Thermal management system and thermal management control method for fuel cell vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to a thermal management system and a thermal management control method of a fuel cell vehicle, the fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell system and an air conditioning system, the thermal management system including: a high pressure fan disposed adjacent to a fuel cell heat exchanger of the fuel cell system and an air conditioning condenser of the air conditioning system, a cooling unit which can be driven by high-voltage electric power provided by the fuel cell vehicle to cool the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioning condenser; and the high-pressure fan control unit can control the operation of the high-pressure fan based on the working states of the fuel cell system and the air conditioning system. The thermal management control method is adapted to be implemented by means of the thermal management system. The system has the advantages that the whole vehicle arrangement is more compact, the whole vehicle integration degree is higher, and whole vehicle arrangement and whole vehicle thermal management control are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of fuel cell vehicles, and relates to the thermal management system and its control strategy of fuel cell vehicles, in particular to a thermal management system and a thermal management control method for fuel cell vehicles. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell is a chemical device that can directly convert the chemical energy of a fuel into electrical energy. For example, as one of the important hydrogen energy application scenarios, a fuel cell system represented by a hydrogen fuel cell system has the characteristics of high efficiency, low noise, and no pollution, and thus has been increasingly widely used in fields such as industrial manufacturing and transportation (such as the automotive industry).

[0003] A fuel cell vehicle is an electric vehicle that can be powered by a fuel cell system and driven by an electric motor. The fuel cell system of a fuel cell vehicle will generate waste heat during operation. The waste heat can be directly cooled, for example, through an air-cooling medium (such as a mixture of ethylene glycol) heat exchanger and a fan. In existing fuel cell vehicles, a low-voltage fan with a driving voltage of 24V or lower is usually used to cool (or dissipate heat) the heat exchanger. Its fan power is small, and usually multiple low-voltage fans are required to achieve the required cooling effect, so a large layout space is required, and high requirements are imposed on the vehicle layout. In addition, during the operation of the air-conditioning system of a fuel cell vehicle, it is also necessary to cool (or dissipate heat) its air-conditioning condenser. In existing fuel cell vehicles, a separate low-voltage fan is usually used for this purpose, which poses higher requirements on the vehicle layout and the vehicle thermal management control. In addition, existing fuel cell vehicles have problems such as low integration, inconvenient control, low fan utilization rate and cooling efficiency, and high energy consumption in their thermal management systems or control strategies.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the layout or control method of the thermal management system of existing known fuel cell vehicles, so as to provide an alternative solution that can effectively eliminate the above problems or defects. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above background, the purpose of this application is to propose a thermal management system for fuel cell vehicles, which can effectively eliminate the above problems or defects.

[0006] Another purpose of this application is to propose a thermal management control method for fuel cell vehicles, which is suitable for implementation by means of the thermal management system of the fuel cell vehicle.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present application, a thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle is provided. The fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell system capable of providing power thereto and an air conditioning system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell heat exchanger and a first cooling medium circulation pipeline as part of it, and is used to cool the waste heat from the fuel cell system through the heat exchange of a first cooling medium flowing through the fuel cell heat exchanger via the first cooling medium circulation pipeline. The air conditioning system includes an air conditioning condenser and a second cooling medium circulation pipeline as part of it, and is used to cool the heat from the air conditioning system through the heat exchange of a second cooling medium flowing through the air conditioning condenser via the second cooling medium circulation pipeline. The thermal management system includes:

[0008] A high-pressure fan, which is arranged adjacent to the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioning condenser and can be driven by the high-pressure power provided by the fuel cell vehicle to cool the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioning condenser; and

[0009] A high-pressure fan control unit, which can control the operation of the high-pressure fan based on the working states of the fuel cell system and the air conditioning system.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present application, a thermal management control method for a fuel cell vehicle is provided, which is suitable for being implemented by means of the thermal management system described above and includes:

[0011] A startup step, in which in response to the startup of the fuel cell vehicle and the supply of high-pressure power, the thermal management control method is started;

[0012] A fault detection step, in which the working state of the high-pressure fan is detected and it is judged whether the high-pressure fan has a fault. The high-pressure fan is arranged adjacent to the fuel cell heat exchanger as part of the fuel cell system of the fuel cell vehicle and the air conditioning condenser as part of the air conditioning system of the fuel cell vehicle, and can be driven by the high-pressure power provided by the fuel cell vehicle to cool the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioning condenser; and

[0013] An operation mode determination step, in which when it is determined that the high-pressure fan has no fault, the working states of the fuel cell system and the air conditioning system are detected, and the operation mode of the high-pressure fan is controlled based on the detected results generated.

[0014] As can be seen from the above description, the present application proposes an improved or optimized thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, in which the fuel cell heat exchanger of the fuel cell system and the air conditioner condenser of the air conditioning system are rearranged, and a high-pressure fan with a more compact structure, capable of generating a greater air flow pressure, having better cooling capacity and higher cooling efficiency is adopted. The high-pressure fan can provide the required cooling (or heat dissipation) function for the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioner condenser in the most appropriate operating mode that matches the cooling demand under the control of the high-pressure fan control unit, thereby making the vehicle layout more compact, the vehicle integration degree higher, and facilitating the vehicle layout and vehicle thermal management control.

[0015] In addition, according to the present application, since the high-pressure fan can simultaneously provide the required cooling function for the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioner condenser (the utilization rate and operating efficiency of the high-pressure fan are high), the vehicle efficiency is significantly improved, and it is beneficial to reduce energy consumption. Additionally, combined with the thermal management control method of the present application, the working states of the fuel cell system and the air conditioning system can be detected in real time, and the best operating mode of the high-pressure fan adapted thereto can be adopted accordingly, thereby being able to maximize the cooling efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

[0016] Thus, it can be seen that the thermal management system and the thermal management control method of the fuel cell vehicle of the present application can effectively eliminate the problems or defects in the prior art as described above, and have the advantages of making the vehicle layout and thermal management control more convenient, high vehicle integration degree, high cooling efficiency, and low energy consumption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Through the following more detailed description of the present application with reference to the drawings and in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, various aspects such as the features and advantages of the present application can be more clearly understood. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a typical thermal management system of an existing fuel cell vehicle;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the thermal management system of a fuel cell vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 is a basic logic or flowchart of the thermal management control method of a fuel cell vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The following details the specific embodiments and other details of the present application with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments and related descriptions given herein should be regarded as exemplary and do not constitute a limitation to the present application.

[0022] In addition, it should be noted that for the sake of simplicity and for a more convenient understanding of the main design points or substantial features of the present application, the description and drawings of the present application focus on or illustrate the content related to the main design points or principles of the present application, while omitting the explanations of some technical terms known in the art and omitting or simplifying some specific details and other content. Regarding the basic principles, specific structures, control processes, specific details, etc. of these omitted parts, those skilled in the art can make specific adaptations and optimizations based on existing knowledge and application environments, etc., which will not be elaborated here and will not be shown in detail either. In other words, well-known methods (such as control processes), technologies, and structures in the art are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the core or essence of the present application. Moreover, the drawings of the present application mainly show the components related to the design or main improvement points of the present application, but this does not mean that it does not include other components, but rather they are omitted.

[0023] First, in combination with Figure 1 Describe the overall configuration of a typical thermal management system for existing fuel cell vehicles.

[0024] As Figure 1 shown, a fuel cell vehicle generally includes a fuel cell system 1 that can provide power for it (which is, for example, a hydrogen fuel cell system, but obviously not limited thereto) and an air conditioning system 5.

[0025] More specifically, as can be seen from Figure 1 the fuel cell system 1 generally includes a fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and a first cooling medium circulation pipeline 3 as part of it, for cooling the waste heat from the fuel cell system 1 through the heat exchange of the first cooling medium flowing through the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 via the first cooling medium circulation pipeline 3. In addition, the air conditioning system 5 generally includes an air conditioning condenser 6 and a second cooling medium circulation pipeline 7 as part of it, for cooling the heat from the air conditioning system 5 through the heat exchange of the second cooling medium flowing through the air conditioning condenser 6 via the second cooling medium circulation pipeline 7.

[0026] It should be noted that according to different actual needs and application environments, etc., the first cooling medium and the second cooling medium can be the same (for example, both can use a common ethylene glycol mixture in the art) or different from each other, and can be selected or applied in a manner known in the art, which will not be elaborated here.

[0027] In addition, as Figure 1As shown, in an existing fuel cell vehicle (or rather, its thermal management system), a low-voltage fan 4 with a voltage of, for example, 24V or lower is typically used to cool (or dissipate heat) the fuel cell heat exchanger 2. Obviously, due to the low power of the low-voltage fan, multiple low-voltage fans 4 are usually required to achieve the required cooling effect, thus requiring a large layout space and posing high requirements for the vehicle layout and thermal management control.

[0028] In addition, during the operation of the air conditioning system 5 of the fuel cell vehicle, it is also necessary to cool its air conditioning condenser 6. In this case, as Figure 1 shown, in an existing fuel cell vehicle (or rather, its thermal management system), a separate low-voltage fan 8 is typically used for this purpose, and similarly, due to the low power of the low-voltage fan, multiple low-voltage fans 8 are usually required to achieve the required cooling effect, which poses even higher requirements for the vehicle layout and thermal management control.

[0029] In addition, it can be seen from the above description that there are problems in the existing fuel cell vehicle in terms of its thermal management system or control strategy, such as low integration, inconvenient control, low fan utilization rate and cooling efficiency, and high energy consumption.

[0030] Based on fully noticing and realizing the above problems or defects, after a large amount of analysis and research, the inventors of the present application proposed to apply a high-voltage fan with a more compact structure, capable of generating a greater air flow pressure, having better cooling capacity and higher cooling efficiency to the thermal management system of the fuel cell vehicle, and re-layout the fuel cell heat exchanger for the fuel cell system and the air conditioning condenser for the air conditioning system, thereby proposing a thermal management system for a new type of fuel cell vehicle and a corresponding thermal management control method. In other words, the present application mainly focuses on the thermal management system based on a high-voltage fan applied to the fuel cell vehicle, which will be described in detail below.

[0031] Incidentally, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, the high-voltage fan described herein refers to a high-power fan that can be driven by high-voltage electricity of, for example, above 110V (or higher) in the traditional sense.

[0032] The following will be combined with Figure 2 to describe the overall configuration of the thermal management system of the fuel cell vehicle according to the exemplary embodiments of the present application. It should be noted that Figure 2 the shown thermal management system is modified on the basis of the Figure 1 shown traditional thermal management system. Therefore, for the sake of simplicity, the repetitive description of the same parts or content will be omitted.

[0033] As Figure 2As shown, the thermal management system of a fuel cell vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application mainly includes: a high-pressure fan 9, which is arranged adjacent to the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 of the fuel cell system 1 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 of the air-conditioning system 5, and can be driven by the high-pressure power provided by the fuel cell vehicle to cool the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6; and a high-pressure fan control unit 10, which can control the operation of the high-pressure fan 9 based on the operating states of the fuel cell system 1 and the air-conditioning system 5.

[0034] Advantageously, the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 are arranged one in front of the other or side by side, so as to achieve the required cooling effect by means of the high-pressure fan 9 arranged nearby. For example, in Figure 2 the configuration shown, the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 is shown as being located between the air-conditioning condenser 6 and the high-pressure fan 9. In other words, when viewed from Figure 2 this perspective, relative to the high-pressure fan 9, the air-conditioning condenser 6 is arranged behind the fuel cell heat exchanger 2, but this is clearly not limited thereto (for example, according to actual needs and spatial layout, the air-conditioning condenser 6 can also be arranged in front of the fuel cell heat exchanger 2). Alternatively, as described above, the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 can be arranged side by side with each other.

[0035] Advantageously, according to actual needs, the number of high-pressure fans 9 can be one or more (for example, usually one or two, but this is clearly not limited thereto).

[0036] Advantageously, the high-pressure fan control unit 10 can be independently provided, or can be integrated into the vehicle control unit (or called the vehicle integrated control unit) of the fuel cell vehicle or the fuel cell control unit of the fuel cell system 1.

[0037] The present application also proposes a thermal management control method for a fuel cell vehicle, and its basic control strategy or control process can be generally summarized as follows.

[0038] The present application proposes a thermal management control method for a fuel cell vehicle, which is suitable for being implemented by means of the thermal management system as described above (refer to Figure 2 ) and may include:

[0039] A startup step, in which in response to the startup of the fuel cell vehicle and the supply of high-pressure power, the thermal management control method is started;

[0040] A fault detection step, in which the operating state of the high-pressure fan 9 is detected and it is determined whether the high-pressure fan 9 has a fault. The high-pressure fan 9 is arranged adjacent to the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 which is part of the fuel cell system 1 of the fuel cell vehicle and the air-conditioning condenser 6 which is part of the air-conditioning system 5 of the fuel cell vehicle, and can be driven by the high-voltage power provided by the fuel cell vehicle to cool the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6; and

[0041] An operating mode determination step, in which, when it is determined that the high-pressure fan 9 has no fault, the operating states of the fuel cell system 1 and the air-conditioning system 5 are detected, and the operating mode of the high-pressure fan 9 is controlled based on the detected results generated.

[0042] Advantageously, the operating mode determination step may include:

[0043] Detecting the operating states of the fuel cell system 1 and the air-conditioning system 5 and determining whether the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 have a cooling requirement;

[0044] When it is determined that both the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 have a cooling requirement, starting the high-pressure fan 9 and operating it in a first operating mode that matches the cooling requirement;

[0045] When it is determined that one of the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 has a cooling requirement while the other does not have a cooling requirement, starting the high-pressure fan 9 and operating it in a second operating mode that matches the cooling requirement, where the second operating mode is different from the first operating mode; and

[0046] When it is determined that neither the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 nor the air-conditioning condenser 6 has a cooling requirement, keeping the high-pressure fan 9 in a non-operating state.

[0047] Advantageously, detecting the operating states of the fuel cell system 1 and the air-conditioning system 5 and determining whether the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 have a cooling requirement can be carried out in the following manner:

[0048] Detecting the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium in the fuel cell heat exchanger 2, and when the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium exceeds the threshold temperature, determining that the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 has a cooling requirement; and

[0049] Detecting the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium in the air-conditioning condenser 6, and when the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium exceeds the threshold pressure, determining that the air-conditioning condenser 6 has a cooling requirement;

[0050] Wherein, the threshold temperature and the threshold pressure can be calibrated through experiments or determined based on experience, for example, and are adjustable.

[0051] Advantageously, in the first operating mode, the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to have a relatively high rotational speed (and thus a relatively high wind output) based on the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium and the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium, and in the second operating mode, the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to have a relatively low rotational speed (and thus a relatively low wind output) based on the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium (when the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 has a cooling requirement while the air-conditioning condenser 6 has no cooling requirement) or the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium (when the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 has no cooling requirement while the air-conditioning condenser 6 has a cooling requirement).

[0052] Advantageously, the thermal management control method may further include the following steps:

[0053] After entering the first operating mode or the second operating mode, repetitively perform the fault detection step and the operating mode determination step; or

[0054] After determining that both the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air-conditioning condenser 6 have no cooling requirement and keeping the high-pressure fan 9 in a non-operating state, repetitively perform the fault detection step and the operating mode determination step.

[0055] Advantageously, the thermal management control method can be automatically performed under the control of the high-pressure fan control unit 10, which is independently provided or integrated into the vehicle control unit permanently installed in the fuel cell vehicle or the fuel cell control unit permanently installed in the fuel cell system 1.

[0056] To facilitate a clearer and more intuitive understanding of the basic principle or steps of the thermal management control method of the present application, the following combines Figure 3 Describe a specific example of the logic or steps of the thermal management control method of a fuel cell vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0057] As Figure 3 shown, the thermal management control method of a fuel cell vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application mainly includes the following steps or processes:

[0058] First, in the start step S1, start the fuel cell vehicle and supply high-voltage power (i.e., complete the vehicle high-voltage power-on known in the art, which can be performed, for example, under the control of the vehicle control unit), and thereby start the thermal management control method (for example, the thermal management control method can be started immediately after the supply of high-voltage power is achieved or after a predetermined time, but is not limited thereto);

[0059] Next, for example, under the control of the high-pressure fan control unit 10, it enters the fault judgment step S10, that is, detects the working state of the high-pressure fan 9 and judges whether it has a fault (for example, detects whether its working voltage is normal or whether a fault signal is received, but not limited thereto);

[0060] Next, when it is determined that the high-pressure fan 9 has a fault (that is, the fault judgment result is Y), it proceeds to step S11, that is, terminates the thermal management control method;

[0061] On the contrary, when the high-pressure fan 9 has no fault (that is, the fault judgment result is N), it enters the fuel cell heat exchanger cooling demand judgment step S20, where the working state of the fuel cell system 1 is detected (for example, by detecting the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium in the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 through a temperature sensor provided at the first cooling medium outlet of the fuel cell heat exchanger 2, but not limited thereto) to judge whether the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 has a cooling demand (for example, whether the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium exceeds a threshold temperature, but not limited thereto), and different steps are executed accordingly based on the judgment result:

[0062] When it is determined that the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 has no cooling requirement (i.e., the fuel cell heat exchanger cooling requirement determination result is N. At this time, for example, the fuel cell system 1 is not operating, or the fuel cell system 1 is operating but the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium does not exceed the threshold temperature, but not limited thereto), the air conditioner condenser cooling requirement determination step S21 is entered. In this step, it is determined whether the air conditioner condenser 6 has a cooling requirement (for example, whether the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium in the air conditioner condenser 6 exceeds the threshold pressure) by detecting the operating state of the air conditioner system 5 (for example, by detecting the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium in the air conditioner condenser 6 using a pressure sensor provided at the outlet of the second cooling medium of the air conditioner condenser 6, but not limited thereto). And when it is determined that the air conditioner condenser 6 has a cooling requirement (i.e., the air conditioner condenser cooling requirement determination result is Y. At this time, the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium exceeds the threshold pressure, but not limited thereto), the process proceeds to step S22, that is, the separate air conditioner condenser cooling mode is entered. In this mode, the high-pressure fan 9 is started, and for example, the operating state (such as the rotational speed) of the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled according to the parameters of the air conditioner system 5 and the air conditioner condenser 6 itself therein (such as the air conditioner gear and the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium). For example, at this time, the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to have a relatively low rotational speed based on the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium (for example, the rotational speed of the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to be about 1000 revolutions per minute, but obviously not limited thereto), so as to achieve the required cooling effect of the air conditioner condenser 6 in a manner matching the operating state of the air conditioner system 5. On the other hand, when it is determined that the air conditioner condenser 6 has no cooling requirement (i.e., the air conditioner condenser cooling requirement determination result is N. At this time, for example, the air conditioner system 5 is not operating, or the air conditioner system 5 is operating but the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium does not exceed the threshold pressure, but not limited thereto), the process proceeds to step S23, that is, the high-pressure fan 9 is kept in a non-operating state;

[0063] In contrast, when it is determined that the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 has a cooling requirement (i.e., the fuel cell heat exchanger requirement determination result is Y, at this time, for example, the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium exceeds the threshold temperature, but is not limited thereto), the air conditioner condenser cooling requirement determination step S30 is entered, in which it is determined whether the air conditioner condenser 6 has a cooling requirement by detecting the operating state of the air conditioning system 5 (for example, by detecting the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium in the air conditioner condenser 6 by a pressure sensor provided at the outlet of the second cooling medium of the air conditioner condenser 6, but is not limited thereto), and when it is determined that the air conditioner condenser 6 has no cooling requirement (i.e., the air conditioner condenser cooling requirement determination result is N), the process proceeds to step S31, that is, the separate fuel cell heat exchanger cooling mode is entered, in which the high-pressure fan 9 is started, and for example, the operating state (such as the rotational speed) of the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled according to the parameters of the fuel cell system 1, especially the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 itself therein (for example, the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium). For example, at this time, the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to have a relatively low rotational speed based on the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium (for example, the rotational speed of the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to be about 1000 revolutions per minute, but obviously is not limited thereto), so as to achieve the required cooling effect of the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 in a manner matching the operating state of the fuel cell system 1; on the other hand, when it is determined that the air conditioner condenser 6 has a cooling requirement (i.e., the air conditioner condenser cooling requirement determination result is Y), the process proceeds to step S40, that is, the dual cooling mode of the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioner condenser is entered, in which the high-pressure fan 9 is started, and for example, the operating state (such as the rotational speed) of the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled based on the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium and the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium, etc. (for example, the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to have a relatively high rotational speed, for example, the rotational speed of the high-pressure fan 9 can be controlled to be about 5000 revolutions per minute, but obviously is not limited thereto), so as to achieve the required cooling effects of the fuel cell heat exchanger 2 and the air conditioner condenser 6 in a manner matching the operating states of the fuel cell system 1 and the air conditioning system 5.

[0064] It should be noted that in the above cooling modes, the rotational speed of the high-pressure fan 9 is not set to a fixed value, but can be appropriately increased or decreased under the control of the high-pressure fan control unit 10 based on changes in the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium and / or the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium, etc. (for example, as the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium and / or the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium increases / decreases, the rotational speed is increased / decreased, that is, the rotational speed is adjustable, but obviously is not limited thereto).

[0065] In addition, it should be noted that Figure 3All the steps, specific implementation manners and sequences in the thermal management control method as an embodiment of the present application shown in the figure are exemplary, and can be appropriately increased, decreased or changed according to specific applications and actual needs. For example, when necessary, the fuel cell heat exchanger cooling demand judgment step S20 and the air conditioner condenser cooling demand judgment step S30 can be reversed. Or, some additional steps can be added to the thermal management control method to further ensure the smooth implementation and effectiveness of the thermal management control method of the fuel cell vehicle of the present application.

[0066] As a non-limiting example, although Figure 3 not shown in the figure, to further improve the reliability and effectiveness of the thermal management control method of the present application, etc., Figure 3 the thermal management control method shown in the figure may further include the following steps:

[0067] After entering the separate air conditioner condenser cooling mode, the separate fuel cell heat exchanger cooling mode, or the dual cooling mode of the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioner condenser, repeatedly execute the steps such as the aforementioned fault detection, cooling demand judgment, and high-pressure fan operation mode determination; or

[0068] After determining that there is no cooling demand for both the fuel cell heat exchanger and the air conditioner condenser and keeping the high-pressure fan in the non-operating state, repeatedly execute the steps such as the aforementioned fault detection, cooling demand judgment, and high-pressure fan operation mode determination.

[0069] It can be seen from the above description that after adopting the thermal management system and its thermal management control method of the fuel cell vehicle of the present application, compared with the prior art, the present application has the advantages of more convenient vehicle layout and thermal management control, high vehicle integration, high cooling efficiency, and low energy consumption. Moreover, with the help of the thermal management control method of the present application, the working states of the fuel cell system and the air conditioner system can be detected in real time, and thus the best high-pressure fan operation mode adapted thereto can be adopted accordingly (in other words, it can be ensured that the high-pressure fan operates in the most suitable operation mode based on the processes such as real-time fault detection and cooling demand judgment), so as to maximize the cooling efficiency and reduce the energy consumption.

[0070] Obviously, all the steps and technical details of the thermal management control method of the present application can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium in the form of software, or can be implemented in the form of a combination of software and hardware. For this reason, the present application also proposes a computer-readable storage medium, on which executable instructions (or program instructions) are stored. When the executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the thermal management control method of the fuel cell vehicle according to the present application.

[0071] The present application has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, as described above, the above description and the embodiments shown in the drawings should be understood as exemplary and do not constitute a limitation to the present application. Moreover, for those skilled in the art, various variations or modifications can be made to the content described or shown in the present application without departing from the spirit of the present application. Obviously, these variations or modifications do not depart from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell system (1) capable of supplying power thereto and an air conditioning system (5), the fuel cell system (1) including a fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and a first cooling medium circulation pipeline (3) as part of it, for cooling waste heat from the fuel cell system (1) through the heat exchange of a first cooling medium flowing through the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) via the first cooling medium circulation pipeline (3), the air conditioning system (5) including an air conditioning condenser (6) and a second cooling medium circulation pipeline (7) as part of it, for cooling heat from the air conditioning system (5) through the heat exchange of a second cooling medium flowing through the air conditioning condenser (6) via the second cooling medium circulation pipeline (7), the thermal management system comprising: A high-pressure fan (9), which is arranged adjacent to the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6), and can be driven by high-pressure power provided by the fuel cell vehicle to cool the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6); And A high-pressure fan control unit (10), which can control the operation of the high-pressure fan (9) based on the operating states of the fuel cell system (1) and the air conditioning system (5).

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein The fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6) are arranged one in front of the other or side by side.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein The first cooling medium and the second cooling medium are the same or different cooling media; and / or The number of the high-pressure fans is one or more.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein, The high-pressure fan control unit (10) is independently provided, or integrated into the vehicle control unit of the fuel cell vehicle or the fuel cell control unit of the fuel cell system (1).

5. A thermal management control method for a fuel cell vehicle, which is adapted to be implemented by means of the thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and includes: A start-up step, in which in response to the start-up of the fuel cell vehicle and the supply of high-pressure power, the thermal management control method is started; A fault detection step, in which the working state of the high-pressure fan (9) is detected and it is judged whether the high-pressure fan (9) has a fault, wherein the high-pressure fan (9) is arranged adjacent to the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) which is part of the fuel cell system (1) of the fuel cell vehicle and the air conditioning condenser (6) which is part of the air conditioning system (5) of the fuel cell vehicle, and can be driven by high-pressure power provided by the fuel cell vehicle to cool the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6); And An operation mode determination step, in which when it is determined that the high-pressure fan (9) has no fault, the working states of the fuel cell system (1) and the air conditioning system (5) are detected, and the operation mode of the high-pressure fan (9) is controlled based on the detection results generated.

6. The thermal management control method according to claim 5, wherein, The operation mode determination step includes: Detecting the working states of the fuel cell system (1) and the air conditioning system (5) and determining whether the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6) have cooling requirements; When it is determined that both the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6) have cooling requirements, starting the high-pressure fan (9) and operating it in a first operation mode matching the cooling requirements; When it is determined that one of the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6) has a cooling requirement while the other does not, starting the high-pressure fan (9) and operating it in a second operation mode matching the cooling requirements, where the second operation mode is different from the first operation mode; and When it is determined that neither the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) nor the air conditioning condenser (6) has a cooling requirement, keeping the high-pressure fan (9) in a non-operating state.

7. The thermal management control method according to claim 6, wherein, Detecting the working states of the fuel cell system (1) and the air conditioning system (5) and determining whether the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) and the air conditioning condenser (6) have cooling requirements is carried out in the following manner: Detecting the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium in the fuel cell heat exchanger (2), and when the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium exceeds the threshold temperature, determining that the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) has a cooling requirement; and Detecting the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium in the air conditioning condenser (6), and when the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium exceeds the threshold pressure, determining that the air conditioning condenser (6) has a cooling requirement; Wherein, the threshold temperature and the threshold pressure are calibrated through experiments or determined based on experience and are adjustable.

8. The thermal management control method according to claim 7, wherein, In the first operation mode, the high-pressure fan (9) is controlled to have a relatively high rotational speed based on the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium and the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium, and in the second operation mode, the high-pressure fan (9) is controlled to have a relatively low rotational speed based on the fluid temperature of the first cooling medium or the fluid pressure of the second cooling medium.

9. The thermal management control method according to claim 6, further comprising the following steps: After entering the first operation mode or the second operation mode, repeatedly performing the fault detection step and the operation mode determination step; or After determining that neither the fuel cell heat exchanger (2) nor the air conditioning condenser (6) has a cooling requirement and keeping the high-pressure fan (9) in a non-operating state, repeatedly performing the fault detection step and the operation mode determination step.

10. The thermal management control method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein, The thermal management control method is automatically carried out under the control of a high-pressure fan control unit (10), and the high-pressure fan control unit (10) is independently provided or integrated into the vehicle control unit of the fuel cell vehicle or the fuel cell control unit of the fuel cell system (1).

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