Fuel cell system control method

Abstract

The invention provides a fuel cell system control method. The fuel cell system is arranged on the fuel cell vehicle and can charge a power cell on the fuel cell vehicle. The method comprises the steps that a target path of the fuel cell vehicle is obtained, the target path comprises a plurality of stop stations, the first stop station serves as a starting point, and the last stop station serves as an ending point; predicting the residual electric quantity of a power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each subsequent stop station from the current stop station in the whole travel of the fuel cell vehicle from the starting point along the target path; and determining a start-stop strategy of the fuel cell system by adopting an optimization model according to the predicted residual electric quantity of the power cell when the fuel cell system arrives at each subsequent stop station, and the optimization target of the optimization model is that the fuel cell system is started and stopped under the constraint condition that the residual electric quantity of the power cell when the fuel cell system arrives at each subsequent stop station is always greater than the preset electric quantity. The number of times that the start-stop fuel cell system charges the power battery is minimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling a fuel cell system of a fuel cell vehicle. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell vehicle (FCV) is equipped with a fuel cell system and a power battery. The fuel cell system can charge the power battery. A common practice is to turn on the fuel cell system at a predetermined time interval to charge the power battery. Another common practice is to turn on the fuel cell system to charge the power battery when the state of charge (SOC) of the power battery is lower than a predetermined value (for example, 30%). However, for some specific application scenarios, for example, when the fuel cell vehicle is used as a transport vehicle and has a pre-determined driving route, a control strategy for determining when to turn on the fuel cell system to charge the power battery needs to be designed according to the specific application scenario. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In this context, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system is disposed on a fuel cell vehicle and can charge a power battery on the fuel cell vehicle. The method includes: obtaining a target path of the fuel cell vehicle, which includes a plurality of stop stations, where the first stop station is the starting point and the last stop station is the end point; predicting the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each subsequent stop station from the current stop station during the entire journey of the fuel cell vehicle along the target path from the starting point; and determining a start-stop strategy of the fuel cell system according to the predicted remaining power of the power battery when arriving at each subsequent stop station, where the optimization objective of the optimization model is to minimize the number of times of starting and stopping the fuel cell system to charge the power battery under the constraint condition that the remaining power of the power battery when arriving at each subsequent stop station is always greater than a predetermined power.

[0004] Another aspect of the present invention provides a device for controlling the start and stop of a fuel cell system, which includes: one or more processors; and one or more memories, where the memories store computer-executable instructions, and the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to execute the method as described above.

[0005] Another aspect of the present invention provides a machine-readable storage medium that stores executable instructions, and the instructions, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute the method as described above.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer program product that includes computer-executable instructions, and the instructions, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute the method as described above.

[0007] The above gives an overview of the main aspects of the present invention to enable a basic understanding of these aspects. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of any or all aspects of the present invention. The purpose of this overview is to present some implementations of these aspects in a simplified form as a preface to the detailed description to be given later. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It can be understood that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 schematically shows a target path of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a fuel cell system can complete a target path in one start-stop cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 is by means of Figure 2 in the target path to illustrate Figure 4 the method in

[0014] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a fuel cell system can complete a target path in two start-stop cycles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 7 is by means of Figure 2 in the target path to illustrate Figure 6 the method in

[0016] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a fuel cell system can complete a target path in three start-stop cycles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 9 is by means of Figure 2 in the target path to illustrate Figure 8 the method in DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Next, the detailed embodiments of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 FIG. 2 shows an on-vehicle fuel cell system 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as the fuel cell system 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. A vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system 100 is called a fuel cell vehicle (FCV: Fuel cell vehicle). The fuel cell vehicle is also equipped with a power battery (PB: Power Battery), which is coupled to the fuel cell system 100. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power battery is used to provide power for the vehicle, and the fuel cell system 100 can charge the power battery.

[0020] Refer to Figure 1 , the fuel cell system 100 includes a fuel cell (FC: fuel cell) 10 and a control unit 20. The fuel cell 10 converts the chemical energy of fuel (e.g., high-purity hydrogen) and an oxidant (e.g., oxygen or air) into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction. The control unit 20 controls the start and stop (turn on and turn off) of the fuel cell system 100 according to the control strategy of the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the start-up timing, shutdown timing, and start-stop times of the fuel cell system 100. After the fuel cell system 100 is turned on, it charges the power battery on the vehicle, and stops charging the power battery when it is turned off.

[0021] Figure 2 FIG. 3 shows a target path of the fuel cell vehicle FCV according to an embodiment of the present invention, that is, the fuel cell vehicle FCV will travel along this target path. As Figure 2 shown, this target path includes multiple stop stations S0 to S n , where the first stop station S0 is the starting point (i.e., the starting station or the first station of this target path), and the last stop station S n is the end point (i.e., the last station of this target path). The positions of these stop stations are predetermined. Among these stop stations, the distances between adjacent stations can be equal or unequal. For example, the distance between two adjacent stations S0 and S1 is equal to the distance between two adjacent stations S2 and S3, but is not equal to the distance between two adjacent stations S1 and S2.

[0022] The fuel cell vehicle FCV is, for example, a transport vehicle (e.g., a transport truck or lorry). This target path is the delivery path of the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle stops at each station for a period of time to unload or load goods, and then departs for the next station.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fuel cell system 100 can be turned on when the fuel cell vehicle FCV leaves a station (e.g., S2), and turned off when the fuel cell vehicle FCV stops at the next station (e.g., S3). In this way, the fuel cell system 100 is arranged to charge the power battery while the fuel cell vehicle FCV is traveling between the two adjacent stations (S2 and S3).

[0024] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method 300 for controlling the fuel cell system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to the method 300, a control strategy (i.e., start-stop control strategy) for controlling the turn-on and turn-off of the fuel cell system 100 can be obtained. The control unit 20 controls the turn-on and turn-off of the fuel cell system 100 according to this control strategy. For example, it controls the start-up and shutdown of the fuel cell 10.

[0025] The method 300 can be implemented in a controller (e.g., ECU or VCU or domain controller) in the fuel cell vehicle. The method 300 can also be implemented in a cloud server or an edge server, and the control strategy obtained through the method 300 is transmitted to the fuel cell vehicle so that the control unit 20 controls the fuel cell system 100 according to this control strategy.

[0026] It should be understood that the operations involved in the method 300 do not have to be performed in the exact order described. Instead, multiple operations can be disposed of in a different order or simultaneously, and operations can be added or omitted.

[0027] See Figure 3 , at block 302, obtain the target path of the fuel cell vehicle. The target path includes a plurality of stop stations, where the first stop station is the starting point and the last stop station is the end point. The target path can be pre-formulated and stored in the vehicle networking server of the vehicle networking including multiple fuel cell vehicles, and can be obtained from the vehicle networking server when needed. For embodiments of the target path, please refer to the description above in combination with Figure 2 the description of

[0028] At block 304, when the fuel cell vehicle is at the starting point S0 of the target path, obtain initial prediction information based on the real-time traffic flow information of the target path. The initial prediction information includes: the duration and average power consumption for the fuel cell vehicle to pass through every two adjacent stop stations. The present invention does not limit the specific implementation manner for calculating or predicting the duration and average power consumption.

[0029] For example, see Figure 2, when the fuel cell vehicle is currently parked at the starting point S0, according to the current traffic conditions of the target path (i.e., the real-time traffic flow information of the target path), obtain the duration t1 (the duration for the fuel cell vehicle to drive from station S0 to station S1), the duration t2 (the duration for the fuel cell vehicle to drive from station S1 to station S2) t2... the duration t n (the duration for the fuel cell vehicle to drive from station S n-1 to station S n ). Obtain the average power consumption P1 (the average power consumption of the power battery during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from station S0 to station S1), the average power consumption P2 (the average power consumption of the power battery during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from station S1 to station S2)... the average power consumption P n (the average power consumption of the power battery during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from station S n-1 to station S n ).

[0030] In block 306, during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving along the target path, when the fuel cell reaches each intermediate stop (for example, each of stations S1 to S n-1 ), obtain the updated prediction information based on the real-time traffic information flow of the target path. The updated prediction information includes: the duration and average power consumption between every two adjacent stops among the multiple stops that the fuel cell vehicle will pass after passing this stop.

[0031] For example, refer to Figure 2 , when the fuel cell vehicle is currently parked at station S1, according to the current traffic conditions of the current target path (i.e., the real-time traffic flow information of the target path), obtain the duration and power consumption information after station S1. For example, the duration t2 (the duration for the fuel cell vehicle to drive from station S1 to station S2), the duration t3 (the duration for the fuel cell vehicle to drive from station S2 to station S3)... the duration t n (the duration for the fuel cell vehicle to drive from station S n-1 to station S n ). Obtain the average power consumption P2 (the average power consumption of the power battery during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from station S1 to station S2), the average power consumption P3 (the average power consumption of the power battery during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from station S2 to station S3)... the average power consumption P n (the average power consumption of the power battery during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from station S n-1 to station S n ).

[0032] According to block 306, it makes sense to obtain updated prediction information because the traffic flow state may change, which will affect the vehicle's passability (e.g., passing quickly or stop-and-go), and thus the duration for the fuel cell vehicle to pass through adjacent stations will change. Moreover, when the passability of the fuel cell vehicle changes, its average power consumption will also change. By using the information update method in block 306, the errors / misjudgments of the duration and average power consumption caused by traffic flow changes or uncertainties in subsequent trip conditions can be reduced.

[0033] In block 308, predict the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each subsequent stop from the current stop during the entire trip of the fuel cell vehicle traveling along the target path from the starting point.

[0034] In one embodiment, the remaining power of the power battery can be calculated based on the initial power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at the starting point, the power consumed by the power battery during the driving of the fuel cell vehicle, and the power obtained by the power battery through charging by the fuel cell system.

[0035] The power consumed by the power battery during the driving of the fuel cell vehicle can be calculated based on the duration and average power consumption between every two adjacent stops among the stops that the fuel cell vehicle has passed. For example, if the current stop of the fuel cell vehicle is S3, then the power consumed is the sum of the power consumed when the fuel cell vehicle passes through S0->S1, S1->S2, and S2->S3 in sequence, that is, P1*t1 + P2*t2 + P3*t3.

[0036] The power obtained by the power battery through charging by the fuel cell system can be calculated based on the maximum output power of the fuel cell system and the charging duration. For example, the maximum output power of the fuel cell system is P fsc max , and the fuel cell system 100 charges the power battery during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from station S1 to station S2. In this case, the power obtained by the power battery through charging by the fuel cell system is: P fsc max *t2.

[0037] In block 310, according to the predicted remaining power of the power battery when arriving at each subsequent stop, an optimization model is used to determine the start-stop strategy of the fuel cell system. The optimization objective of the optimization model is: under the constraint condition that the remaining power of the power battery when arriving at each subsequent stop is always greater than the predetermined power, minimize the number of times the fuel cell system is started to charge the power battery.

[0038] In one embodiment, the predetermined power can be the power that the power battery can maintain to drive the fuel cell vehicle to the end point or to the next charging station. The charging station refers to the station where the fuel cell system 100 is turned on to charge the power battery. The predetermined power can also be implemented as a slightly increased reserved power on the basis of the above power. For example, increase by 5% - 20% of the above power on the basis of the above power.

[0039] In one embodiment, the input of the optimization model includes: 1) the target path of the fuel cell vehicle; and 2) the remaining power of the fuel cell obtained based on the above initial prediction information or updated prediction information.

[0040] The constraint conditions of the optimization model include the following three constraint conditions.

[0041] 1) The remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each subsequent stop after reaching the starting point is always greater than the predetermined power. This constraint condition is to ensure that the remaining power of the power battery is always at a level higher than the predetermined level.

[0042] 2) When the fuel cell vehicle departs from a stop among multiple stops, turn on the fuel cell system and start charging the power battery, and when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the next stop of this stop, turn off the fuel cell system and stop charging the power battery. This constraint condition is to make full use of the itinerary of the fuel cell vehicle driving along the target path and stopping at each stop and then starting again to control the start and stop of the fuel cell system, that is, turn on the fuel cell system when the fuel cell vehicle ignites and departs from a stop, and turn off the fuel cell system when the fuel cell vehicle shuts off and stops at the next stop.

[0043] 3) It is prohibited to turn on and off the fuel cell system at the same stop. This constraint condition is to avoid frequent start and stop of the fuel cell system, that is, to avoid the following start and stop mode of the fuel cell system: turn off the fuel cell system when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at a stop, and turn on the fuel cell system when the fuel cell vehicle departs from this stop, because such a start and stop mode will cause the fuel cell system to start and stop continuously twice at adjacent stops. For example, turn on the fuel cell system when the fuel cell vehicle departs from station S2 and turn off the fuel cell system when it arrives at the next station S3, and then turn on the fuel cell system when it departs from station S3 and turn off the fuel cell system when it arrives at the next station S4. In this way, the fuel cell system is turned on and off at the same station S3, resulting in the situation where the fuel cell system starts and stops continuously twice at adjacent stops. This constraint condition is exactly to avoid this situation.

[0044] The output of the optimization model includes: the start and stop control strategy of the fuel cell system 100, which includes: the number of start and stop times of the fuel cell system 100 and the stations where the fuel cell system 100 is turned on each time.

[0045] The start-stop once fuel cell system means that when the fuel cell vehicle departs from one of multiple stop stations, the fuel cell system is turned on and starts charging the power battery, and this station is taken as the starting station. And when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the next station of the starting station, the fuel cell system is turned off and the charging of the power battery is stopped.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the minimum number of times of starting and stopping the fuel cell system is determined in the following manner. First, it is judged by calculation whether the target path can be achieved by starting and stopping the fuel cell system once. If the judgment result is affirmative, the situations of starting and stopping the fuel cell system twice or more times are no longer calculated. If the judgment result is negative, it is judged by calculation whether the target path can be achieved by starting and stopping the fuel cell system twice. If the judgment result is affirmative, the situations of starting and stopping the fuel cell system more times are no longer calculated. If the judgment result is negative, it is judged by calculation whether the target path can be achieved by starting and stopping the fuel cell system three times. And so on.

[0047] When the minimum number of times of starting and stopping the fuel cell system is determined and there are multiple or various combinations of starting stations that can meet this minimum number of times, the optimal starting station or the optimal combination of starting stations is selected so that the minimum value of the SOC of the power battery is maximized during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from the starting station to the terminal station.

[0048] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the SOC of the power battery has a preset upper limit value and a preset lower limit value. The control unit 20 monitors the SOC of the power battery in real time. Once it monitors that the SOC of the power battery is lower than the preset lower limit value, it immediately controls the fuel cell system 100 to turn on to charge the power battery until the SOC of the power battery is greater than the preset upper limit value.

[0049] Next, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 to introduce an embodiment of judging by calculation whether the target path can be achieved by starting and stopping the fuel cell system once. Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 for judging whether the target path can be achieved by starting and stopping the fuel cell system once. Figure 5 With the help of Figure 2 the target path in to illustrate the method 400.

[0050] Refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , at block 402, calculate the farthest station that the fuel cell vehicle can reach with the remaining energy E0 of the power battery starting from the starting point S0.

[0051] For example, assume that the farthest station is the xth station S x, and x should satisfy: 0 < x < n. In this case, the following formula (1) should be satisfied, where P1 to P x+1 represents the average power consumption of the fuel cell vehicle from station S0 to station S x+1 for each adjacent pair of stations passed through, and t1 to t x+1 represents the duration of the fuel cell vehicle from station S0 to station S x+1 for each adjacent pair of stations passed through, and E0 represents the initial battery power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S0.

[0052] P1*t1 + P2*t2 + … + P x *t x < E0 < P1*t1 + P2*t2 + … + P x *t x + P x+1 *t x+1 (1)

[0054] In block 404, assume that the fuel cell system 100 is turned on and starts charging the power when the fuel cell vehicle leaves the (i - 1)-th station S i-1 and then turns off when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the i-th station S i , where 1 ≤ i ≤ x. In this case, the remaining battery power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the i-th station S i can be calculated by the following formula (2), where E i-1 represents the remaining battery power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S i-1 , and E i represents the remaining battery power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S i , and P fsc max represents the maximum output power of the fuel cell system.

[0055] E i = E i-1 - P i *t i + P fsc max *t i (2)

[0056] Next, the following formula (3) (multiple iteration formulas) can be substituted into formula (2)

[0057] E i-1 = E i-2 - P i-1 *t i-1 … E1 = E0 - P1*t1 (3)

[0059] It should be noted that the remaining energy E of the power battery at the i-th station S i is calculated by formula (2). That is, subtract the energy P i *t consumed from the (i - 1)-th station to the i-th station from the remaining energy E i-1 of the power battery at the (i - 1)-th station S i-1 , and then add the energy obtained by charging through the fuel cell system from the (i - 1)-th station to the i-th station. i *t i

[0060] Next, the remaining energy E of the power battery at the (i - 1)-th station is iteratively calculated by a series of formulas in formula (3). After all iterations, an expression based on the initial power E0 of the power battery can be obtained. i-1

[0061] In block 406, i is traversed from 1 to x in sequence to determine whether an i that satisfies the constraint condition can be found, that is, to determine whether the fuel cell system 100 can achieve the target path by starting and stopping once.

[0062] For example, an i that satisfies the constraint condition should satisfy the following formula (4), that is, when the fuel cell vehicle is at the i-th station, the remaining power E of the power battery i can maintain the fuel cell vehicle to drive to the end point S n .

[0063] E i >P i+1 *t i+1 +P i+2 *t i+2 …P n-1 *t n-1 +P n *t n (4)

[0064] Through the above steps of traversing in sequence, if it can be determined that at least one i can satisfy the constraint condition, that is, formula (4), then the strategy of starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 multiple times is no longer calculated. If at any station i between 1 and x cannot satisfy the constraint condition, then continue to judge whether the target path can be achieved by starting and stopping the fuel cell system twice.

[0065] In addition, if there are multiple i between 1 and x that can satisfy the constraint condition, that is, starting the fuel cell system at any one of multiple charging stations can achieve the target path. At this time, select the optimal starting station from multiple starting stations. The optimal starting station makes the minimum value of the SOC of the power battery maximized during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from the starting station to the terminal station.

[0066] For example, if three starting stations are determined, namely, the 3rd station, the 5th station, and the 7th station. At this time, if it is predicted that charging will be carried out at each starting station respectively, the SOC change trend of the fuel cell vehicle during the entire journey is obtained, and three minimum values of the corresponding SOC are obtained (for example, 20%, 30%, and 35% respectively). The starting station corresponding to the maximum value among the three minimum values of SOC (for example, 35%) is determined as the optimal starting station.

[0067] If it is determined through the above method 400 that starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 once cannot achieve the target path, then it is judged by calculation whether starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 twice can meet the target path.

[0068] Next, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 to introduce an embodiment of judging by calculation whether starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 twice can achieve the target path. Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method 600 for judging whether starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 twice can achieve the target path. Figure 7 With the help of Figure 2 the target path in to illustrate the method 600.

[0069] It should be noted that the same formula as above will adopt the same formula number, and is repeated here for a clear and complete introduction of the method 600.

[0070] Refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , at block 602, calculate the farthest station that the fuel cell vehicle can reach with the remaining energy E0 of the power battery starting from the starting point S0.

[0071] For example, assume that the farthest station is the xth station S x , and x should satisfy:

[0072] 0 < x < n. In this case, the following formula (1) should be satisfied, where P1 to P x+1 represent the average power consumption of the fuel cell vehicle passing through each adjacent two stations from station S0 to station S x+1 , t1 to t x+1 represent the duration of the fuel cell vehicle passing through each adjacent two stations from station S0 to station S x+1 , and E0 represents the initial power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S0.

[0073] P1 * t1 + P2 * t2 + … + P x * t x < E0 < P1 * t1 + P2 * t2 + … + P x * t x + Px+1 *t x+1 (1)

[0075] At the box 604, assume the situation of starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 for the first time: The fuel cell system 100 is turned on and starts to charge the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle leaves the (i - 1)-th station S i-1 and then is turned off when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the i-th station S i , where 1 ≤ i ≤ x. In this situation, the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the i-th station S i can be calculated by the following formula (2), where E i-1 represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at the station S i-1 , E i represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at the station S i , and P fsc max represents the maximum output power of the fuel cell system.

[0076] E i = E i-1 - P i *t i + P fsc max *t i (2)

[0077] Next, the following formula (3) (multiple iterative formulas) can be substituted into formula (2)

[0078] E i-1 = E i-2 - P i-1 *t i-1 …E1 = E0 - P1 * t1 (3)

[0080] It should be noted that the remaining energy E i of the power battery at the i-th station S i is calculated by formula (2). That is, subtract the energy P i-1 consumed from the (i - 1)-th station to the i-th station from the remaining energy E i-1 of the power battery at the (i - 1)-th station S i *t i , and then add the energy obtained by charging through the fuel cell system from the (i - 1)-th station to the i-th station.

[0081] Next, the remaining energy E i-1Iterate successively through a series of formulas in formula (3). After all iterations, an expression based on the initial battery power E0 can be obtained.

[0082] At block 606, take the i-th station S i as the new starting point (new initial station) and calculate the current remaining battery power E i that can maintain the farthest station y, where y < n. In this case, the following formula (5) should be satisfied.

[0083] P i+1 *t i+1 +P i+2 *t i+2 +…+P y *t y < E i < P i+1 *t 1+1 +P i+2 *t i+2 +…+P y *t y +P y+1 *t y+1 (5)

[0085] At block 608, assume the second start-stop of the fuel cell system 100: The fuel cell system 100 is turned on and starts charging the power when the fuel cell vehicle leaves the (j - 1)-th station S j-1 and then turns off when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the j-th station S j , where i + 1 ≤ j ≤ y. In this case, the remaining battery power when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the j-th station S j can be calculated by the following formula (6), where E j-1 represents the remaining battery power when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S j-1 , E j represents the remaining battery power when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S j , and P fsc max represents the maximum output power of the fuel cell system.

[0086] E j =E j-1 -P j *t j +P fsc max *t j (6)

[0087] Next, the following formula (7) (multiple iteration formulas) can be substituted into formula (6)

[0088] E j-1 =E j-2 -P j-1 *t j-1 …E i+1 =E i -P i+1 *t i+1 (7)

[0089] In block 610 , j is traversed sequentially from i+1 to y to determine whether a j that satisfies the constraint condition can be found, that is, to determine whether the fuel cell system 100 can achieve the target path by starting and stopping twice.

[0090] For example, the j that satisfies the constraint condition should satisfy the following formula (8), that is, when the fuel cell vehicle is at the jth station, the remaining power of the power battery E j Can maintain the fuel cell vehicle to the end point S n .

[0091] E j >P j+1 *t j+1 +P j+2 *t j+2 …P n-1 *t n-1 +P n *t n (8)

[0092] Through the above traversal steps, if it is determined that at least one j satisfies the constraint condition, that is, formula (8), then no further strategies for starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 are calculated. If no site j between i+1 and y satisfies the constraint condition, then calculations are performed to determine whether starting and stopping the fuel cell system three times can achieve the target path.

[0093] Alternatively, if multiple j between i+1 and y satisfy the constraint, i.e., starting the fuel cell system a second time at any of the multiple charging stations can achieve the target route, then the optimal station is selected from the multiple stations. This optimal station maximizes the minimum SOC of the power battery during the fuel cell vehicle's journey from the starting station to the terminal station.

[0094] For example, if three second start-up sites are determined, namely, the 6th, 7th, and 9th sites, then the SOC change trend of the fuel cell vehicle during the entire journey is predicted if charging is performed at each start-up site, thereby obtaining the three corresponding minimum SOC values (for example, 25%, 36%, and 35%), and the start-up site corresponding to the maximum of the three minimum SOC values (for example, 36%) is determined as the optimal second start-up site.

[0095] If it is determined through the above method 600 that the fuel cell system 100 cannot achieve the target path after two start-stop operations, then it is determined by calculation whether the fuel cell system 100 can meet the target path after three start-stop operations.

[0096] Next, refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 to introduce an embodiment of determining by calculation whether the fuel cell system 100 can achieve the target path after two start-stop operations. Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method 800 for determining whether the fuel cell system 100 can achieve the target path after three start-stop operations. Figure 9 With the aid of Figure 2 the target path in

[0097] It should be noted that the same formula as above will adopt the same formula number and is introduced again here for the sake of clearly and completely introducing the method 800.

[0098] Refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , at block 802, calculate the farthest station that the fuel cell vehicle can reach with the remaining energy E0 of the power battery starting from the starting point S0.

[0099] For example, assume that the farthest station is the xth station S x , and x should satisfy: 0 < x < n. In this case, the following formula (1) should be satisfied, where P1 to P x+1 represent the average power consumption of the fuel cell vehicle passing through each adjacent two stations from station S0 to station S x+1 , t1 to t x+1 represent the time duration of the fuel cell vehicle passing through each adjacent two stations from station S0 to station S x+1 , and E0 represents the initial power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S0.

[0100] P1*t1 + P2*t2 + … + P x *t x < E0 < P1*t1 + P2*t2 + … + P x *t x + P x+1 *t x+1 (1)

[0102] At block 804, assume the case of the first start-stop of the fuel cell system 100: The fuel cell system 100 is turned on and starts charging the power when the fuel cell vehicle leaves the (i - 1)th station S i-1 , and then when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the ith station S iis turned off, where 1 ≤ i ≤ x. In this case, the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle reaches the i-th station S i can be calculated by the following formula (2), where E i-1 represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S i-1 ; E i represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S i ; P fsc max represents the maximum output power of the fuel cell system.

[0103] E i = E i-1 - P i * t i + P fsc max * t i (2)

[0104] Next, the following formula (3) (multiple iteration formulas) can be substituted into formula (2)

[0105] E i-1 = E i-2 - P i-1 * t i-1 … E1 = E0 - P1 * t1 (3)

[0107] It should be noted that the remaining energy E i of the power battery at the i-th station S i is calculated by formula (2). That is, subtract the energy P i-1 consumed from the (i - 1)-th station to the i-th station from the remaining energy E i-1 of the power battery at the (i - 1)-th station S i * t i , and then add the energy obtained by charging through the fuel cell system from the (i - 1)-th station to the i-th station.

[0108] Next, the remaining energy E i-1 of the power battery at the (i - 1)-th station is iterated successively by a series of formulas in formula (3). After all iterations, an expression based on the initial power E0 of the power battery can be obtained.

[0109] In block 806, taking the i-th station S i as a new starting point (new initial station), calculate the farthest station y that the current remaining power E i of the power battery can maintain, where y < n. In this case, the following formula (5) should be satisfied.

[0110] Pi+1 *t i+1 +P i+2 *t i+2 +…+P y *t y <E i <P i+1 *t 1+1 +P i+2 *t i+2 +…+P y *t y +P y+1 *t y+1 (5)

[0112] At frame 808, assume the situation of starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 for the second time: The fuel cell system 100 is turned on and starts to charge the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle leaves the (j - 1)-th station S j-1 and then is turned off when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the j-th station S j , where i + 1 ≤ j ≤ y. In this situation, the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the j-th station S j can be calculated by the following formula (6), where E j-1 represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at the station S j-1 , E j represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at the station S j , and P fsc max represents the maximum output power of the fuel cell system.

[0113] E j = E j-1 - P j *t j + P fsc max *t j (6)

[0114] Next, the following formula (7) (multiple iteration formulas) can be substituted into formula (6)

[0115] E j-1 = E j-2 - P j-1 *t j-1 …E i+1 = E i - P i+1 *t i+1 (7)

[0116] At frame 810, the j-th station S jAs a new starting point (new initial station), calculate the current remaining power E of the power battery j The farthest station z that can be maintained, where z < n. In this case, the following formula (8) should be satisfied.

[0117] P j+1 *t j+1 +P j+2 *t j+2 +…+P z *t z < E j < P j+1 *t j+1 +P j+2 *t j+2 +…+P z *t z +P z+1 *t z+1 (8)

[0119] In block 812, assume the case of the third start-stop of the fuel cell system 100: The fuel cell system 100 is started and begins to charge the power when the fuel cell vehicle leaves the (k - 1)-th station S k-1 and then is turned off when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the k-th station S k , where j + 1 ≤ k ≤ z. In this case, the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the k-th station S k can be calculated by the following formula (9), where E k-1 represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S k-1 , E k represents the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at station S k , and P fsc max represents the maximum output power of the fuel cell system.

[0120] E k =E k-1 -P k *t k +P fsc max *t k (9)

[0121] Next, the following formula (10) (multiple iteration formulas) can be substituted into formula (10) <^

[0122] E k-1 =E k-2 -P k-1 *t k-1 …E j+1 =Ej -P j+1 *t j+1 (10)

[0123] At frame 814, traverse k from j + 1 to z in sequence to determine whether a k that satisfies the constraint condition can be found, that is, to determine whether the fuel cell system 100 can achieve the target path by starting and stopping three times.

[0124] For example, a k that satisfies the constraint condition should satisfy the following formula (11), that is, when the fuel cell vehicle is at the k-th station, the remaining power E of the power battery k can maintain the fuel cell vehicle to drive to the end point S n .

[0125] E k >P k+1 *t k+1 +P k+2 *t k+2 …P n-1 *t n-1 +P n *t n (11)

[0127] Through the above steps of traversing in sequence, if it can be determined that at least one k can satisfy the constraint condition, that is, formula (11), then the strategy of starting and stopping the fuel cell system 100 more times is no longer calculated. If at any station k between j + 1 and z cannot satisfy the constraint condition, then continue to judge by calculation whether starting and stopping the fuel cell system four times can achieve the target path.

[0128] In addition, if there are multiple k values between j + 1 and z that can satisfy the constraint condition, that is, starting the fuel cell system for the third time at any one of multiple charging stations can achieve the target path. At this time, select the optimal starting station from multiple starting stations. The optimal starting station makes: during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from the starting station to the terminal station, the minimum value of the SOC of the power battery is maximized.

[0129] For example, if three third-starting stations are determined, that is, the 9th station, the 10th station, and the 13th station. At this time, predict the SOC change trend of the fuel cell vehicle during the entire journey when charging at each starting station respectively, and thus obtain three minimum values of the corresponding SOC (for example, 27%, 36%, and 30% respectively), and determine the starting station corresponding to the maximum value (for example, 36%) among the three minimum values of the SOC as the optimal second-starting station.

[0130] Embodiments of judging by calculation whether starting the fuel cell system four times or more can achieve the target path can be implemented in a similar manner as above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0131] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided a device for controlling the start and stop of a fuel cell system, which includes: one or more processors; and one or more memories, the memories storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to execute the method 300 as described above.

[0132] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided a machine-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute the method 300 as described above.

[0133] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided a computer program product including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute the method 300 as described above.

[0134] It can be understood that the processor can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether the processor is implemented as hardware or software will depend on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system. As an example, the processor, any part of the processor, or any combination of the processors given in the present invention can be implemented as a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a state machine, gate logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable processing components configured to perform the various functions described in the present disclosure. The functions of the processor, any part of the processor, or any combination of the processors given in the present invention can be implemented as software executed by a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a DSP, or other suitable platforms.

[0135] It can be understood that software should be widely regarded as representing instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, running threads, processes, functions, etc. Software can reside in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can include, for example, a memory, and the memory can be, for example, a magnetic storage device (such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic stripe), an optical disc, a smart card, a flash memory device, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a register, or a removable disk. Although the memory is shown as being separate from the processor in many aspects given in the present disclosure, the memory can also be located inside the processor (such as a cache or a register).

[0136] Although some embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are given by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover all modifications, substitutions, and alterations made within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system being disposed on a fuel cell vehicle and capable of charging a power battery on the fuel cell vehicle, the method comprising: Obtaining a target path of the fuel cell vehicle, which includes a plurality of stopping stations, where the first stopping station is the starting point and the last stopping station is the end point; Predicting the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each subsequent stopping station from the current stopping station during the entire journey of the fuel cell vehicle along the target path starting from the starting point; and According to the predicted remaining power of the power battery when arriving at each subsequent stopping station, using an optimization model to determine the start-stop strategy of the fuel cell system, the optimization objective of the optimization model being: minimizing the number of times of starting and stopping the fuel cell system to charge the power battery under the constraint condition that the remaining power of the power battery when arriving at each subsequent stopping station is always greater than a predetermined power.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The constraint condition further includes: when the fuel cell vehicle departs from one of the plurality of stopping stations, turning on the fuel cell system and starting to charge the power battery, and taking this station as the starting station, and when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the next stopping station of this station, turning off the fuel cell system and stopping charging the power battery.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The constraint condition further includes: prohibiting the fuel cell system from being turned on and off at the same stopping station.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein Starting and stopping the fuel cell system to charge the power battery once refers to the following process: when the fuel cell vehicle departs from one of the plurality of stopping stations, turning on the fuel cell system and starting to charge the power battery, and when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at the next stopping station of this station, turning off the fuel cell system and stopping charging the power battery.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: When the fuel cell vehicle is at the starting station, obtaining initial prediction information based on the real-time traffic flow information of the target path, including: the duration and average power consumption for the fuel cell vehicle to pass through each two adjacent stopping stations; and When the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each of the plurality of stopping stations, obtaining updated prediction information based on the real-time traffic information flow of the target path, including: the duration and average power consumption for the fuel cell vehicle to pass through each two adjacent stopping stations among the plurality of stopping stations after this stopping station.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein Predicting the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each of the plurality of stopping stations includes: Predicting the remaining power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle arrives at each of the plurality of stopping stations based on the initial power of the power battery when the fuel cell vehicle is at the starting point, the power consumed by the power battery during the fuel cell vehicle traveling along the target path, and the power obtained by the power battery through charging by the fuel cell system.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The power consumed by the power battery during the fuel cell vehicle traveling along the target path is predicted based on the duration and average power consumption in the initial prediction information or the updated prediction information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the start-stop strategy of the fuel cell system according to the predicted remaining power of the power battery and using the optimization model includes: Determine whether the fuel cell system can complete the target path in one start-stop operation during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from the starting point to the ending point along the target path; If it is determined that the fuel cell system can complete the target path in one start-stop operation, then the strategy of multiple start-stop operations of the fuel cell system is no longer calculated; If it is determined that the fuel cell system cannot complete the target path in one start-stop operation, then the start-stop strategy with the minimum number of start-stop operations is determined by increasing the number of start-stop operations of the fuel cell system in sequence.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Determining whether the fuel cell system can complete the target path in one start-stop operation includes: Predicting the farthest station that the power battery can maintain based on the initial power of the power battery of the fuel cell vehicle at the starting point and the power consumed by the fuel cell vehicle when passing through each stop; Between the starting point and the farthest station, traverse each station as the starting station in sequence; If at least one stop between the starting point and the farthest station as the starting station can meet the constraint conditions, it is determined that the fuel cell system can complete the target path in one start-stop operation; and If any station between the starting point and the farthest station as the starting station cannot meet the constraint conditions, it is determined that the fuel cell system cannot complete the target path in one start-stop operation.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Under the condition that multiple stops between the starting point and the farthest station as the starting stations can meet the constraint conditions, select the optimal starting station among the multiple stops, and the optimal starting station makes: during the process of the fuel cell vehicle driving from the starting point to the ending point, the minimum value of the SOC of the power battery is maximized.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Determining whether the fuel cell system can complete the target path in multiple start-stop operations includes: Taking the starting station determined each time as the new starting point, and using the method of determining whether the fuel cell system can complete the target path in one start-stop operation to determine the next starting station.

12. An apparatus for controlling the start and stop of a fuel cell system, comprising: One or more processors; And One or more memories, the memories storing computer-executable instructions, and the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

13. A machine-readable storage medium storing executable instructions, and the instructions, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

14. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions, and the instructions, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

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