Powerpc chip-based fuel cell controller

Abstract

The invention discloses a power pc chip-based fuel cell controller, which is used for controlling the running state of a fuel cell and comprises a main controller, a hydrogen supply system, an air supply system, a humidification system, a cooling system and a hydrogen circulation system, the main controller comprises a main control chip, a pulse signal processing module, an analog signal processing module, a switching signal processing module and a DAC module. The pulse signal processing module is used for collecting the rotating speed of a fan, and the analog signal processing module is used for collecting data in a fuel cell and transmitting collected analog signals to the main control chip; the main control chip converts the received analog signal into a digital signal through an internal A / D module, analyzes and processes the digital signal, and outputs a control signal through an I / O port of the main control chip to control the state of the electromagnetic valve group; and the fan and the humidifying system are controlled through the DAC module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of fuel cell technology, specifically relating to a fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip. Background Technology

[0002] Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) offer advantages such as low operating temperature, low pollution and noise, high power generation efficiency, high reliability, convenient maintenance, and flexible use. However, due to the relatively low output voltage and weak driving capability of a single PEMFC, a practical PEMFC typically consists of several individual cells. The proton exchange membrane, the core component of a PEMFC, is highly sensitive to water content and temperature. The chemical reaction within the proton exchange membrane involves hydrogen and oxygen, generating significant heat. Since both are gases with low heat capacity, even slight changes in heat transfer can cause substantial temperature fluctuations around the proton exchange membrane. If this heat cannot be dissipated promptly, partial overheating of the membrane can lead to dehydration and a decline in battery performance. Therefore, a stable, reliable, and precisely controlled fuel cell controller is needed to monitor the fuel cell's operating status in real time, ensuring stable operation under optimal conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip, which aims to achieve real-time control of the operating status of the fuel cell and ensure that the fuel cell can operate stably under optimal conditions.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the objective of this invention is achieved as follows:

[0005] A fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip is used to control the operating status of a fuel cell. It includes a main controller, a hydrogen supply system, an air supply system, a humidification system, a cooling system, and a hydrogen circulation system. The main controller comprises a main control chip, a pulse signal processing module, an analog signal processing module, a switch signal processing module, and a DAC module. The pulse signal processing module collects data on the fan speed. The analog signal processing module collects data on the infeed air pressure, infeed hydrogen pressure, fan outlet humidity, air pressure, hydrogen pressure, stack internal temperature, stack outlet temperature, stack current, stack voltage, stack outlet hydrogen pressure, and stack internal humidity, and transmits the collected analog signals to the main control chip. The main control chip converts the received analog signals into digital signals using its internal A / D module, analyzes and processes them, and outputs control signals through its I / O ports to control the state of the solenoid valve group. The DAC module controls the fan and the humidification system.

[0006] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme: the main controller is also equipped with a CAN bus, which communicates and controls other subsystems of the fuel cell through the CAN bus.

[0007] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme: the main controller further includes a serial communication interface, which communicates with the host computer or connects with external devices through the serial communication interface to perform fault diagnosis.

[0008] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme: the humidification system includes an enthalpy wheel humidifier.

[0009] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment: the control part of the humidification system includes a sensor that collects air humidity, air flow rate and air temperature, and transmits the collected signals to the analog signal external processing module. The analog signal external processing module samples the analog signal via an A / D converter and transmits it to the main controller. The main controller processes and analyzes the data, converts it via a D / A converter, and then controls the drive circuit of the humidifier to control the motor speed of the enthalpy wheel humidifier.

[0010] The outstanding and beneficial technical effects of this invention compared to the prior art are: it can stably, reliably and accurately control the operating state of the fuel cell, ensuring that the fuel cell can operate stably under optimal conditions, and can achieve higher control precision and response speed for proton exchange membrane fuel. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the overall structure of a fuel cell;

[0012] Figure 2 This is the controller hardware block diagram;

[0013] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the enthalpy wheel humidifier control. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the given embodiments, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0015] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0016] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated.

[0017] Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can use either hydrocarbons or pure hydrogen as fuel. In PEMFCs, pure hydrogen is used, and the system structure is simpler compared to PEMFCs using hydrocarbons. It consists only of a hydrogen source, a pressure regulator, and a circulation loop. The hydrogen source is a high-pressure compressed liquid hydrogen tank. The pressure regulator primarily controls the pressure at the hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell stack. The circulation loop recycles any unreacted excess hydrogen within the fuel cell stack. This excess hydrogen serves two purposes: ensuring the electrochemical reactions within the stack proceed fully and also contributing to maintaining the stack's water balance. A PEMFC system is a complex system composed of multiple subsystems. While some subsystems are independent, others are highly coupled. A failure in any subsystem will directly affect the fuel cell's output performance, or even cause it to stop working. To ensure the reliable and stable operation of the entire fuel cell system, various sensors, valves, and water / heat / gas regulation and control devices are required. The control system, composed of these devices and their accessories and pipelines, needs to control and manage the system. Therefore, a controller is needed to optimize and control the system to achieve efficient and reliable operation of the fuel cell.

[0018] Combination Figure 1-2As shown, this invention discloses a fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip for controlling the operating status of a fuel cell. It includes a main controller, a hydrogen supply system, an air supply system, a humidification system, a cooling system, and a hydrogen circulation system. The main controller comprises a main control chip, a pulse signal processing module, an analog signal processing module, a switch signal processing module, and a DAC module. The pulse signal processing module collects data on the fan speed. The analog signal processing module collects data on the infeed air pressure, infeed hydrogen pressure, fan outlet humidity, air pressure, hydrogen pressure, stack internal temperature, stack outlet temperature, stack current, stack voltage, stack outlet hydrogen pressure, and stack internal humidity, and transmits the collected analog signals to the main control chip. The main control chip converts the received analog signals into digital signals through its internal A / D module, analyzes and processes them, and outputs control signals through its I / O ports to control the status of each solenoid valve group in the pipeline. The DAC module controls the fan and the humidification system. In this embodiment, the preferred main controller is the MPC5554 microcontroller, which is based on the PowerPC architecture and has powerful data analysis and processing capabilities, fast response speed, and strong compilability. More preferably, the main controller also includes a CAN bus, which communicates and controls other subsystems of the fuel cell. In addition, the main controller includes a serial communication interface, which communicates with a host computer or connects to external devices for fault diagnosis. Thus, the controller primarily monitors the operating condition of the fuel cell stack itself and the related status of its supporting equipment. First, various analog signals from the proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack and its supporting peripheral equipment are processed by the analog signal processing module on the main control board and then sampled by the A / D module to obtain relevant information. Then, relevant digital sensor information is read to obtain the external environment and corresponding operating condition information of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. At this point, by combining the power requirements of the external load with the operating condition information of the fuel cell, the required control quantities for each control module are calculated through relevant control strategies. The input / output module then outputs corresponding control quantities to ensure the stable and safe operation of the entire fuel cell stack. Simultaneously, it continuously optimizes the control quantities based on different operating conditions to achieve optimal control. Based on the stable and high-performance MPC5554 as the main control chip of the embedded control board, its sampled analog signals possess high accuracy and reliability, providing a strong guarantee for effective system control. The control board also features an SCI communication interface for real-time communication with a host computer. The control board has three CAN communication interfaces, enabling communication with other systems and providing comprehensive monitoring of the status of each component of the fuel cell. A user-friendly computer interface displays the fuel cell's operating status, allowing users to intuitively understand its performance. Furthermore, the buttons on the host computer provide direct control or allow users to set fixed operating modes, improving the versatility of the fuel cell controller.

[0019] Furthermore, water / heat management is crucial for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). During operation, most of the water from the reaction products is discharged from the cathode of the fuel cell stack with excess air. In practice, the air flow rate is determined by the amount of oxygen required for the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen in the stack; typically, the supplied oxygen is twice the required amount. The optimal operating temperature of the proton exchange membrane is around 80 degrees Celsius, so the reactant water discharged from the cathode of the fuel cell stack exists in liquid form, which facilitates collection by the management system. In a PEMFC system, part of the water generated by the electrochemical reaction is used for air humidification. The reactant water first passes through the reaction zone of the PEMFC fuel cell stack to cool the stack temperature, then is heated to the fuel cell's operating temperature. At this point, the heated water comes into contact with the reactant gases, thus achieving the humidification effect.

[0020] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the humidification system preferably includes an enthalpy wheel humidifier.

[0021] See Figure 3 As shown, the control section of the humidification system includes sensors that collect data on air humidity, air flow rate, and air temperature. The collected signals are transmitted to the analog signal processing module, which samples the analog signals via an A / D converter and transmits them to the main controller. The main controller processes and analyzes the data, then converts it using a D / A converter to control the humidifier's drive circuit, thereby controlling the motor speed of the enthalpy wheel humidifier. Figure 3 The block diagram shown illustrates this. The fuel cell main controller filters the analog signals from sensors monitoring stack humidity, airflow, temperature, and humidity using a low-pass second-order active filter. These signals are then sampled by the integrated AD converter within the MPC5554 to obtain the real-time stack humidity. After acquiring air temperature, airflow rate, and air humidity values, the controller, combined with the actual operating conditions of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell, calculates the relevant requirements for the enthalpy wheel humidifier using the MPC5554. This calculation is then output to the enthalpy wheel humidifier driver via a DA converter, ensuring the motor speed in the enthalpy wheel humidifier meets the controller's requirements. Furthermore, the controller connects to a host computer monitoring interface via SCI, allowing the host computer to monitor the fuel cell in real time. The controller also connects to other subsystems within the fuel cell system via a CAN network, enabling the fuel cell controller to have a comprehensive understanding of the fuel cell's status.

[0022] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape, and principle of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip, used to control the operating state of a fuel cell, comprising a main controller, a hydrogen supply system, an air supply system, a humidification system, a cooling system, and a hydrogen circulation system, characterized in that: The main controller includes a main control chip, a pulse signal processing module, an analog signal processing module, a switch signal processing module, and a DAC module. The pulse signal processing module collects the fan speed. The analog signal processing module collects the feed air pressure, feed hydrogen pressure, fan outlet humidity, air pressure, hydrogen pressure, internal stack temperature, external stack temperature, stack current, stack voltage, external stack hydrogen pressure, and internal stack humidity, and transmits the collected analog signals to the main control chip. The main control chip converts the received analog signals into digital signals through its internal A / D module, analyzes and processes them, and outputs control signals through its I / O ports to control the state of the solenoid valve group. The DAC module controls the fan and humidification system.

2. A fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main controller is also equipped with a CAN bus, which enables it to communicate and control other subsystems of the fuel cell.

3. A fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main controller also includes a serial communication interface, through which it communicates with the host computer or connects to external devices for fault diagnosis.

4. A fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The humidification system includes an enthalpy wheel humidifier.

5. A fuel cell controller based on a PowerPC chip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control section of the humidification system includes sensors that collect data on air humidity, air flow rate, and air temperature. The collected signals are then transmitted to the analog signal external processing module. The analog signal external processing module samples the analog signals via an A / D converter and transmits them to the main controller. The main controller processes and analyzes the data, converts it via a D / A converter, and then controls the drive circuit of the humidifier to control the motor speed of the enthalpy wheel humidifier.

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