A control method and device of a fuel cell, a vehicle and a storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a control method and device of a fuel cell, a vehicle and a storage medium, and belongs to the technical field of new energy vehicle control. The method comprises the following steps: in the case that a preset emergency shutdown condition is met, controlling the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state, and acquiring a power supply state of the vehicle; and in the case that the power supply state is in an off state, waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell. The method can purge the fuel cell after the fuel cell enters the emergency shutdown state and the vehicle is powered off, so that the fuel cell does not need to be purged again when the fuel cell is started subsequently, and the output energy of the power battery and the fuel cell is used to drive the vehicle, so that the whole vehicle power demand of the vehicle can be fully met, and the driving experience of the user is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of new energy vehicle control technology, and more specifically, to a control method, device, vehicle, and storage medium for a fuel cell in the field of new energy vehicle control technology. Background Technology

[0002] With global resource scarcity and escalating environmental pollution, environmental protection has become a focus across industries, and the automotive sector is actively exploring new fuels that combine environmental friendliness and energy efficiency. Fuel cells, as clean and efficient electrochemical power generation devices, have attracted significant attention, and fuel cell vehicles have become the mainstream of industry development. Their safety and economic viability have become key research and development issues for automakers.

[0003] Currently, in order to avoid damage to fuel cells, emergency shutdown of the fuel cell is controlled in certain situations. However, after an emergency shutdown, the fuel cell may not be able to perform shutdown purging and other operations normally, which may cause it to fail to start smoothly the next time it is started. This may affect the driving experience and result in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a control method, device, vehicle, and storage medium for a fuel cell. The method can fully meet the overall power requirements of the vehicle and improve the user's driving experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, a control method for a fuel cell is provided, the method comprising: controlling the fuel cell to enter an emergency stop state when preset emergency stop conditions are met; acquiring the power status of the vehicle; and waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell when the power status is off.

[0006] The aforementioned technical solution, upon meeting preset emergency shutdown conditions, immediately controls the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state, effectively ensuring the fuel cell's safety. Furthermore, after controlling the fuel cell to enter the emergency shutdown state, it acquires the vehicle's power status and, if the power is off, wakes the vehicle to purge the fuel cell. By purging the fuel cell after the vehicle is powered off, subsequent fuel cell restarts do not require re-purging, facilitating rapid fuel cell startup. It also eliminates the need for the power battery to power the fuel cell purging process, ensuring that the output energy from both the power battery and the fuel cell is used to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and improving the user's driving experience.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: recording a fault code inside the fuel cell when a preset emergency shutdown condition is met; waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell when the power is off, including: if the fault code indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell, clearing the fault code when the power is off; and waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell after confirming that the fault code has been cleared.

[0008] The above technical solution, under the condition of a preset emergency shutdown, promptly records the fault codes inside the fuel cell, facilitating rapid fault location by maintenance personnel based on these codes, thereby improving maintenance efficiency and saving labor costs. If the fault code indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell, the fault code is cleared while the power is off. After the fault code is cleared, the vehicle is woken up to purge the fuel cell, ensuring that the purging operation not performed during the emergency shutdown is carried out, minimizing damage to the fuel cell stack. Furthermore, the fuel cell does not need to be purged again when starting it later, facilitating rapid fuel cell startup. This allows the output energy from both the power battery and the fuel cell to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and improving the user's driving experience.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell includes: when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, outputting a prompt message; wherein the prompt message is used to prompt the user to activate the fuel cell purging function; and when it is determined that the purging function is activated, waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell.

[0010] The aforementioned technical solution, before waking the vehicle to perform the purging function, can first output a prompt message to the user to activate the fuel cell purging function. This allows the user to freely choose whether to activate the fuel cell purging function based on the prompt message, fully considering the user's actual needs and informing the user of the specific reason for activating the fuel cell purging function, thus improving the user experience. Once it is confirmed that the fuel cell purging function is activated, waking the vehicle to purge the fuel cell ensures that the purging operation not performed during the fuel cell emergency shutdown is carried out according to the user's needs. This reduces damage to the fuel cell stack and facilitates the rapid restart of the fuel cell subsequently. This ensures that the output energy from both the power battery and the fuel cell is used to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and further improving the user's driving experience.

[0011] Combining the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, a prompt message is output, including: when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, starting a timer and obtaining the time duration; and when the time duration is equal to the preset duration, outputting a prompt message.

[0012] The above technical solution, when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, obtains the duration for which the fault code has been cleared, and outputs a prompt message when the duration is equal to the preset duration, so as to remind the user to start the purging function of the fuel cell. This ensures that the purging function is executed at the optimal time and fully considers the actual needs of the user, significantly improving the usability and safety of the function and enhancing the user experience.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, before controlling the fuel cell to enter the emergency shutdown state, the method further includes: acquiring the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage; and determining whether the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, determining whether the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage includes: subtracting the internal voltage of the fuel cell from the vehicle bus voltage to obtain a voltage difference; and determining that the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met if the voltage difference is less than the preset difference.

[0015] The above technical solution calculates the voltage difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the fuel cell internal voltage. If the voltage difference is less than a preset difference, it determines that the preset emergency shutdown condition is met. This allows the fuel cell to be controlled to enter an emergency shutdown state in advance if there is a possibility that the internal voltage of the fuel cell may exceed the vehicle bus voltage. This can prevent the fuel cell from being damaged due to its internal voltage exceeding the vehicle bus voltage, and effectively ensure the safety of the fuel cell.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect and the above-mentioned implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell includes: controlling the vehicle to be in an powered-on state to supply power to the fuel cell; purging the interior of the fuel cell; and, after determining that the interior of the fuel cell has been purged, controlling the vehicle to be in a powered-off state.

[0017] Secondly, a control device for a fuel cell is provided, comprising: a control module for controlling the fuel cell to enter an emergency stop state when preset emergency stop conditions are met; an acquisition module for acquiring the power status of the vehicle; and a wake-up module for waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell when the power status is off.

[0018] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the device further includes a recording module, which is specifically used to: record fault codes inside the fuel cell when preset emergency shutdown conditions are met; and a wake-up module is specifically used to: clear the fault codes if the fault codes indicate a temporary fault in the fuel cell while the power supply is off; and wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell after confirming that the fault codes have been cleared.

[0019] In conjunction with the second aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, the wake-up module is specifically used to: output a prompt message when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared; wherein the prompt message is used to prompt the user to turn on the fuel cell purging function; and wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell when it is determined that the purging function is already turned on.

[0020] In combination with the second aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, the wake-up module includes an output unit, which is specifically used for: starting a timer and obtaining the timer duration when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared; and outputting a prompt message when the timer duration is equal to the preset duration.

[0021] In conjunction with the second aspect and the above-described implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, the device further includes a judgment module, which is specifically used to: acquire the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage; and determine whether the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage.

[0022] In conjunction with the second aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, the judgment module is specifically used to: subtract the internal voltage of the fuel cell from the bus voltage of the vehicle to obtain the voltage difference; and determine that the preset emergency shutdown condition is met if the voltage difference is less than the preset difference.

[0023] In conjunction with the second aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, the wake-up module is specifically used to: control the vehicle to be in a powered-on state to supply power to the fuel cell; purge the inside of the fuel cell, and, after determining that the inside of the fuel cell has been purged, control the vehicle to be in a powered-off state.

[0024] Thirdly, a vehicle is provided, including a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store executable program code, and the processor is used to call and run the executable program code from the memory, causing the vehicle to perform the fuel cell control method of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0025] Fourthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: computer program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the control method for a fuel cell in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0026] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer program code, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the control method for a fuel cell in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a fuel cell control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of another fuel cell control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device for a fuel cell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions in this application will be clearly and thoroughly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in the text is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two.

[0032] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as implying or suggesting relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0033] With global resource scarcity and escalating environmental pollution, environmental protection has become a focus across industries, and the automotive sector is actively exploring new fuels that combine environmental friendliness and energy efficiency. Fuel cells, as clean and efficient electrochemical power generation devices, have attracted significant attention, and fuel cell vehicles have become the mainstream of industry development. Their safety and economic viability have become key research and development issues for automakers.

[0034] Currently, to prevent fuel cell damage, emergency shutdown is implemented in certain situations. However, after an emergency shutdown, the fuel cell may be unable to perform shutdown purging operations normally. The next time the fuel cell is restarted, a purging process is usually required before normal startup. This purging process requires energy from the battery. If the battery charge is low at this time, it means the battery needs to meet both driving requirements and power the fuel cell purging, potentially leading to battery depletion. This, in turn, results in the battery being unable to meet the vehicle's driving needs, leading to a poor user experience.

[0035] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a fuel cell control method. The method can be executed by a vehicle, specifically a fuel cell controller (FCU) within the vehicle. This method enables the fuel cell to be purged after the vehicle is powered down following an emergency shutdown, eliminating the need for repeated purging when restarting the fuel cell. This ensures that the output energy from both the power battery and the fuel cell is used to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and improving the user's driving experience.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a fuel cell control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0037] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the method 100 includes:

[0038] Step 101: If the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met, control the fuel cell to enter the emergency shutdown state.

[0039] Step 102: Obtain the vehicle's power status.

[0040] Step 103: With the power supply off, wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell.

[0041] In this embodiment, upon meeting preset emergency shutdown conditions, the fuel cell is immediately controlled to enter an emergency shutdown state, effectively ensuring its safety. Furthermore, after the fuel cell enters the emergency shutdown state, the vehicle's power status is acquired, and if the power is off, the vehicle is woken up to purge the fuel cell. By purging the fuel cell after the vehicle is powered off, subsequent fuel cell startup does not require re-purging, facilitating rapid fuel cell startup. Additionally, the power battery does not need to supply power for fuel cell purging, ensuring that the output energy from both the power battery and the fuel cell is used to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and improving the user's driving experience.

[0042] The following is about Figure 1 The implementation methods of each step in the illustrated embodiment are explained in detail below:

[0043] In step 101, the aforementioned emergency shutdown state refers to the safety protection state triggered when the FCU detects a serious fault or safety hazard in the fuel cell.

[0044] For example, when the FCU detects an abnormal voltage in the fuel cell, it can control the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state.

[0045] In one possible implementation, before controlling the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state, the method further includes: acquiring the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage; and determining whether the preset emergency shutdown condition is met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage.

[0046] The internal voltage of the aforementioned fuel cell refers to the voltage generated during the electrochemical reaction within the fuel cell's internal stack. Since the fuel cell's internal stack consists of multiple individual cells, each cell generates voltage through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Therefore, the internal voltage of the aforementioned fuel cell is the total output voltage after all individual cells are connected in series; that is, the internal voltage of the aforementioned fuel cell = the average voltage of a single cell * the number of cells.

[0047] The aforementioned vehicle bus voltage refers to the DC bus voltage in the vehicle's high-voltage system. This vehicle bus voltage supplies power to all high-voltage electrical equipment, such as the drive motor and electric heater. Simultaneously, the aforementioned vehicle bus voltage is also the voltage at the common interface where high-voltage power sources such as fuel cells and power batteries output energy to the vehicle. The specific vehicle bus voltage can be obtained through a voltage sensor integrated within the high-voltage distribution box.

[0048] The aforementioned preset emergency shutdown conditions refer to the conditions written into the control program by the FCU in advance. These preset emergency shutdown conditions are the conditions that must be met when the fuel cell is controlled to enter the emergency shutdown state. The FCU will only control the fuel cell to enter the emergency shutdown state when the actual operating conditions meet these preset emergency shutdown conditions.

[0049] For example, the internal voltage of the fuel cell can be acquired by voltage sensors connected in parallel to the positive and negative terminals of the fuel cell stack. The FCU can directly acquire the value acquired by the voltage sensors connected in parallel to the positive and negative terminals of the fuel cell stack, which is the internal voltage of the fuel cell.

[0050] The aforementioned vehicle bus voltage can be acquired by a voltage sensor integrated in the high-voltage distribution box. The FCU can receive the value acquired by the voltage sensor in the high-voltage distribution box through the vehicle's Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. This value is the vehicle bus voltage.

[0051] Because the internal voltage of the fuel cell does not match the voltage required by the drive motor, and the voltage of the power battery also needs to be coordinated with the voltage of the drive motor, a "high-voltage bus" is usually designed. A direct-to-direct-current converter (DC-DC converter) can boost the internal voltage of the fuel cell to match the voltage of this high-voltage bus. Simultaneously, the power battery also regulates its own voltage through its voltage regulation module to match the voltage of the high-voltage bus. Ultimately, this achieves coordinated operation where the fuel cell and power battery supply power to the bus, and the drive motor draws power from the bus.

[0052] Based on this, the internal voltage of the aforementioned fuel cell is also called the "DC input voltage", and the voltage of the aforementioned vehicle bus is also called the "DC output voltage".

[0053] Furthermore, the function of the aforementioned DC-DC converter is to boost the low-voltage DC power generated by the fuel cell stack to a high-voltage DC power that matches the high-voltage bus of the vehicle. Therefore, it is usually necessary to ensure that the DC input voltage is less than the DC output voltage, that is, to ensure that the internal voltage of the fuel cell is less than the vehicle bus voltage.

[0054] Once the internal voltage of the fuel cell exceeds the vehicle bus voltage, it will disrupt the design logic of the DC-DC converter—"low voltage input, high voltage output"—triggering spontaneous conduction from the high-voltage side (i.e., the fuel cell stack side) to the low-voltage side (the vehicle bus side), resulting in an uncontrolled large current. At this point, the DC-DC converter's switching control module will completely fail, potentially unable to regulate the current magnitude through high-frequency switching or to cut off this spontaneously conducting loop. Consequently, the current will increase entirely with the voltage difference between the fuel cell stack and the bus (i.e., the greater the voltage difference, the higher the peak current). This uncontrolled large current will far exceed the safe tolerance range of the fuel cell stack, potentially leading to increased polarization of individual cells within the stack, catalyst activity degradation, and even directly burning the proton exchange membrane and causing electrode structure deformation, ultimately resulting in irreversible damage to the fuel cell stack.

[0055] Therefore, in order to protect the safety of the fuel cell, it is necessary to ensure that the internal voltage of the fuel cell is always lower than the bus voltage of the vehicle.

[0056] Currently, to ensure that the internal voltage of the fuel cell is always lower than the vehicle bus voltage, the lower limit of the vehicle bus voltage is typically increased. This ensures that the lower limit of the vehicle bus voltage is always higher than the highest voltage that the fuel cell may reach under extreme operating conditions (such as abnormally high hydrogen pressure, excessive air supply, or the fuel cell stack starting up without load). For example, if the lower limit of the vehicle bus voltage is set to 100V, even if the fuel cell stack experiences an extreme condition of "high open-circuit voltage in hydrogen-air" and the highest input voltage to the fuel cell stack is 95V, it can still ensure that the internal voltage of the fuel cell is always lower than the vehicle bus voltage.

[0057] However, such a solution may affect the vehicle's power output due to the limited adjustable range of the bus voltage. For example, since the bus voltage does not directly determine the motor's output power, if the motor needs to output low power under low load conditions, but the current vehicle bus voltage cannot be reduced to a reasonable low voltage, it may be necessary to reduce the current to achieve the low power output of the motor. If the motor operates in the low current range, it may reduce efficiency, leading to an increase in the vehicle's energy consumption.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, anomaly diagnosis can be performed based on the difference between the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage to avoid abnormal operating conditions where the internal voltage of the fuel cell exceeds the vehicle bus voltage. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it can specifically determine whether preset emergency shutdown conditions are met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage.

[0059] In one possible implementation, determining whether the preset emergency shutdown condition is met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage includes: subtracting the internal voltage of the fuel cell from the vehicle bus voltage to obtain a voltage difference; and determining that the preset emergency shutdown condition is met if the voltage difference is less than a preset difference.

[0060] Understandably, as mentioned above, after the FCU obtains the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage, it can calculate the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the internal voltage of the fuel cell from the vehicle bus voltage.

[0061] The aforementioned preset difference can be set according to actual conditions. Specifically, it ensures that when the voltage difference equals the preset difference, the DC-DC converter still has normal boost regulation capability. This allows the DC-DC converter to further increase the vehicle bus voltage, or at least maintain the current voltage, by adjusting parameters such as switching frequency and duty cycle. This actively widens the voltage difference to prevent it from continuously shrinking.

[0062] For example, if the voltage difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the internal voltage of the fuel cell is 20V, the DC-DC converter still has normal boost regulation capability. At this time, the DC-DC converter can also increase the vehicle bus voltage by adjusting parameters such as switching frequency and duty cycle, so as to prevent the voltage difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the internal voltage of the fuel cell from shrinking further. Therefore, the above-mentioned preset difference can be set to 20V.

[0063] Furthermore, if the difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the fuel cell internal voltage is less than a preset difference, it indicates that the current DC-DC converter may be unable to increase the vehicle bus voltage through parameter adjustments. If the fuel cell continues to operate, the voltage difference may continue to narrow, and the fuel cell internal voltage may even exceed the vehicle bus voltage. Based on this, the FCU can determine that a preset emergency shutdown condition is met when the difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the fuel cell internal voltage is less than the preset difference, and control the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state.

[0064] The above method calculates the voltage difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the fuel cell internal voltage. If the voltage difference is less than a preset difference, it determines that the preset emergency shutdown condition is met. This method can control the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state in advance if there is a possibility that the internal voltage of the fuel cell may exceed the vehicle bus voltage. This can prevent the fuel cell from being damaged due to the internal voltage of the fuel cell exceeding the vehicle bus voltage, and effectively ensure the safety of the fuel cell.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the method further includes recording the fault code inside the fuel cell when the preset emergency shutdown condition is met.

[0066] Specifically, the aforementioned fault codes refer to the information recorded by the FCU when it determines that the preset emergency stop state is met. The fault codes may include, but are not limited to: fault category, status data when the fault is triggered, and log information corresponding to the fault occurrence process.

[0067] Understandably, when the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met, not only can the fuel cell be controlled to enter an emergency shutdown state, but the fault codes inside the fuel cell can also be recorded simultaneously. This allows subsequent maintenance personnel to accurately locate the fault by reading the fault codes inside the fuel cell, thereby reducing troubleshooting costs.

[0068] In steps 102 and 103, the vehicle's power status can be obtained specifically through the vehicle's power mode signal. This power mode signal indicates whether the fuel cell vehicle is in a powered-on or powered-off state. In actual operation, the vehicle's power mode signal can be read in real time and its signal type can be determined, thus indicating whether the fuel cell vehicle is in a powered-on or powered-off state.

[0069] Specifically, when the vehicle power mode signal is ON, it means that the vehicle's power is on, indicating that the fuel cell vehicle is powered on; when the vehicle power mode signal is OFF, it means that the vehicle's power is off, indicating that the fuel cell vehicle is powered off.

[0070] In normal circumstances, when a fuel cell enters an emergency shutdown state, it may alert the user through flashing malfunction lights and beeping alarms. To ensure driving safety, the user may actively turn the vehicle's power mode off, that is, actively control the vehicle to be in a power-off state.

[0071] Since the fuel cell does not purge its interior when it enters emergency shutdown mode, but instead directly stops the electrochemical reaction inside the fuel cell (such as cutting off the hydrogen supply, stopping the air and coolant supply, and the connection between the fuel cell stack and the DC-DC converter), in order to avoid the situation where the vehicle's power demand cannot be met due to the purging operation when the fuel cell is restarted, the vehicle can be woken up to purge the fuel cell while it is in a powered-off state (i.e., the power mode is off).

[0072] In one possible implementation, waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell when the power is off includes: clearing the fault code if it indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell when the power is off; and waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell after confirming that the fault code has been cleared.

[0073] The aforementioned temporary fault refers to a fault that can automatically return to normal after the vehicle is powered off.

[0074] It is understandable that the fuel cell may enter an emergency shutdown state due to reasons such as the difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the fuel cell internal voltage being less than the preset value, an abnormality in the internal state of the fuel cell stack, an abnormality in the hydrogen system, or a communication abnormality.

[0075] Under normal circumstances, if the fuel cell enters an emergency shutdown state due to a brief disturbance or fluctuation (such as occasional sensor interference causing abnormal output signals), rather than due to component damage, and the signal can automatically return to normal after the vehicle is powered off, then the fault can be considered a temporary fault. However, if the fuel cell enters an emergency shutdown state due to component damage (such as hydrogen leakage, damage to the proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell stack), and cannot automatically recover after the vehicle is powered off, requiring repair or replacement of the component before recovery, then the fault can be considered a non-temporary fault.

[0076] In some embodiments, when recording fault codes, the specific fault category can typically be recorded. If the FCU determines that the fault category in the fault code inside the fuel cell is a temporary fault, the fault code can be cleared after the vehicle is powered off.

[0077] For example, when recording fault codes, "Type 1" can be used to identify temporary faults (such as intermittent sensor interference or momentary CAN bus disconnection), and "Type 2" can be used to identify non-temporary faults (such as hydrogen leakage or fuel cell membrane burnout). When the FCU detects a fault code of "Type 1", it can clear the fault code after powering off the vehicle.

[0078] Furthermore, if it is confirmed that the fault code has been cleared, it means that the current temporary fault has been cleared. The vehicle can then be woken up to purge the fuel cell, so that the fuel cell does not need to be purged again when it is restarted, which facilitates the rapid start-up of the fuel cell.

[0079] The above method, under the premise of meeting preset emergency shutdown conditions, promptly records the fault codes inside the fuel cell, facilitating rapid fault location by maintenance personnel based on these codes, thereby improving maintenance efficiency and saving labor costs. If the fault code indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell, the fault code is cleared while the power is off. After the fault code is cleared, the vehicle is woken up to purge the fuel cell, ensuring that the purging operation not performed during the emergency shutdown is carried out, minimizing damage to the fuel cell stack. Furthermore, the fuel cell does not need to be purged again when starting it later, facilitating rapid fuel cell startup. This allows the output energy from both the power battery and the fuel cell to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and improving the user's driving experience.

[0080] In practice, users can typically choose in advance whether to activate the purging function that purges the fuel cell after the vehicle is powered off, based on their actual needs. If the user activates this purging function, the vehicle can be woken up to purge the fuel cell after confirming that the fault codes have been cleared.

[0081] For example, the vehicle may be equipped with a button for turning the aforementioned blowing function on or off. The user can trigger this button to turn the blowing function on or off, essentially setting its on / off state. This button can be a physical button or a virtual button. When the button is a physical button, it can be located on the center console; when the button is a virtual button, it can be located on a touchscreen in the vehicle, such as the center console screen or a steering wheel-mounted screen.

[0082] For example, the blowing function can also be turned on or off via voice commands. For instance, the vehicle can receive voice commands from the user to control the blowing function's activation or deactivation.

[0083] If the user does not activate the purging function in advance, the vehicle's controller (such as the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU)) can send a prompt message to the user, reminding them to activate the fuel cell purging function.

[0084] In one possible implementation, waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell after determining that the fault code has been cleared includes: outputting a prompt message after determining that the fault code has been cleared; wherein the prompt message is used to prompt the user to activate the purging function of the fuel cell; and waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell after determining that the purging function is activated.

[0085] Understandably, if the fault code is cleared, it means that the temporary fault has been reset, there is no historical fault record inside the fuel cell, and the conditions for performing the purging function are met.

[0086] Furthermore, since the vehicle will start auxiliary components such as the air compressor during the internal purging process of the fuel cell, which may generate some noise and consume a small amount of power from the low-voltage battery in the vehicle, the vehicle controller can output a prompt message to allow the user to choose whether to activate the purging function, taking into account the user experience.

[0087] Understandably, by outputting prompts, users can easily understand the purpose and reason for the fuel cell to perform the purging function. For example, the prompts could include: the fuel cell did not perform the purging function when it entered the emergency stop state; if the vehicle is not purged after power-off, it may not be able to start quickly the next time it is started.

[0088] For example, the aforementioned prompts can be displayed as pop-ups or text on in-vehicle screens such as the central control screen and dashboard, or broadcast to the user via the in-vehicle audio system. They can also be simultaneously pushed to terminal devices already bound to the vehicle (such as the user's mobile phone or smartwatch) as message notifications, allowing the user to receive the prompts promptly even when outside the vehicle. This application does not specifically limit the output method of the aforementioned prompts.

[0089] In some embodiments, the above prompt may also include two options: "Turn on the purging function" and "Turn off the purging function".

[0090] For example, when the system detects that the user selects "turn on the blowing function", the vehicle controller can turn the switch corresponding to the blowing function to the on state; conversely, when the system detects that the user selects "do not turn on the blowing function", the vehicle controller can keep the switch corresponding to the blowing function in the off state.

[0091] The above method, before waking the vehicle to perform the purging function, can first output a prompt message to the user to activate the fuel cell purging function. This allows the user to freely choose whether to activate the fuel cell purging function based on the prompt message, fully considering the user's actual needs and informing the user of the specific reason for activating the fuel cell purging function, thus improving the user experience. Once it is confirmed that the fuel cell purging function is activated, waking the vehicle to purge the fuel cell ensures that the purging operation not performed during the fuel cell emergency shutdown is carried out according to the user's needs. This reduces damage to the fuel cell stack and facilitates the rapid restart of the fuel cell subsequently. This ensures that the output energy from both the power battery and the fuel cell is used to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and further improving the user's driving experience.

[0092] Since the purging function usually requires the vehicle to be stationary and without high-voltage load, in order to ensure that the purging function is activated at the optimal time, the user can be reminded to activate the purging function after a period of time has passed since the fault code has been cleared.

[0093] In one possible implementation, if it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, a prompt message is output, including: if it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, starting a timer and obtaining the time duration; and if the time duration is equal to a preset duration, outputting a prompt message.

[0094] Understandably, once it is determined that the fault codes inside the fuel cell have been cleared, the vehicle's controller can start a timer to record the duration for which the fuel cell is currently in a fault-free state.

[0095] If the duration of the above process is equal to the preset duration, it indicates that the optimal time to activate the fuel cell purging function has been reached, and a prompt message can be output to remind the user to activate the fuel cell purging function.

[0096] For example, the preset duration can be set according to actual needs, such as 1 minute.

[0097] In some embodiments, if the parking purging function of the fuel cell in the vehicle is enabled, the preset duration can also be set in conjunction with the timed wake-up duration set in the parking purging function of the fuel cell.

[0098] The aforementioned parking purging function can be understood as purging the fuel cell while the vehicle is parked. Specifically, in the parking state, the vehicle is typically parked in a garage or parking space. With changes in environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity, if purging is not performed when needed, condensation can easily form inside the fuel cell. The presence of condensation will affect the fuel cell's next start-up, and if the condensation freezes due to low external temperatures, it can easily cause irreversible damage to the fuel cell stack's membrane electrode assembly, affecting the fuel cell stack's lifespan. Therefore, when the vehicle is in the aforementioned parking state, a periodic parking purging is usually performed, i.e., periodically waking the vehicle to purge the fuel cell.

[0099] For example, if the timed vehicle wake-up function in the above-mentioned parking purging function is set to wake up the vehicle once every 1 hour, then the above-mentioned preset duration can also be set to 1 hour. Furthermore, if the parking purging function is in the on state, after the above-mentioned purging function is executed, the parking purging function can continue to be executed, that is, when the preset conditions for executing the parking purging function are met, the fuel cell is parked and purged.

[0100] The above method, when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, obtains the duration for which the fault code has been cleared, and outputs a prompt message when the duration is equal to the preset duration, so as to remind the user to start the fuel cell purging function. This ensures that the purging function is executed at the optimal time and fully considers the actual needs of the user, significantly improving the usability and safety of the function and enhancing the user experience.

[0101] Furthermore, if the vehicle's controller determines that the purging function is enabled, it can wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell.

[0102] In one possible implementation, waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell includes: controlling the vehicle to be powered on to supply power to the fuel cell; purging the interior of the fuel cell; and, after determining that the interior of the fuel cell has been purged, controlling the vehicle to be powered off.

[0103] Specifically, controlling the vehicle to be in a powered-on state means activating the vehicle's low-voltage system (usually a 12V or 24V battery) to power the FCU and the controllers or components in the fuel cell system used to perform the purging function.

[0104] The aforementioned purging of the fuel cell interior refers to: introducing dry air (or inert gas) into the fuel cell stack to remove liquid water and impurity gases remaining in the flow channels and electrodes.

[0105] Specifically, once the aforementioned purging function is confirmed to be activated, a low-pressure power-on process can be triggered to wake up components such as the FCU, hydrogen concentration sensor, and air compressor. Subsequently, the FCU sends start commands to components used to perform the purging function, such as the air compressor, fuel cell stack inlet valve, and exhaust valve. After controlling the air compressor to start, the air compressor can draw in outside air and pump the dried air into the inlet of the fuel cell stack at a preset pressure and flow rate. As the airflow flows through the internal channels of the fuel cell stack, it gradually replaces and discharges the hydrogen remaining after the emergency shutdown, while simultaneously atomizing and carrying away any undischarged reaction water within the stack, thus achieving purging of the fuel cell interior.

[0106] Furthermore, during the purging process, the hydrogen concentration in the exhaust gas can be monitored in real time by a hydrogen concentration sensor installed at the fuel cell stack exhaust port, and the humidity inside the fuel cell stack can be monitored in real time by a humidity sensor inside the fuel cell stack. When the hydrogen concentration in the exhaust gas is detected to be less than or equal to a preset concentration threshold (e.g., 1%) and the humidity inside the fuel cell stack is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold (e.g., 2%), the FCU determines that the fuel cell has been purged. Then, it can control the air compressor and valves to stop working and send a power-off command to the VCU. After receiving the command, the VCU can cut off the low-voltage power supply circuit related to vehicle purging, so that the low-voltage system returns to a low-power standby state.

[0107] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of another fuel cell control method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0108] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the execution entity of this method is the FCU, and the method 200 includes:

[0109] Step 201: Calculate the voltage difference between the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the bus voltage of the vehicle.

[0110] Specifically, the voltage difference mentioned above is the difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the internal voltage of the fuel cell.

[0111] Step 202: Determine whether the voltage difference is less than 20V.

[0112] For example, if the voltage difference is less than 20V, then step 203 is executed; if the voltage difference is greater than or equal to 20V, then step 201 is executed.

[0113] Step 203: Control the fuel cell to enter emergency shutdown state.

[0114] Step 204: Determine whether the vehicle's power mode is off.

[0115] For example, if it is determined that the vehicle's power mode is off, then step 205 is executed; if it is determined that the vehicle's power mode is not off, then step 204 is executed.

[0116] Step 205: Clear the fault codes inside the fuel cell.

[0117] Understandably, if the above fault code indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell, the fault code can be cleared.

[0118] Step 206: Determine whether the fault code has been cleared.

[0119] For example, if it is determined that the fault code has been cleared, then step 207 is executed; if it is determined that the fault code has not been cleared, then step 205 is executed.

[0120] Step 207: Start timing, obtain the timing duration, and determine whether the timing duration has reached the preset duration.

[0121] For example, if the timeout period reaches the preset duration, step 208 is executed; if the timeout period does not reach the preset duration, step 207 is executed.

[0122] Step 208: Output a prompt message to remind the user to activate the fuel cell purging function.

[0123] Step 209: Determine whether the fuel cell purging function is enabled.

[0124] For example, if the purging function of the fuel cell is on, step 211 is executed; if the purging function of the fuel cell is off, step 210 is executed.

[0125] Step 210: Do not perform the fuel cell purging function.

[0126] Step 211: Wake up the vehicle and send a purge request so that the VCU controls the vehicle to power up and purge the fuel cell.

[0127] It is understandable that the specific process of waking up the vehicle and controlling its power-on is as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0128] Step 212: Determine whether the fuel cell has been purged.

[0129] Understandably, as mentioned above, if the hydrogen concentration in the exhaust gas is less than or equal to a preset concentration threshold (e.g., 1%) and the humidity inside the fuel cell stack is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold (e.g., 2%), the FCU can determine that the fuel cell has been purged.

[0130] For example, if it is determined that the fuel cell purging is complete, then step 213 is executed; if it is determined that the fuel cell purging is not complete, then step 211 is executed.

[0131] Step 213: Send the status of fuel cell purging completion to VCU so that VCU can control the vehicle to shut down.

[0132] Understandably, as mentioned above, once the FCU determines that the internal purging of the fuel cell has been completed, it can control the air compressor and valves to stop working and send a power-down command to the VCU. After receiving the command, the VCU can cut off the low-voltage power supply circuit related to vehicle purging, so that the low-voltage system returns to a low-power standby state.

[0133] In the above embodiments, by calculating the voltage difference between the vehicle bus voltage and the fuel cell's internal voltage, and if this voltage difference is less than a preset difference, a preset emergency shutdown condition is determined to be met. This allows for early control of the fuel cell into an emergency shutdown state when there is a possibility that the fuel cell's internal voltage may exceed the vehicle bus voltage. This effectively prevents fuel cell damage caused by the fuel cell's internal voltage exceeding the vehicle bus voltage, ensuring fuel cell safety. Furthermore, after controlling the fuel cell to enter the emergency shutdown state, the vehicle's power status is acquired. If the power status is off, the vehicle is woken up to purge the fuel cell. By purging the fuel cell after the vehicle is powered off, subsequent fuel cell startup does not require re-purging, facilitating rapid fuel cell startup. It also eliminates the need for the power battery to power the fuel cell during purging, ensuring that the output energy of both the power battery and the fuel cell is used to drive the vehicle, fully meeting the vehicle's overall power requirements and improving the user's driving experience.

[0134] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device for a fuel cell provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0135] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the device 300 includes:

[0136] The control module 301 is used to control the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state when the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met.

[0137] The acquisition module 302 is used to acquire the power status of the vehicle.

[0138] The wake-up module 303 is used to wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell when the power supply is in the off state.

[0139] Optionally, the device further includes a recording module, which is specifically used to record the fault codes inside the fuel cell when the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the wake-up module is specifically used to: clear the fault code if the fault code indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell while the power supply is off; and wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell if the fault code has been cleared.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the wake-up module is specifically used to: output a prompt message when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared; wherein the prompt message is used to prompt the user to activate the purging function of the fuel cell; and wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell when it is determined that the purging function is activated.

[0142] In one possible implementation, the wake-up module includes an output unit, which is specifically used to: start timing and obtain the timing duration when it is determined that the fault code has been cleared; and output a prompt message when the timing duration is equal to a preset duration.

[0143] Optionally, the device further includes a judgment module, which is specifically used to: acquire the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage; and determine whether the preset emergency shutdown condition is met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the judgment module is specifically used to: subtract the internal voltage of the fuel cell from the bus voltage of the vehicle to obtain a voltage difference; and determine that the preset emergency shutdown condition is met if the voltage difference is less than a preset difference.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the wake-up module is specifically used to: control the vehicle to be in a powered-on state to supply power to the fuel cell; purge the interior of the fuel cell, and, after determining that the interior of the fuel cell has been purged, control the vehicle to be in a powered-off state.

[0146] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0147] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle 400 includes a memory 401 and a processor 402. The memory 401 stores executable program code 4011, and the processor 402 is used to call and execute the executable program code 4011 to perform a fuel cell control method.

[0148] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also protect an apparatus that may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores executable program code, and the processor is used to call and execute the executable program code to perform a fuel cell control method provided in embodiments of this application.

[0149] This embodiment can divide the device into functional modules based on the above method example. For example, each module can correspond to a separate function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware. It should be noted that the module division in this embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0150] When the functional modules are divided according to their respective functions, the device may also include a control module, an acquisition module, and a wake-up module. It should be noted that all relevant content regarding the steps involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional descriptions of the corresponding functional modules, and will not be repeated here.

[0151] It should be understood that the device provided in this embodiment is used to execute the above-described control method for a fuel cell, and therefore can achieve the same effect as the above-described implementation method.

[0152] When using an integrated unit, the device may include a processing module and a storage module. When the device is applied to a vehicle, the processing module can be used to control and manage the vehicle's movements. The storage module can be used to support the vehicle in executing relevant program code and data.

[0153] The processing module may be a processor or a controller, which can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits shown in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination of functions that implement computing capabilities, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of digital signal processing (DSP) and a microprocessor, etc., and the storage module may be a memory.

[0154] In addition, the device provided in the embodiments of this application may specifically be a chip, component or module. The chip may include a connected processor and a memory. The memory is used to store instructions. When the processor calls and executes the instructions, the chip can execute a fuel cell control method provided in the above embodiments.

[0155] This embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer executes the above-described related method steps to implement a fuel cell control method provided in the above embodiment.

[0156] This embodiment also provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the aforementioned steps to implement a fuel cell control method provided in the above embodiment.

[0157] In this embodiment, the device, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, or chip are all used to execute the corresponding methods provided above. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0158] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0159] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0160] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for a fuel cell, characterized in that, The method includes: If the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met, record the fault code inside the fuel cell and control the fuel cell to enter the emergency shutdown state. Obtain the vehicle's power status; If the fault code indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell, the fault code is cleared when the power is off. If the fault code has been cleared, wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell after determining that the fault code has been cleared includes: If the fault code has been cleared, a prompt message is output; wherein, the prompt message is used to prompt the user to activate the purging function of the fuel cell; If the purging function is confirmed to be enabled, the vehicle is activated to purge the fuel cell.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the fault code has been cleared, output a prompt message, including: Once it is confirmed that the fault code has been cleared, start timing and obtain the timing duration; If the timeout duration equals the preset duration, a prompt message will be output.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before controlling the fuel cell to enter an emergency shutdown state, the method further includes: Obtain the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage; Based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage, it is determined whether the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met based on the internal voltage of the fuel cell and the vehicle bus voltage includes: The voltage difference is obtained by subtracting the internal voltage of the fuel cell from the overall vehicle bus voltage. If the voltage difference is less than a preset difference, the preset emergency shutdown condition is determined to be met.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of waking up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell includes: The vehicle is kept powered on to supply power to the fuel cell; The interior of the fuel cell is purged, and once it is determined that the interior of the fuel cell has been purged, the vehicle is controlled to be in a power-off state.

7. A control device for a fuel cell, characterized in that, The device includes: The control module is used to record the fault codes inside the fuel cell and control the fuel cell to enter the emergency shutdown state when the preset emergency shutdown conditions are met. The acquisition module is used to acquire the vehicle's power status; The wake-up module is used to clear the fault code if it indicates a temporary fault in the fuel cell, while the power is off; and to wake up the vehicle to purge the fuel cell if the fault code has been cleared.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicles include: Memory, used to store executable program code; A processor for calling and running the executable program code from the memory, causing the vehicle to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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