Method and device for controlling heat dissipation mode of vehicle, controller, vehicle and product

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a method and device for controlling a heat dissipation mode of a vehicle, a controller, the vehicle and a computer program product. The method comprises the steps that a first heat dissipation requirement for a vehicle is obtained, wherein the first heat dissipation requirement comprises the heat dissipation requirement of at least one of a whole vehicle heat management system and an air conditioner of the vehicle; the method also includes acquiring a second heat dissipation demand for the vehicle, wherein the second heat dissipation demand includes a heat dissipation demand from a fuel cell system of the vehicle. The method further includes controlling a heat dissipation mode of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation demand and the second heat dissipation demand. By implementing the embodiment of the invention, the unified fan can be more effectively utilized to meet various heat dissipation requirements of the vehicle, and more efficient control of the rotating speed of the fan is realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of vehicles, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, controller, vehicle and computer program product for controlling a cooling mode of a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) as an energy technology, has been developed in parallel with high voltage (HV) battery technology. A PEMFC system is composed of four key subsystems: a hydrogen supply system responsible for providing hydrogen, a cathode system that supplies humidified air to support the chemical reactions of the fuel cell, a thermal management system that controls the temperature of the entire battery pack to ensure its stable operation, and an electrical system responsible for extracting current from the battery pack for external use.

[0003] The performance and durability of PEMFC are closely related to the hydration state of the membrane. The proton conductivity of the membrane is significantly dependent on its hydration rate, therefore, maintaining the water saturation state of the membrane is crucial to maintaining high efficient ionic conductivity. In terms of thermal management, the role of the condenser is to remove heat in the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system. The speed of the fan affects the pressure of the cooling liquid inside the condenser, which in turn affects the cooling efficiency. In addition, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) needs to be equipped with electrical components such as batteries, electric motors, and OBC (on-board charger) in addition to the PEMFC system. These electrical elements are cooled by the cooling circuit of the vehicle to ensure that they operate in an optimal state. SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, controller, vehicle and computer program product for controlling a cooling mode of a vehicle.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a cooling mode of a vehicle is provided. The method comprises obtaining a first cooling demand for the vehicle, wherein the first cooling demand comprises a cooling demand from at least one of a vehicle thermal management system and an air conditioner of the vehicle. The method further comprises obtaining a second cooling demand for the vehicle, wherein the second cooling demand comprises a cooling demand from a fuel cell system of the vehicle. The method further comprises controlling the cooling mode of the vehicle based on the first cooling demand and the second cooling demand.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for controlling a heat dissipation mode of a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a first obtaining unit configured to obtain a first heat dissipation requirement for the vehicle, wherein the first heat dissipation requirement comprises a heat dissipation requirement from at least one of a whole vehicle thermal management system and an air conditioner of the vehicle. The apparatus further comprises a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a second heat dissipation requirement for the vehicle, wherein the second heat dissipation requirement comprises a heat dissipation requirement from a fuel cell system of the vehicle. The apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to control the heat dissipation mode of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation requirement and the second heat dissipation requirement.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a controller. The controller comprises at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform the steps of the method of the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle comprising the controller of the third aspect of the present disclosure.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a machine readable storage medium. The machine readable storage medium has stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the steps of the method of the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the steps of the method of the first aspect of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the figures, and in which:

[0012] Figure 1 FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example of a heat system of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example of a heat system of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example of a heat system of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example of a heat system of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an apparatus for controlling a cooling mode of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0017] Figure 6 FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an example device that can be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The embodiments of the present disclosure described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings are merely for exemplary purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure. While certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be embodied in various forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but rather should be construed to encompass all modifications equivalent in meaning and scope to the embodiments set forth herein. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for exemplary purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0019] In the description of embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "comprising" and its conjugations should be understood to encompass the meanings of "including" and "consisting of" as well as "consisting essentially of". The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on". The term "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "a first", "a second", etc. can refer to different or identical objects. Other explicit or implicit definitions can also be included below. In addition, before using the technical solutions disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the type of personal information involved in the present disclosure, the scope of use, the scene of use, etc. should be informed to the user and the authorization of the user should be obtained in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

[0020] As discussed above, FCEVs need to consider many factors in thermal management. In particular, the FCCU (fuel cell cooling unit) cooling loop, the HVAC condenser loop, and the vehicle cooling loop are typically each equipped with independent cooling fans to achieve their own cooling. However, due to the limitations of vehicle layout, cost control, and other technical requirements, there is a need to use a unified cooling fan for all or most of the cooling loops.

[0021] In the related art, when the HVAC system is operating in a high power state (e.g., using air conditioning in summer), and the FCCU is operating at low power or the vehicle is in a pure battery drive mode, the pressure of the condenser coolant can exceed the safety threshold due to the low or no fan speed. This is because the request for fan speed is determined by the FCCU control unit.

[0022] Furthermore, if the electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle or the ECU of the HVAC system and the ECU of the FCCU come from different suppliers, improper coordination in handling the thermal requests of the vehicle, HVAC, and FCCU can lead to unnecessary behavior of the system. This includes switching between different requests and can require rethinking the control strategy for fan speed.

[0023] To this end, new control algorithms and strategies need to be developed to ensure coordinated operation between different cooling circuits while meeting vehicle layout, cost control, and technical requirements. This can involve upgrading the software and hardware of traditional electronic control units to enable more efficient management and control of fan speed.

[0024] In some embodiments, the present solution provides a method for controlling a cooling mode of a vehicle. The method includes obtaining a first cooling demand and a second cooling demand for the vehicle, where the first cooling demand includes a cooling demand from at least one of a vehicle thermal management system and an air conditioning system of the vehicle, and the second cooling demand includes a cooling demand from a fuel cell system of the vehicle. The method further includes comparing the first cooling demand and the second cooling demand. The method further includes controlling the cooling mode of the vehicle based on the comparison of the first cooling demand and the second cooling demand. By performing the method, a unified fan can be more effectively utilized to meet multiple cooling demands of the vehicle, enabling more efficient control of fan speed.

[0025] Figure 1 FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example of a thermal system 100 of a fuel cell vehicle, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the thermal system 100 of the fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell system, an air conditioning system, and a vehicle thermal management system. The fuel cell system is shown as a solid line in FIG. 1. The air conditioning system is shown as a short-dashed line in FIG. 1. The vehicle thermal management system is shown as a dashed line in FIG. 1. Figure 1 Figure 1 Figure 1 Figure 1

[0026] The fuel cell system is a major system of the automobile with multiple important components. First, the fuel cell system is equipped with temperature and pressure sensors (e.g., sensor 132 or sensor 138, etc.) for monitoring the fluid state of the inlet and outlet. In addition, the system contains a water pump (e.g., water pump 146) inside for circulating the coolant to maintain the appropriate operating temperature of the fuel cell. The system also includes a deionizer (e.g., deionizer 144) that functions to remove ions from the coolant to prevent these ions from reducing the insulation performance of the system.

[0027] ​​​​The fuel cell system also has a three-way valve (e.g., three-way valve 134) that mainly mixes the cooled coolant after passing through the radiator with the hotter coolant from the stack outlet. This mixing ensures that the temperature at the stack inlet meets the operating requirements. The three-way valve can adjust the mixing ratio of hot and cold fluids according to the opening ratio.

[0028] In addition, the fuel cell system includes a radiator (e.g., radiator 136) and a fan (e.g., fan 140) for transferring heat to the environment during vehicle operation to achieve a cooling effect through the air flow brought by vehicle speed and fan speed.

[0029] The fuel cell system also includes an expansion tank (e.g., expansion tank 142). The expansion tank can prevent problems caused by changes in the volume of the coolant and facilitate the addition of coolant, for example, to address the thermal expansion and contraction phenomenon that occurs due to changes in the volume of the coolant caused by temperature changes.

[0030] The air conditioning system (also known as HVAC) is composed of components such as an evaporator (e.g., evaporator 120), a compressor (e.g., compressor 128), a pressure sensor (e.g., pressure sensor 126), a condenser (e.g., condenser 124), and a fan (e.g., fan 122). The air conditioning system removes heat through the fan, adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporator, and thus affects the efficiency of the evaporator, which directly affects the cooling effect of the passenger compartment.

[0031] The vehicle thermal management system is responsible for the cooling needs of the vehicle's power battery (e.g., power battery 102), motor (e.g., motor 104), OBC (e.g., OBC 106), and DC converter (e.g., DC 108). These components are usually connected in series, and a water pump circulates coolant to control the temperature below a certain set value. In the vehicle thermal management system, the water pump (e.g., water pump 112) is a key component that circulates coolant to drive heat flow, thereby achieving heat dissipation at the radiator (e.g., radiator 110) and achieving the function of cooling.

[0032] It should be understood that Figure 1 The fuel cell vehicle thermal system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is only an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure and cannot be a limitation on the scheme provided by the present disclosure. The fuel cell vehicle thermal system 100 can also include more or fewer components. It should also be understood that the fuel cell system in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various scenarios and can be configured as a power source or auxiliary power in various devices, including but not limited to vehicles, yachts, aerospace equipment, underwater power equipment, etc.

[0033] The overall layout of the fuel cell vehicle thermal system is shown in FIG. 1, and compared with the traditional FCCU thermal strategy, Figure 1 the fuel cell vehicle thermal system 100 can achieve the functions of the radiator, the fan, the three-way valve, the expansion tank, the air conditioning system, and the water pump.Figure 1 The arrangement of the example environment 100 uses a unified fan (140) for cooling circuits, thus saving cost. In addition, the arrangement of the example environment 100 also considers the cooling requirements of the HVAC system and the whole vehicle cooling system, thus the needs of the whole vehicle cooling system can be met when controlling the rotation speed of the fan. At the same time, the situation during the fan control switching (controlled by the FCCU or the ECU) is also considered, so that the situation of uncoordinated control is avoided when dealing with the thermal requests of the vehicle, the HVAC and the FCCU.

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an example environment 200 in which devices and / or methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is illustrated. By way of Figure 2 An overview of the proposed thermal control strategy of the present disclosure can be appreciated.

[0035] Firstly, the control logic of the FCCU is introduced. The control module in block 224 can receive cooling requests. The block 224 receives cooling requests from the vehicle and the air conditioning system, which are based on the working status of components such as the motor, the battery, etc. The mathematical model of the fuel cell in block 226 can calculate the fan rotation speed. Among them, the thermal IMC (intelligent control module) controller of the FCCU adopts a closed-loop control method to calculate the required fan rotation speed according to the cooling demand.

[0036] Then, the observer model in block 228 can calculate how much the rotation speed of the fan is adjusted and send it to the controller in block 230. If the fan rotation speed request of the vehicle side is higher than that of the FCCU, the fan rotation speed will be controlled by the vehicle ECU, and at the same time the ramp function in block 208 will be enabled to ensure that the fan rotation speed smoothly transitions from the current rotation speed to the target rotation speed at a calibratable speed. In addition, the controller in block 230 and the observer part in block 228 of the FCCU thermal air IMC control (which can originally derive the required air mass flow) can also be disabled, and only the pre-control is used to calculate the fan rotation speed request (to avoid interference from the fan rotation speed request of the vehicle, which will cause the FCCU fan request to continuously decrease, and later if the fan rotation speed request of the vehicle is not available, the FCCU calculation result will be lower than the actual request). When the fan rotation speed request of the vehicle is less than that of the FCCU, the ramp function will be enabled until the fan rotation speed can track the value of the FCCU request.

[0037] Secondly, the control logic of the switching of the cooling mode is introduced. The switching module in block 218 needs to consider the hysteresis function in block 212 when switching the fan control between the FCCU and the vehicle, in order to avoid frequent switching to interfere with the control system. For example, block 212 can receive the cooling demand 202 from at least one of the vehicle's whole vehicle thermal management system and air conditioning, and the cooling demand 204 from the fuel cell system of the vehicle, and decide whether to enable the hysteresis function to determine the timing or condition of switching between different cooling modes. If the current cooling mode is selected to be switched, block 218 can notify the delay in block 220 and the comparator in block 222. When the fan speed of the last timestamp is not equal to the target fan speed after switching the cooling mode, block 220 can notify block 208, that is, to smooth the control of the fan speed change through the ramp function.

[0038] Through the above control strategy, the cooling system of the fuel cell vehicle can efficiently respond to the cooling demand of the vehicle and the air conditioning system, while ensuring the stability and responsiveness of the system. This fine control method is crucial for maintaining the performance of the fuel cell vehicle and prolonging its service life.

[0039] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method 300 for controlling the cooling mode of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 3 will be described in conjunction with Figure 2 . At block 302, a first cooling demand for a vehicle is obtained. The first cooling demand includes a cooling demand from at least one of the vehicle's whole vehicle thermal management system and air conditioning, for example, the cooling demand from block 202. At block 304, a second cooling demand for the vehicle is obtained. The second cooling demand includes a cooling demand from the fuel cell system of the vehicle, for example, the cooling demand from block 204.

[0040] At 306, the cooling mode of the vehicle is controlled based on the first cooling demand and the second cooling demand. For example, the first cooling demand and the second cooling demand can be determined by the comparison module in block 206 which demand is greater. Assuming that the first cooling demand is a fan speed of 7000 rpm and the second cooling demand is a fan speed of 5000 rpm, it can be determined that the first cooling demand is greater. Assuming that the first cooling demand is a fan speed of 5000 rpm and the second cooling demand is a fan speed of 7000 rpm, then the second cooling demand is greater. The cooling demand can also be expressed in terms of air flow, such as the mass of air flowing per minute.

[0041] In some embodiments, if the first heat dissipation requirement is greater than the second heat dissipation requirement, block 206 can inform block 208 to enable the first heat dissipation mode. For another example, if the second heat dissipation requirement is greater than the first heat dissipation requirement, block 206 can inform block 208 to enable the second heat dissipation mode. The first heat dissipation mode means to control the rotation speed of the fan of the heat dissipation system of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation requirement. The second heat dissipation mode means to control the rotation speed of the fan of the heat dissipation system of the vehicle based on the second heat dissipation requirement.

[0042] In some embodiments, an example comparison process between the heat dissipation requirements can be as shown in Figure 4 Figure 4 A flow chart of a process 400 of comparing heat dissipation requirements according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. A first heat dissipation requirement 402 and a second heat dissipation requirement 404 can be input to a comparator 406. If the first heat dissipation requirement 402 is greater than the second heat dissipation requirement 404, the process 400 can proceed to block 410. If the first heat dissipation requirement 402 is less than the second heat dissipation requirement 404, the process 400 can proceed to block 412. At block 410, the rotation speed of the fan can be controlled by the vehicle, without considering the heat dissipation requirement of the FCCU. At block 412, the rotation speed of the fan can be controlled by the FCCU, without considering the heat dissipation requirement of the whole vehicle or the air conditioner.

[0043] Now returning to Figure 3 and continuing to combine Figure 2 In a fuel cell vehicle, the temperature control of the fuel cell system is required to be more stringent than the temperature control of other systems. For example, the heat dissipation requirements of the air conditioner system and the whole vehicle can be to control the temperature to be no more than a threshold value, such as 50℃. However, the heat dissipation requirement of the fuel cell system can be to control the temperature to be 50℃±0.5℃. Therefore, when the second heat dissipation requirement is greater than the first heat dissipation requirement, it is more appropriate to control the rotation speed of the fan mainly based on the second heat dissipation requirement.

[0044] In some embodiments, when the rotation speed of the fan is controlled based on the first heat dissipation requirement 202, the second heat dissipation requirement can no longer be considered, that is, the control of the rotation speed of the fan by the FCCU can be disabled. When the rotation speed of the fan is controlled based on the second heat dissipation requirement 204, the first heat dissipation requirement can no longer be considered, that is, the control of the rotation speed of the fan by the ECU can be disabled.

[0045] ​In block 208, a ramp function can be included. With the ramp function, the speed of the fan can be changed gradually so as not to damage the fan. For example, if the current speed of the fan is 5000 rpm and the target speed is 7000 rpm, if the speed of the fan is immediately adjusted to the target speed, the change is too drastic and can damage the motor of the fan or the motor of the fan can be reduced in life if such drastic changes are made frequently. With the ramp function, the speed of the fan can be gradually adjusted to the target speed, such as over a period of a minute or two, and the rate of change of the speed can be controlled based on the corresponding slope. The same can be done when the speed of the fan needs to be decreased.

[0046] In some embodiments, to avoid frequent switching between the first cooling mode and the second cooling mode, which can cause instability in the temperature control, a hysteresis function can be added. For example, the first cooling demand 202 and the second cooling demand 204 can be input into the hysteresis function 212. The hysteresis function 212 indicates that the difference between the first cooling demand 202 and the second cooling demand 204 needs to reach a certain level, such as exceeding a predetermined threshold, before switching between the two cooling modes. For example, the current cooling mode is the first cooling mode and the first cooling demand 202 is 5000 rpm. Gradually, the second cooling demand 204 starts to grow and exceeds the first cooling demand 202. Suppose the second cooling demand is only 5001 rpm at this time, if the second cooling mode is immediately switched at this time, then if the second cooling demand is reduced to 4999 rpm shortly thereafter, the first cooling mode is immediately switched again. Such control is not stable and can cause a large impact on the thermal system.

[0047] Therefore, some thresholds can be set to avoid such impacts. For example, when the difference between the second cooling demand 204 and the first cooling demand 202 exceeds a first threshold, the first cooling mode can be switched to the second cooling mode if the current cooling mode is the first cooling mode. For another example, when the difference between the second cooling demand 204 and the first cooling demand 202 changes from being greater than the first threshold to being less than a second threshold, the second cooling mode can be switched to the first cooling mode if the current cooling mode is the second cooling mode. That is, the threshold for switching from the first cooling mode to the second cooling mode can be different from the threshold for switching from the second cooling mode to the first cooling mode. In this way, if the difference between the two cooling demands fluctuates frequently or there are some errors in the two cooling demands, the cooling mode will not fluctuate frequently and the system will be more stable.

[0048] In some embodiments, block 218 represents a switching module. The switching module 218 can switch between the first cooling mode 214 and the second cooling mode 216 according to the result of the hysteresis function, or not switch the current cooling mode. If the current cooling mode is selected to be switched, block 218 can notify block 220 and block 222. Block 220 can be a delayer that can keep the fan speed of the last time stamp. Block 222 can be a comparator. When the fan speed of the last time stamp is not equal to the target fan speed after switching the cooling mode, block 220 can notify block 208 to control the change of the fan speed by the ramp function.

[0049] When block 218 determines to control the fan speed in the second cooling mode, block 224 can be notified. Block 224, block 226, block 228 and block 230 are temperature control logic of the FCCU. Block 224 represents a control mode. The control mode of the FCCU includes that the actuator (e.g. the fan) is in a maximum mode, a minimum mode or a controlled mode. Block 226 represents a mathematical model of the fuel cell. For example, the mathematical model can be used to calculate how much the fan speed needs to be based on the set temperature. Block 228 represents an observer model, which is an inverse model of block 226, and can be used to calculate the input value to block 230 by block 226. Block 230 represents a controller. The controller can perform closed-loop control based on the temperature set point and the input from block 228 to control the temperature in a precise temperature range.

[0050] In this way, by implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, the unified fan can be more efficiently utilized to meet the various cooling needs of the vehicle, and more efficient control of the fan speed can be achieved. In the case of an increasing volume of fuel cells, the number of fans can be saved. When handling the thermal requests of the vehicle, the HVAC and the FCCU, the improper coordination can be avoided, which can cause frequent or drastic switching between different requests, and the stability of the system can be affected.

[0051] Figure 5 Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an apparatus 500 for controlling a cooling mode of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 500 comprises a first obtaining unit 502 configured to obtain a first cooling demand for the vehicle, wherein the first cooling demand comprises a cooling demand from at least one of an overall thermal management system and an air conditioner of the vehicle. The apparatus 500 further comprises a second obtaining unit 504 configured to obtain a second cooling demand for the vehicle, wherein the second cooling demand comprises a cooling demand from a fuel cell system of the vehicle. The apparatus 500 further comprises a control unit 506 configured to control a cooling mode of the vehicle based on the first cooling demand and the second cooling demand.

[0052] In some embodiments, the control unit 506 can be further configured to select the first heat dissipation mode to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle in response to the first heat dissipation requirement being greater than the second heat dissipation requirement, wherein the first heat dissipation mode represents controlling a rotation speed of a fan of a heat dissipation system of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation requirement.

[0053] In some embodiments, the apparatus 500 can further include a first enabling unit configured to enable an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle to control the rotation speed of the fan in response to the first heat dissipation mode being selected to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle. The apparatus 500 can further include a first disabling unit configured to disable a fuel cell control unit (FCCU) of the vehicle from controlling the rotation speed of the fan.

[0054] In some embodiments, the control unit 506 can be further configured to select the second heat dissipation mode to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle in response to the first heat dissipation requirement being less than the second heat dissipation requirement, wherein the second heat dissipation mode represents controlling the rotation speed of the fan of the heat dissipation system of the vehicle based on the second heat dissipation requirement.

[0055] In some embodiments, the apparatus 500 can further include a second enabling unit configured to enable the FCCU of the vehicle to control the rotation speed of the fan in response to the second heat dissipation mode being selected to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle. The apparatus 500 can further include a second disabling unit configured to disable the ECU of the vehicle from controlling the rotation speed of the fan.

[0056] In some embodiments, the apparatus 500 can further include a switching unit configured to switch the current heat dissipation mode of the vehicle from the first heat dissipation mode to the second heat dissipation mode based on a difference between the second heat dissipation requirement and the first heat dissipation requirement being greater than a first threshold and the current heat dissipation mode of the vehicle being the first heat dissipation mode, and switch the current heat dissipation mode of the vehicle from the second heat dissipation mode to the first heat dissipation mode based on the difference changing from being greater than the first threshold to being less than a second threshold and the current heat dissipation mode of the vehicle being the second heat dissipation mode.

[0057] In some embodiments, the apparatus 500 can further include a current rotation speed determination unit configured to determine a current rotation speed of the fan of the heat dissipation system of the vehicle. The apparatus 500 can further include a target rotation speed determination unit configured to determine a target rotation speed of the fan in response to switching the heat dissipation mode of the vehicle. The apparatus 500 can further include a current slope determination unit configured to determine a slope of a change in the rotation speed of the fan based on the current rotation speed and the target rotation speed. The control unit 506 can be further configured to control the change in the rotation speed of the fan based on the slope.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first heat dissipation requirement, the second heat dissipation requirement, the heat dissipation requirement of the whole vehicle thermal management system, and the heat dissipation requirement of the air conditioner can be represented in terms of air flow or rotation speed of the fan.

[0059] By implementing the apparatus 500 of the present disclosure, the same technical advantages as the method 300 or the process 400 can be achieved, for example, the unified fan can be more efficiently utilized to meet the various heat dissipation requirements of the vehicle, and the control of the rotation speed of the fan is more efficient. In the case of the increasing volume of the fuel cell, the number of fans is saved. When processing the heat requests of the vehicle, HVAC and FCCU, the improper coordination is avoided, which can cause frequent or drastic switching between different requests, and the stability of the system is avoided.

[0060] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of an example device 600 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown, the device 600 includes a processor 601 that can perform various appropriate actions and processes in accordance with computer program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 602 that are loaded into a random access memory (RAM) 603. Various programs and data required for operation of the device 600 can also be stored in the RAM 603. The processor 601, the ROM 602, and the RAM 603 are connected to each other by a bus 604. An input / output (I / O) interface 605 is also connected to the bus 604.

[0061] The various processes and processes described above, such as the method 300 and the process 400, can be performed by the processor 601. For example, in some embodiments, the method 300 and the process 400 can be implemented as a computer software program that is tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on the device 600 via the ROM 602. When the computer program is loaded into the RAM 603 and executed by the processor 601, one or more actions of the method 300 and the process 400 described above can be performed.

[0062] The present disclosure can be a method, an apparatus, a system, and / or a computer program product. The computer program product can include a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions loaded thereon for performing various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0063] Computer readable storage media can be any media that can be read by a machine. Such media can include, but is not limited to, optical discs, magnetic discs, magnetic tapes, electronic memories and any combination thereof. Computer readable storage media is not, however, a transitory, propagating signal per se.

[0064] The computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and / or a wireless network. The network can comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0065] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present disclosure can be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions can execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection can be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or programmable logic array (PLA) can execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present disclosure.

[0066] The computer readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0067] These computer readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other data storage device. When the computer readable program instructions are loaded into the computer and other programmable data processing apparatus, a series of operational steps are implemented that provide processes such that the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0068] The computer readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0069] The flow diagrams and the block diagrams in the drawings are presented to illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flow diagrams and the block diagrams can represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logic functions. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flow diagrams, and combinations thereof, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and

[0070] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the description is intended to be illustrative of the embodiments and not restrictive. Many modifications and variations of the described embodiments are possible and are within the scope of the disclosure. The selection of the terms to be used in the description is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments described herein, but rather to best describe the principles of the embodiments in the context of the specific application or technical improvement offered by the embodiments.

Claims

1. A method (300) for controlling a heat dissipation mode of a vehicle, comprising: obtaining (302) a first heat dissipation demand (202) for the vehicle, wherein the first heat dissipation demand comprises a heat dissipation demand from at least one of a vehicle thermal management system and an air conditioner of the vehicle; obtaining (304) a second heat dissipation demand (204) for the vehicle, wherein the second heat dissipation demand comprises a heat dissipation demand from a fuel cell system of the vehicle; and controlling (306) a heat dissipation mode of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation demand (202) and the second heat dissipation demand (204).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the heat dissipation mode of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation demand (202) and the second heat dissipation demand (204) comprises: in response to the first heat dissipation demand (202) being greater than the second heat dissipation demand (204), selecting a first heat dissipation mode (214) to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle, wherein the first heat dissipation mode (214) represents controlling a rotational speed of a fan of a heat dissipation system of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation demand.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: in response to selecting the first heat dissipation mode (214) to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle, enabling an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle to control the rotational speed of the fan; and disabling a fuel cell control unit (FCCU) of the vehicle from controlling the rotational speed of the fan.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the heat dissipation mode of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation demand (202) and the second heat dissipation demand (204) further comprises: in response to the first heat dissipation demand (202) being less than the second heat dissipation demand (204), selecting a second heat dissipation mode (216) to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle, wherein the second heat dissipation mode (216) represents controlling a rotational speed of a fan of a heat dissipation system of the vehicle based on the second heat dissipation demand.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: in response to selecting the second heat dissipation mode (216) to control the heat dissipation of the vehicle, enabling a fuel cell control unit (FCCU) of the vehicle to control the rotational speed of the fan; and disabling an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle from controlling the rotational speed of the fan.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the heat dissipation mode of the vehicle based on the first heat dissipation demand (202) and the second heat dissipation demand (204) further comprises: based on a difference between the second heat dissipation demand (204) and the first heat dissipation demand (202) being greater than a first threshold and a current heat dissipation mode of the vehicle being the first heat dissipation mode (214), switching the current heat dissipation mode of the vehicle from the first heat dissipation mode (214) to the second heat dissipation mode (216); and ​ ​ ​ based on the difference changing from being greater than the first threshold to being less than a second threshold and a current heat rejection mode of the vehicle being the second heat rejection mode (216), switching the current heat rejection mode of the vehicle from the second heat rejection mode (216) to the first heat rejection mode (214).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a current rotational speed of a fan of a heat rejection system of the vehicle; in response to switching the heat rejection mode of the vehicle, determining a target rotational speed of the fan; based on the current rotational speed and the target rotational speed, determining a slope of a change in the rotational speed of the fan; and controlling the change in the rotational speed of the fan based on the slope.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first heat rejection demand (202), the second heat rejection demand (204), a heat rejection demand of a vehicle thermal management system of the vehicle, and a heat rejection demand of an air conditioner of the vehicle are expressed in terms of air flow or rotational speed of a fan.

9. An apparatus (500) for controlling a heat rejection mode of a vehicle, comprising: a first obtaining unit (502) configured to obtain a first heat rejection demand (202) for the vehicle, wherein the first heat rejection demand (202) comprises a heat rejection demand from at least one of a vehicle thermal management system and an air conditioner of the vehicle; a second obtaining unit (504) configured to obtain a second heat rejection demand (204) for the vehicle, wherein the second heat rejection demand (204) comprises a heat rejection demand from a fuel cell system of the vehicle; and a control unit (506) configured to control a heat rejection mode of the vehicle based on the first heat rejection demand (202) and the second heat rejection demand (204).

10. A controller, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform the method (300) of any one of claims 1-8.

11. A vehicle comprising the controller of claim 10.

12. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions executed by a processor to implement the method (300) of any one of claims 1-8. ​ ​

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