[0060] In this way, the control mechanism is integrated into the controller 14 inside the fuel cell unit 11. If the fuel cell needs to be used in a new application scenario, only the upper controller and the sensor need to be designed, and the signals required by the controller 14 are sent to the controller through the preset signal input interface. In this way, only the control algorithm needs to be designed for the controller 14, and there is no need to redesign the control logic for the fuel cell and each supporting device. Thus, integrating the control function inside the fuel cell unit into the controller reduces the design difficulty of the controller outside the fuel cell unit and facilitates the application of the fuel cell unit in different scenarios.

[0061] The present application provides a fuel cell unit. The fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell, a material interaction module, a heat dissipation module, and a controller. The fuel cell unit is used to convert the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy. The material interaction module is used to interact with the outside world for the fuel and by-products during the power generation process of the fuel cell. The heat dissipation module is used to dissipate heat from the fuel cell through a heat dissipation medium. The controller includes a preset signal input interface. Through the signal input interface, the controller can obtain an upper-level control signal and a sensor signal, and control the fuel cell, the material exchange module, and the heat dissipation module according to the upper-level control signal and the sensor signal. Among them, the upper-level control signal comes from the upper-level controller of the fuel cell.

[0062] That is to say, the power generation function of the fuel cell, the material exchange function required during the operation of the fuel cell, and the heat dissipation function can be fixed in the fuel cell unit, and the hardware modules corresponding to the power generation function, the material exchange function, and the heat dissipation function can be controlled by the controller inside the fuel cell unit. In this way, if it is necessary to use a fuel cell in a certain application scenario, only the corresponding upper-level controller and sensor need to be deployed to use the preset fuel cell unit. In this way, through the integrated fuel cell unit, different application scenarios can be adapted, with strong versatility and reduced development difficulty.

[0063] The following Figure 2 , introduce a specific implementation manner of the controller. Refer to Figure 2 , this figure is another schematic structural diagram of the fuel cell unit provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0064] Based on the fuel cell unit 10 shown in Figure 1 , the controller 14 specifically includes a vehicle application interaction layer 141, a system state control module 142, a power control module 143, and a heat dissipation control module 144.

[0065] Among them, the vehicle application interaction layer 141 is used to realize the conversion of external signals into internal signals. That is, the vehicle application interaction layer 141 is used to receive the upper-level control signal and the sensor signal from the outside world, and convert the upper-level control signal and the sensor signal into a signal common inside the controller 14.

[0066] Specifically, considering the adaptability problem in the actual application scenario, each functional module in the controller 14 can be designed to communicate in a preset signal format, and the external signal is converted into the preset signal format through the vehicle application interaction layer 141. In this way, in different application scenarios, even if the external signal changes, only the vehicle application interaction layer 141 needs to be adjusted to convert the external signal into an internal signal in the preset format, so as to control each module in the controller 14, and it is not necessary to adjust other functional modules inside the controller 14.

[0067] In this way, the internal communication of the controller 14 is standardized, and the standards inside and outside the controller 14 are adapted through the vehicle application interaction layer. When changes occur outside the controller 14, the signal conversion function of the vehicle application interaction layer 14 can be adjusted by re-development, enabling each functional module inside the controller 14 to adapt to external changes and thus being applied to different application scenarios. In this way, through the conversion by the vehicle application interaction layer 141, the workload of adjusting the controller 14 when applying it in different scenarios is reduced, and the versatility of the controller 14 is improved.

[0068] The system state control module 142 is used to implement the working state control of the fuel cell unit 10. The power control module 143 is used to control the power generation power of the fuel cell 11. The heat dissipation control module 144 is used to control the heat dissipation module 13.

[0069] The following will introduce each module in the controller 14 separately.

[0070] The system state control module 14 is used to implement the working state control of the fuel cell unit 10. The working states of the fuel cell unit 10 include the enabled state, the starting state, the running state, and the shutdown state.

[0071] The enabled state refers to the state in which the fuel cell unit 10 is allowed to start. For example, after devices such as the upper controller are powered on, an enable signal can be sent to the controller 14 through a signal input interface (such as a hardwired interface). According to the vehicle application interaction layer 141, the external enable signal can be converted into an internal enable signal and sent to the system state control module 142. According to the internal enable signal, the system state control module 142 can switch the working state of the fuel cell unit 10 to the enabled state.

[0072] The starting state refers to the transition state of the fuel cell unit 10 from the enabled state to the running state. In the starting state, each module in the fuel cell unit 10 enters the running state from the non-running state. Optionally, the upper controller can send a start command to the controller 14 through the signal input interface to make the controller 14 enter the starting state.

[0073] The running state refers to the state in which the fuel cell unit 10 operates normally. In the running state, each module inside the fuel cell unit 10 works according to the upper control signal. For example, the fuel cell 11 can generate electricity according to the instructions of the upper controller. The heat dissipation module 13 can control the temperature of the fuel cell 11 according to the instructions of the upper control module.

[0074] The shutdown state refers to the state in which the fuel cell unit 10 stops operating. The upper controller can instruct the fuel cell unit 10 to enter the shutdown state through a shutdown command.

[0075] The power control module 143 is used to control the power generation output of the fuel cell unit. Specifically, the power control module 143 can control the fuel cell 11 and / or the mass exchange module 12, and control the actual power generation of the fuel cell unit 10 by controlling the fuel input amount and the reaction speed of the fuel cell, etc.

[0076] Optionally, after the system state control module 142 determines that the working state of the fuel cell unit 10 is the operating state, the power control module 143 can control the mass exchange module 12 and the fuel cell 11 to adjust the actual power generation of the fuel cell unit 10. Optionally, the upper control signal can be used to describe the target power. The vehicle application interaction layer 141 can determine the target power according to the upper control signal, and generate a control signal for power control inside the controller 14 according to the target power. The power control module 143 can control the mass exchange module 12 and the fuel cell 11 according to the target power, so that the actual power generation of the fuel cell unit 10 approaches or reaches the target power.

[0077] The heat dissipation control module 144 is used to control the heat dissipation module 13 according to the working state of the fuel cell unit 10 and the sensor signal. Among them, the sensor signal can be the sensor signal converted by the vehicle application interaction layer 141. Specifically, the vehicle application interaction layer 141 can receive the external sensor signal and convert the external sensor signal into a sensor signal in a standard format used inside the controller 14. Optionally, the sensor signal can include the temperature sensing signal measured by the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor can be deployed at positions such as the fuel cell 11 and the output interface of the heat dissipation module 13. Or, if a multi-stage heat dissipation mechanism is included, the temperature sensor can also be deployed at the outlet of the heat dissipation fan.

[0078] The heat dissipation control module 144 can be pre-configured with a control algorithm, such as a control algorithm including a negative feedback mechanism. Based on the control algorithm, the heat dissipation control module 144 can adjust parameters such as the flow rate of the heat dissipation medium to enhance or weaken the heat dissipation effect of the heat dissipation module 13. Optionally, if a multi-stage heat dissipation mechanism is included, the heat dissipation control module 144 can also control the external heat dissipation mechanism, such as controlling the fan speed of the heat dissipation fan. Optionally, the controller also includes an output interface, and the heat dissipation control module 144 can output a fan speed control signal to the outside through the output interface. If there is a multi-stage heat dissipation requirement, the developer can deploy a path between the output interface and the heat dissipation fan to control the heat dissipation fan according to the fan speed control signal.

[0079] In addition to the above vehicle application interaction layer 141, system state control module 142, power control module 143 and heat dissipation control module 144, the controller 14 can also include one or more extended function modules. For example, inFigure 2 In the implementation shown, the controller 14 includes an extended function module 145.

[0080] The extended function module 145 is used to implement the extended functions of the controller. The extended functions can be, for example, energy consumption calculation function, heat dissipation medium replenishment function, and system activation function, etc. Optionally, the controller can include one extended function module, or multiple extended function modules, or may not include an extended function module. Specifically, the number of extended function modules in the controller matches the number of extended functions the controller has. If new extended functions need to be added to the controller, new extended function modules can be added to the controller.

[0081] If the extended function module 145 is used to implement the energy consumption calculation function, the extended function module 145 can also be called an energy consumption calculation module. The energy consumption calculation module is used to calculate the energy consumption of the fuel cell 11. Optionally, the energy consumption calculation module can obtain the fuel consumption situation. For example, it can be the external sensor signals collected by the sensors deployed in the mass exchange module 12. After being converted by the vehicle application interaction layer 141, the external sensor signals are converted into internal sensor signals and sent to the function extension module 145. The function extension module 145 can determine the fuel consumption rate based on the internal sensor signals, thereby calculating the energy consumption of the fuel cell 11.

[0082] If the extended function module 145 is used to implement the heat dissipation medium replenishment function, the extended function module 145 can also be called a heat dissipation management replenishment module. The heat dissipation management module can actively or passively replenish the heat dissipation medium for the heat dissipation module 13. Optionally, the upper control signal can include a heat dissipation medium filling control signal. The vehicle application interaction layer 141 can convert the heat dissipation medium filling control signal into an internal control signal in a preset format. According to this internal control signal, the heat dissipation management module can replenish the heat dissipation medium in the heat dissipation module. The heat dissipation medium filling control signal can be obtained based on the heat dissipation medium replenishment instruction triggered by the user. Or, the heat dissipation management replenishment module can also monitor the amount of the heat dissipation medium in the heat dissipation module 13 according to the sensor signal, and replenish the heat dissipation medium in the heat dissipation module 13 when it detects that the heat dissipation medium is insufficient.

[0083] If the extended function module 145 is used to implement the system activation function, the extended function module 145 can also be called a system activation module. The system activation module is used to activate the catalyst in the fuel cell 11. Specifically, after the system state control module 142 determines that the fuel cell unit 10 enters the shutdown state, the system session module can activate and restore the catalyst in the fuel cell 11. For example, the low-potential catalyst oxide reduction can be achieved through the low stoichiometry ratio of the cathode, and after the activation is completed, normal purging is carried out.

[0084] In the implementation manners introduced above, some implementation manners of fuel cell units are introduced. Optionally, each fuel cell unit may include a fuel cell for power generation. However, the power generation amount of a single fuel cell is limited. In some application scenarios, the power generation amount of a single fuel cell may not meet the power consumption requirements, and multiple fuel cells are required for power supply.

[0085] For this reason, an embodiment of the present application further provides a fuel cell system. One or more fuel cell units may be included in the fuel cell system. High-power power supply is performed through multiple fuel cell units.

[0086] Specifically, referring to Figure 3 , this figure is a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell system provided by an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 3 the shown fuel cell system, a main controller 31, a fuel controller 32, a fuel cell application controller 33, a fuel cell unit 341, and a fuel cell 342 are included.

[0087] Among them, the main controller 31 is the controller of the fuel cell system and is used to control the fuel controller 32 and the fuel cell application controller 33. The fuel cell application controller 33 is used to control multiple fuel cell units (such as the fuel cell unit 341 and the fuel cell 342).

[0088] Optionally, one or more supporting devices may also be included in the fuel cell system. For example, devices such as relays, valves, and sensors may be included.

[0089] The main controller 31 may be used to communicate with external devices. For example, if the fuel cell system is a fuel cell system in a vehicle, the main controller 31 may communicate with the vehicle controller and the controller of the power system to receive upper-level control instructions. The main controller 31 may generate a main control signal according to the control instructions and send the main control signal to the fuel controller and the fuel cell application controller.

[0090] The fuel controller 32 is used to control the fuel input into the fuel cell system. Optionally, the fuel controller 32 may be associated with the aforementioned substance interaction module to control the fuel input into the fuel cell unit. Specifically, the fuel controller 32 may calculate the fuel input amounts of the fuel cell unit 341 and the fuel cell unit 342, and control the fuel input into the fuel cell unit 341 and the fuel cell unit 342 according to the fuel input amounts.

[0091] The fuel cell application controller 33 is used to control the fuel cell power supply. Specifically, the fuel cell application controller 33 may generate one or more upper-level control signals according to the main control signal and send the upper-level control signals to the fuel cell unit.

[0092] For example, assume that the maximum power generation of a single fuel cell is X, and an external device instructs the fuel cell system to output at a power of 0.8X. Then, the fuel cell application controller 33 can generate a first upper-level control signal and a second upper-level control signal. The first upper-level control signal is used to instruct the fuel cell unit 341 to output at a power of 0.8X. The second upper-level control signal is used to instruct the fuel cell unit 342 to enter the enabled state but not generate electricity. Assume that the external device instructs the fuel cell system to output at a power of 1.6X. Then, the fuel cell application controller 33 can generate a third upper-level control signal and a fourth upper-level control signal. The third upper-level control signal is used to instruct the fuel cell unit 341 to output at a power of 0.8X. The second upper-level control signal is used to instruct the fuel cell unit 342 to output at a power of 0.8X.

[0093] It can be understood that the fuel cell application controller has the ability to control one or more fuel cell units. Therefore, during the development of the fuel cell system, one or more fuel cell units can be configured in the fuel cell system according to actual power consumption requirements. Since each fuel cell unit comes with built-in functional modules and a controller, and interacts with the outside world through standard interfaces, when adding or reducing fuel cell units, there is no need to adjust external devices (such as the fuel cell application controller and the fuel controller). In this way, the development difficulty is reduced and the development efficiency is improved.

[0094] The embodiments of the present application also provide corresponding control devices, vehicles, computer storage media, and computer program products for implementing the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0095] Among them, the control device includes a memory and a controller. The memory is used to store instructions or codes, and the controller is used to direct the instructions or codes stored in the memory so that the control device can be used to implement the functions of the controller described in any item of the foregoing first aspect.

[0096] The vehicle includes the fuel cell unit described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0097] The computer storage medium stores codes. When the codes are run, the device running the codes implements the method executed by the controller in the fuel cell unit described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0098] The computer program product contains instructions. When it runs on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the method executed by the controller in the fuel cell unit described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0099] In the embodiments of the present application, the "first", "second" (if any) in names such as "the first" and "the second" are only used as name identifiers and do not represent the first and second in order.

[0100] From the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that all or part of the steps in the above method embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus a general hardware platform. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present application can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product can be stored in a storage medium, such as a read-only memory (ROM) / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., including several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network communication device such as a router) to execute the methods described in various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments of the present application.

[0101] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner. For the same or similar parts among the embodiments, reference can be made to each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the device embodiments, since they are basically similar to the method embodiments, the description is relatively simple. For the relevant parts, reference can be made to the partial description of the method embodiments. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without creative efforts.

[0102] The above is only an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A fuel cell unit, characterized in that: The fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell, a material interaction module, a heat dissipation module and a controller; The fuel cell is used to convert the chemical energy of the fuel into electrical energy; The substance interaction module is used to interact with the outside world with the fuel and byproducts in the fuel cell power generation process; The heat dissipation module is used to dissipate heat from the fuel cell through a heat dissipation medium; The controller is connected to external equipment through a preset signal input interface to obtain upper-level control signals and sensor signals, and controls the fuel cell, the material interaction module and the heat dissipation module according to the upper-level control signals and the sensor signals. The upper-level control signals come from the upper-level controller of the fuel cell unit.

2. The fuel cell unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller includes a vehicle application interaction layer, a system status control module, a power control module and a heat dissipation control module; The vehicle application interaction layer is used to convert the upper control signal and the sensor signal into a target signal in a preset format; The system state control module is used to determine the working state of the fuel cell unit according to the target signal, and the working state includes at least one of an enabled state, a startup state, a running state and a shutdown state; The power control module is used to control the substance interaction module and the fuel cell according to the working state and the target signal to adjust the actual power generation of the fuel cell unit; The heat dissipation control module is used to control the heat dissipation module according to the working state and the target signal.

3. The fuel cell unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sensor signal includes an air outlet temperature signal of the radiator and an ambient temperature signal; The heat dissipation control module is specifically used to determine the target fan speed according to the air outlet temperature of the radiator and the ambient temperature. The target fan speed is used to control the fan speed of the radiator, and the target signal is used to describe the air outlet temperature and the ambient temperature.

4. The fuel cell unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller further comprises at least one extended function module; The system status control module is used to manage the at least one extended function module; The extended function module is used to realize the extended function of the fuel cell unit according to the working state and the target signal.

5. The fuel cell unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least one extended function module includes any one of an energy consumption calculation module, a heat dissipation management module and a system activation module; The energy consumption calculation module is used to calculate the fuel consumption parameter of the fuel cell according to the target signal; The heat dissipation management module is used to replenish the heat dissipation medium in the heat dissipation module according to the heat dissipation medium filling control signal in the target signal; The system activation module is used to activate and reduce the catalyst in the fuel cell after the system state enters the shutdown state.

6. The fuel cell unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The fuel cell unit also includes a preset signal output interface; The signal output interface includes any one or more of a CXN signal interface, a hard line interface and a bottom layer signal interface; The signal output interface is used to output the operating parameters of the fuel cell unit.

7. A control device, characterized in that: The control device comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store instructions or codes, and the processor is used to execute the instructions or codes stored in the memory, so that the control device is used to implement the functions of the controller as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A fuel cell system, characterized in that: The fuel cell system comprises a main controller, a fuel cell application controller, a fuel controller and at least one fuel cell unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6; The main controller is used to generate a main control signal according to the control instruction and apply a controller to the fuel controller and the fuel cell; The fuel controller is used to control the input of fuel into the fuel cell unit according to the main control signal; The fuel cell application controller is used to generate a higher-level control signal of the fuel cell unit according to the main control signal.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle includes a fuel cell system as claimed in claim 8 .

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor executes the method executed by a controller in a fuel cell unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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