Fault diagnosis method of fuel cell system and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a fault diagnosis method of a fuel cell system and electronic equipment. In one embodiment of the invention, the fault diagnosis method for the fuel cell system comprises the following steps: in the purging process of the fuel cell system, acquiring an actual cathode gas flow value; the fault reason of the cathode gas supply pipeline is determined according to the actual value of the cathode gas flow; and fault prompts corresponding to the fault causes are provided. According to the invention, the fault reason of the cathode gas supply pipeline can be quickly and accurately locked and timely responded, and the damage of parts caused by the fault of the cathode gas supply pipeline is effectively avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of fuel cell, in particular to a fault diagnosis method of fuel cell system and an electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] Fuel cell system is a clean and efficient energy technology, which can be applied in scenarios such as power stations, homes, vehicles, etc.

[0003] The fuel cell system for vehicles needs to consider many special working conditions due to the complex operating environment of the vehicle. For example, water generated by chemical reaction is easy to freeze in the tail exhaust pipeline in low temperature environment, and in extreme cases, tail exhaust blockage may occur. Or in the case of damage to valves or other parts in the case of jolting, it may also cause the cathode gas supply system pipeline to be blocked. In other application scenarios, the cathode gas supply system pipeline is often blocked, and the cathode gas supply system pipeline blockage will affect the flow of cathode gas and thus affect the performance of the fuel cell system. In severe cases, it may cause the stack to reverse polarity and damage the stack due to excessive pressure or insufficient oxygen. Therefore, the cathode gas supply system pipeline blockage needs to be detected and diagnosed as soon as possible. If the cathode gas supply system pipeline blockage cannot be effectively disposed for a long time, the air compressor may be damaged due to surging.

[0004] Currently, the leakage and blockage of the pipeline in the cathode gas supply system in the fuel cell system (FCS) are mainly achieved by indirect methods such as detecting the performance deviation of the fuel cell system (for example, the single cell voltage of the stack is too low, etc.). The performance data of the fuel cell system need to be comprehensively analyzed, and the fault of the cathode gas supply system pipeline cannot be immediately locked, which is not conducive to troubleshooting and timely solving of the cathode gas supply system pipeline fault, and affects the normal use of the fuel cell system. Therefore, how to quickly lock the fault position of the cathode gas supply system pipeline is a technical problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a fault diagnosis method of fuel cell system and an electronic device, which can quickly lock the fault position of the cathode gas supply system pipeline.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a fault diagnosis method of fuel cell system is provided, the method comprising:

[0007] During the purging process of the fuel cell system, an actual value of the cathode gas flow is obtained;

[0008] A fault cause of the cathode gas supply pipeline is determined according to the actual value of the cathode gas flow;

[0009] A fault prompt corresponding to the fault cause is provided.

[0010] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, determining the cause of the cathode gas supply line failure based on the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate includes:

[0011] The cause of the cathode gas supply line failure is determined based on the actual cathode gas flow rate and a pre-calibrated first predetermined threshold, where the first predetermined threshold indicates the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when only the bypass valve is open during the fuel cell system purging process; or...

[0012] The cause of the cathode gas supply line failure is determined based on the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate, the first predetermined threshold, and the pre-calibrated second predetermined threshold. The second predetermined threshold indicates the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open during the purging process of the fuel cell system.

[0013] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, determining the cause of the cathode gas supply line failure based on the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate includes:

[0014] The actual value of the cathode gas flow rate is compared with a first predetermined threshold, where the first predetermined threshold indicates the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when only the bypass valve is open during the purging process of the fuel cell system.

[0015] If the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate is less than the first predetermined threshold, the bypass valve is controlled to perform an opening adjustment action, and the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action is obtained.

[0016] If the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold, the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply pipeline is determined to be faulty.

[0017] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, the opening adjustment action is as follows: first adjust to a first opening, and then adjust from the first opening to a second opening, wherein the second opening is greater than the first opening.

[0018] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, it further includes: obtaining environmental conditions, the environmental conditions including ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure; querying a pre-configured first mapping table to obtain a first predetermined threshold corresponding to the environmental conditions; wherein the first mapping table is used to store the first predetermined threshold under different environmental conditions.

[0019] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, the step of determining the cause of the cathode gas supply line failure based on the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate further includes:

[0020] If the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action is less than the first predetermined threshold, control the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve and the pressure regulating valve to be fully open, and obtain the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open.

[0021] The actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is compared with a second predetermined threshold. The second predetermined threshold indicates the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open during the purging process of the fuel cell system.

[0022] If the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is greater than or equal to the second predetermined threshold, it is determined that there is a fault in the pipeline before and after the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply pipeline.

[0023] If the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is less than the second predetermined threshold, it is determined that the tailpipe and / or the silencer of the cathode gas supply pipeline is faulty.

[0024] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, it further includes: obtaining environmental conditions, said environmental conditions including ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure; querying a pre-configured second mapping table to obtain a second predetermined threshold corresponding to said environmental conditions; wherein, the second mapping table is used to store the second predetermined threshold under different environmental conditions.

[0025] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, the fault indication includes one of the following:

[0026] The first fault indication is used to remind the user to check the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply line;

[0027] The second fault indication is used to remind the user to check the pipelines before and after the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply pipeline;

[0028] The third fault indication is used to remind the user to check the tailpipe and / or silencer of the cathode gas supply line.

[0029] According to some possible implementations of the first aspect of this disclosure, during the purging process of the fuel cell system, obtaining the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate includes: after the fuel cell system is powered on, in response to the air compressor reaching a preset constant speed, obtaining the cathode gas flow rate.

[0030] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: one or more processors and a memory storing a program, the program including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the methods described above.

[0031] As can be seen from the above technical solution, when a fault such as gas leakage or blockage occurs in the cathode gas supply system pipeline, the embodiments of this disclosure can quickly and accurately locate the fault position of the cathode gas supply pipeline during the purging process of the fuel cell system by measuring the flow rate of the cathode gas, and issue a fault warning in a timely manner to facilitate troubleshooting and handling, thereby effectively avoiding damage to components caused by the cathode gas supply pipeline fault. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fuel cell system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 2 A flowchart of a fault diagnosis method for a fuel cell system provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fault diagnosis process of the cathode gas supply pipeline during the purging process according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fault diagnosis device for a fuel cell system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0037] Figure 5 A schematic structural block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0038] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0039] 101. Air filter;

[0040] 102. Air flow meter;

[0041] 103. Air compressor;

[0042] 104. Air intercooler;

[0043] 105. Bypass valve;

[0044] 106. Front shut-off valve;

[0045] 107. Pressure sensor;

[0046] 108. Rear shut-off valve;

[0047] 109. Pressure regulating valve;

[0048] 110. Silencer;

[0049] 111. Tailpipe. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0051] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in the embodiments of this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0052] Depending on the context, words such as "if," "when," etc., used here can be interpreted as "when," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection." Similarly, depending on the context, the phrases "if determination" or "if detection (of the stated condition or event)" can be interpreted as "when determination," "in response to determination," "when detection (of the stated condition or event)," or "in response to detection (of the stated condition or event)."

[0053] The key terms used in this disclosure will be explained below.

[0054] Cathode gas supply subsystem: This subsystem is responsible for supplying the required gas, such as air or oxygen, to the cathode of the fuel cell stack. The main purpose of the cathode gas supply subsystem is to ensure that the cathode of the fuel cell stack receives the required gas stably and uniformly in order to maintain the normal operation of the fuel cell system.

[0055] Cathode gas supply piping: This refers to the gas flow piping or gas transmission channel of the cathode gas supply subsystem. It is a key component of the cathode gas supply subsystem and includes the pipes and related connections used to transport gas to the fuel cell stack cathode. The design of the cathode gas supply piping needs to consider factors such as gas flow characteristics, pressure loss, gas mixing efficiency, and the sealing performance of the fuel cell system.

[0056] For ease of understanding, the fuel cell system involved in the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0057] This disclosure provides a fuel cell system including a fuel cell control unit (FCU), which can be used to perform the fault diagnosis method for the fuel cell system described below.

[0058] For example, the fuel cell system of this disclosure may include: a cathode gas supply subsystem, an anode gas supply subsystem, an electronic control subsystem, a fuel cell stack, and a hydrothermal management subsystem. The electronic control subsystem is used to control the operation of other parts, and includes the aforementioned fuel cell controller. The cathode gas supply subsystem is used to supply cathode gas to the fuel cell stack, the anode gas supply subsystem is used to supply anode gas to the fuel cell stack, and the hydrothermal management subsystem is responsible for the hydrothermal management of the fuel cell stack.

[0059] The following describes in detail the structure of the cathode gas supply subsystem in the fuel cell system of this disclosure, taking an on-board fuel cell system and an air-based fuel cell system as examples.

[0060] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cathode gas supply subsystem of an onboard fuel cell system is shown. (See also...) Figure 1 The cathode air supply subsystem of the on-board fuel cell system is used to control the flow rate and pressure of the air entering the stack. The cathode air supply subsystem may include an air filter 101, an air flow meter 102, an air compressor 103, an air intercooler 104, a bypass valve 105, a front shut-off valve 106, a pressure sensor 107, a rear shut-off valve 108, a pressure regulating valve 109, a muffler 110, a tailpipe 111, and pipelines connecting the various components.

[0061] The working principle of the cathode air supply subsystem is as follows: the air compressor 103 is driven by a motor to draw in air through the air filter 101 and the air flow meter 102. After being compressed and pressurized by the air compressor 103, the air is cooled by the air intercooler 104. When the fuel cell system is working normally, the bypass valve 105 is closed, and the front shut-off valve 106, the rear shut-off valve 108 and the pressure regulating valve 109 are open. The air flows through the stack and reacts in the stack, and then is discharged through the silencer 110 and the tailpipe 111. When the fuel cell system is started to purge the anode, the air does not need to enter the stack. At this time, the bypass valve 105 is open, and the front shut-off valve 106, the rear shut-off valve 108 and the pressure regulating valve 109 are closed at the same time. The compressed and cooled air flows through the bypass valve 105 and then directly discharged through the silencer 110 and the tailpipe 111.

[0062] The air compressor 103 is used to draw in and compress air, and the speed of the air compressor 103 is adjusted by a motor to control the air flow rate. The air flow rate can be measured in real time by an air flow meter 102. The bypass valve 105 allows air to bypass the fuel cell stack and be discharged directly. The pressure sensor 107 is used to measure the pressure of the air entering the fuel cell stack in real time. The front shut-off valve 106 and the rear shut-off valve 108 are used to close the pipelines before and after the fuel cell stack and control whether air enters the fuel cell stack. When the front shut-off valve 106 and the rear shut-off valve 108 are open, air can enter the fuel cell stack through the pipelines. When the front shut-off valve 106 and the rear shut-off valve 108 are closed, air cannot enter the fuel cell stack. The pressure regulating valve 109 is used to control the pressure of the air entering the fuel cell stack. The pressure regulating valve 109 can adjust the air inlet pressure (i.e., the air pressure entering the fuel cell stack) by adjusting the opening degree.

[0063] The fuel cell system provided in this disclosure can be applied to various application scenarios, such as power plants, home environments, and mobile applications like vehicles. This disclosure does not limit the specific application scenarios of the fuel cell system.

[0064] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of a fault diagnosis method for a fuel cell system provided in this disclosure is shown. The fault diagnosis method for a fuel cell system provided in this disclosure can be executed by the fuel cell controller in the fuel cell system. See also... Figure 2 The method in this disclosure embodiment may include:

[0065] Step 201: During the purging process of the fuel cell system, obtain the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate;

[0066] Step 202: Determine the cause of the cathode gas supply pipeline failure based on the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate;

[0067] Step 203: Provide a fault prompt corresponding to the cause of the fault.

[0068] This embodiment of the invention can pinpoint the cause of a fault in the cathode gas supply line by measuring the actual cathode gas flow rate and provide timely fault alerts. It can efficiently and quickly identify faults such as blockages and leaks in the cathode gas supply line of the fuel cell system and respond promptly, thereby effectively preventing serious damage to the fuel cell system caused by a fault in the cathode gas supply line.

[0069] In specific applications, the type of cathode gas varies depending on the type of fuel cell system. For example, if the fuel cell system is a hydrogen fuel cell system, the cathode gas can be air.

[0070] In step 201, the air flow meter 102 mentioned above detects the cathode gas flow in real time and provides it to the fuel cell controller. Thus, the fuel cell controller can obtain the actual value of the cathode gas flow in the cathode gas supply pipeline in real time.

[0071] In some implementations, environmental conditions can be detected in real time by external or built-in temperature sensors, barometers, etc., in the air flow meter 102, and the characteristics of the environmental conditions (e.g., ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure) can be provided to the gas-electric controller so that the gas-electric controller can query the various thresholds corresponding to the current environmental conditions in real time to determine the cause of the fault.

[0072] After a fuel cell system is started, it is typically purged to remove nitrogen from the anode. To reduce start-up time, during the purging process, the bypass valve in the cathode supply line is opened, while the front shut-off valve, rear shut-off valve, and pressure regulating valve are closed. Simultaneously, the air compressor 103 is started and runs at a constant speed. During the purging process, because the fuel cell system is connected to the external environment when the bypass valve is open, its internal pressure remains near atmospheric pressure, and the flow resistance in the cathode supply line does not change significantly. At this time, fault diagnosis of the cathode supply line in the fuel cell system can be achieved by monitoring the real-time airflow and using pre-calibrated thresholds. Before shutdown, the fuel cell system also undergoes a purging operation, during which fault diagnosis of the cathode supply line can also be performed.

[0073] Considering that after the fuel cell system is powered on, the cathode gas flow rate only reaches a relatively stable state after the air compressor reaches a preset constant speed from 0 rpm, performing the fault diagnosis of this disclosure under relatively stable cathode gas flow conditions will be more accurate and efficient. Therefore, step 201 may specifically include: after the fuel cell system is started and purging begins, acquiring the cathode gas flow rate in response to the air compressor reaching the preset constant speed. Specifically, after the fuel cell system is powered on and purging begins, the air compressor speed is monitored in real time. If the air compressor speed reaches the preset constant speed, it is considered that the cathode gas flow rate has stabilized, and the cathode gas flow rate at this time can be acquired for fault diagnosis. If the air compressor speed has not reached the preset constant speed, it can continue to wait until the air compressor speed reaches the preset constant speed.

[0074] There are several ways to determine the cause of the fault using the actual cathode gas flow rate in step 202. In one example, during fuel cell system purging, the cause of the fault in the cathode gas supply line can be determined based on the actual cathode gas flow rate and a pre-calibrated first predetermined threshold. In another example, during fuel cell system purging, the cause of the fault in the cathode gas supply line can be determined based on the actual cathode gas flow rate, the first predetermined threshold, and a pre-calibrated second predetermined threshold. The first predetermined threshold indicates the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when only the bypass valve is open during fuel cell system purging, and the second predetermined threshold indicates the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open during fuel cell system purging.

[0075] Of course, step 202 can also be implemented in any other applicable manner, and this disclosure does not limit the embodiments thereof.

[0076] The specific implementation method of step 202 will be described in detail below.

[0077] Step 202 may include: comparing the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate with a first predetermined threshold; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate is less than the first predetermined threshold, controlling the bypass valve to perform an opening adjustment action, and obtaining the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold, determining that the bypass valve in the cathode gas supply line is faulty. Therefore, by detecting the change in cathode gas flow rate before and after the bypass valve performs the predetermined action, the fault of the bypass valve in the cathode gas supply line can be accurately and efficiently identified.

[0078] For example, the bypass valve's opening adjustment can be as follows: first adjust to a first opening, then adjust from the first opening to a second opening, where the second opening is greater than the first opening. The first opening can be the minimum opening of the bypass valve to ensure normal operation of the fuel cell system's purging process. This minimum opening can be flexibly set according to different application scenarios and fuel cell system purging standards. For example, the first opening can be 15% of the bypass valve's full opening. 、 The second opening can be 20% of the full opening of the bypass valve, 30% of the full opening of the bypass valve, or other values. The second opening can be the maximum opening of the bypass valve to ensure the normal operation of the fuel cell system purging process. This maximum opening can be flexibly set according to different application scenarios and different purging standards of the fuel cell system. For example, the second opening can be the full opening of the bypass valve (i.e., 100%), or a set value close to the full opening (e.g., 90%, 80%, etc.). The specific values ​​of the first and second openings are not limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0079] In other implementations, the opening adjustment action of the bypass valve can be adjusted as needed, and the embodiments disclosed herein do not impose any restrictions on this opening adjustment action.

[0080] During the fuel cell system purging process, step 202 may further include: if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs an opening adjustment action is less than a first predetermined threshold, it indicates that the bypass valve is not faulty. The bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve can be fully opened, and the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open can be obtained; the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate is compared with a second predetermined threshold; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is greater than or equal to the second predetermined threshold, a fault is determined in the bypass valve and / or the silencer of the cathode gas supply line; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is less than the second predetermined threshold, a fault is determined in the tailpipe and / or the silencer of the cathode gas supply line. Therefore, by detecting the changes in cathode gas flow before and after the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are fully opened, faults in the bypass gas supply pipeline, such as those in the pipelines before and after the bypass valve, the tailpipe, and the silencer, can be accurately and efficiently located. The pipelines before and after the bypass valve include the pipeline before the bypass valve and the pipeline after the bypass valve. The pipeline before the bypass valve refers to the gas pipeline that sequentially passes through the air filter 101, the air flow meter 102, the air compressor 103, the air intercooler 104, and before the bypass valve 105. The pipeline after the bypass valve refers to the pipeline from the bypass valve 105 to the silencer 110 and the tailpipe 111.

[0081] "Fully open" refers to the maximum opening degree when the opening degree reaches 100% or when the purging of the fuel cell system is not affected.

[0082] Both the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are related to the environmental conditions of the fuel cell system. In one example, step 202 may further include: obtaining the environmental conditions, including ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure; and querying a pre-configured first mapping table to obtain the first predetermined threshold corresponding to the environmental conditions. In another example, step 202 may further include: obtaining the environmental conditions, including ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure; and querying a pre-configured second mapping table to obtain the second predetermined threshold corresponding to the environmental conditions.

[0083] The first and second predetermined thresholds are explained in detail below.

[0084] During the purging process of the fuel cell system, if the environmental conditions remain unchanged, the speed of the air compressor 103 is constant, and the valve positions in the cathode gas supply line remain unchanged, then the flow resistance of the cathode gas supply line remains unchanged, and the corresponding cathode gas flow rate should be a fixed value. A cathode gas flow rate lower than this fixed value indicates an abnormality in the cathode gas supply line. Therefore, this embodiment can obtain a first predetermined threshold by calibrating a fixed cathode gas flow rate with only the bypass valve fully open under different environmental conditions, and a second predetermined threshold by calibrating a fixed cathode gas flow rate with the bypass valve, front shut-off valve, rear shut-off valve, and pressure regulating valve all fully open under different environmental conditions. Furthermore, the actual cathode gas flow rate, the first predetermined threshold, and the second predetermined threshold can be used to pinpoint the cause of the cathode gas supply line failure.

[0085] In some examples, a first predetermined threshold under a certain environmental condition can be obtained as follows: With the cathode gas supply line functioning normally, under the first environmental condition, the air compressor 103 is controlled to operate at a fixed speed, the bypass valve in the cathode gas supply line is controlled to be fully open, and the front shut-off valve, rear shut-off valve, and pressure regulating valve in the cathode gas supply line are controlled to be closed. A fixed value for the cathode gas flow rate is calibrated at this time, and the difference between this fixed value and the first environmental term is used as the first predetermined threshold under the first environmental condition. This first environmental term can be a pre-set fixed value, for example, 2gps. Alternatively, the environmental term can be the product of a pre-set percentage value (e.g., 1.5%) and the currently calibrated fixed value for the cathode gas flow rate.

[0086] A first mapping table can be pre-created in the memory or other storage of the gas-fired controller to store first predetermined thresholds under different environmental conditions. After obtaining the first predetermined threshold under each environmental condition, the first predetermined threshold and the characteristics of the environmental condition (i.e., ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure) can be written into the first mapping table.

[0087] In some examples, a second predetermined threshold under a certain environmental condition can be obtained as follows: With the cathode gas supply line functioning normally, under the first environmental condition, the air compressor 103 is controlled to operate at a fixed speed, and the bypass valve, front shut-off valve, rear shut-off valve, and pressure regulating valve in the cathode gas supply line are fully opened. A fixed value for the cathode gas flow rate is calibrated at this time, and the difference between this fixed value and the second environmental term is used as the first predetermined threshold under the first environmental condition. This second environmental term can be a pre-set fixed value, for example, 2gps. Alternatively, the second environmental term can be the product of a predetermined percentage value (e.g., 1.5%) and the currently calibrated fixed value for the cathode gas flow rate.

[0088] A second mapping table can be pre-created in the memory or other storage of the gas-fired controller to store the second predetermined threshold under different environmental conditions. After obtaining the second predetermined threshold under each environmental condition, the second predetermined threshold and the characteristics of that environmental condition (i.e., ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure) can be written into the second mapping table.

[0089] The first environmental condition refers to any environmental condition. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the environmental condition can be represented by ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The first mapping table and the second mapping table can each be a three-dimensional table, with one dimension representing ambient temperature, one dimension representing atmospheric pressure, and another dimension representing a first predetermined threshold or a second predetermined threshold.

[0090] The causes of failure in step 202 may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: fault location and fault type. Fault types in the cathode gas supply system may include blockage, leakage, component detachment, and component jamming. The fault location may be a specific component on the cathode gas supply pipeline, such as a bypass valve, pressure regulating valve, or silencer, or a portion of the cathode gas supply pipeline, such as the pipelines before and after the bypass valve. In specific applications, the cause of failure may be represented by text information, pre-agreed fault codes, component numbers, etc. The specific content and representation of the fault cause are not limited in this embodiment.

[0091] The fault indication in step 203 corresponds to the fault cause in step 202. For example, the fault indication may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: 1) a first fault indication, used to remind the user to check the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply line; 2) a second fault indication, used to remind the user to check the pipelines before and after the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply line; 3) a third fault indication, used to remind the user to check the tailpipe and / or silencer of the cathode gas supply line. Thus, the fault indication can clearly and intuitively indicate the location of the fault in the cathode gas supply line, facilitating troubleshooting and handling.

[0092] In practical applications, fault prompts can be implemented in ways that are not limited to, such as dialog boxes, image prompts, voice prompts, alarm prompts, and light prompts. This disclosure does not limit the specific implementation form of fault prompts.

[0093] In practical applications, the fault notification in step 203 can be provided in ways including but not limited to issuing, displaying, and outputting. The method of providing the fault notification can be flexibly selected based on the specific application scenario. This disclosure embodiment does not limit the specific method of provision.

[0094] The fault diagnosis method provided in this disclosure can efficiently locate faults such as blockages, leaks, and component detachment in the cathode gas supply pipeline, based on the cathode gas flow rate, without modifying the existing fuel cell system hardware and software functions. This is achieved through the cathode gas flow rate. The method is easy to implement, has a fast response time, and can effectively prevent component damage caused by cathode gas supply pipeline faults. In addition, this disclosure embodiment can clearly and accurately indicate the fault location in the cathode gas supply pipeline, facilitating troubleshooting and handling.

[0095] The following describes in detail the specific implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure, taking air as the cathode gas as an example.

[0096] This embodiment provides an exemplary description of a specific implementation method for fault diagnosis of the cathode gas supply pipeline during the purging process.

[0097] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the fault diagnosis process of the cathode gas supply line during the purging process of a fuel cell system is shown. (See also...) Figure 3 As shown, the process may include the following steps:

[0098] Step 301: During the purging process of the fuel cell system, detect the current actual value of the air flow, the current ambient temperature, and the atmospheric pressure;

[0099] In practical applications, an air flow meter can be used to detect the actual air flow rate, current ambient temperature, and atmospheric pressure of the fuel cell system in real time.

[0100] Step 302: Determine whether the current actual air flow rate is higher than the first flow rate threshold corresponding to the current ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. If yes, continue to step 303; otherwise, continue to step 304.

[0101] The first lower limit of airflow refers to the lower limit of airflow during the start-up phase of the fuel cell system. This first lower limit of airflow can be pre-calibrated. The first lower limit of airflow varies depending on the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure.

[0102] In practical applications, the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply system is opened, and the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are closed. At the same time, the air compressor 103 is started to run at a constant speed and the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure are measured in real time. The gas-electric controller can look up the corresponding first lower limit value of air flow from the pre-stored mapping table based on the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure.

[0103] Step 303: If there are no abnormalities in the cathode gas supply line, continue with the subsequent fuel cell system startup process.

[0104] Step 304: Determine whether the duration for which the current actual airflow value is lower than the first lower limit of airflow corresponding to the current ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure exceeds the first predetermined time. If so, continue to step 305. Otherwise, if the current actual airflow value is higher than the first lower limit of airflow within the first predetermined time, it indicates that there is no abnormality in the cathode gas supply pipeline, that is, the cathode gas supply is normal. Therefore, you can return to step 303 to continue the subsequent fuel cell start-up process.

[0105] Step 305: Determine that the cathode gas supply line is abnormal, control the bypass valve to perform an opening adjustment action, and obtain the actual air flow value after the opening and closing action is performed.

[0106] For example, the opening adjustment action can be "closing the opening to 20% and then adjusting it to full open". In this embodiment, the opening adjustment action of the bypass valve is to first adjust it to the first opening and then adjust it to full open. The first opening can be 20%. This avoids the cathode gas supply line being completely blocked due to the bypass valve being fully closed, thereby completing the fault detection of the cathode gas supply line while ensuring the normal operation of the fuel cell stack.

[0107] Step 306: Determine whether the actual airflow value after the opening / closing action is higher than the first flow threshold corresponding to the current ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. If yes, continue to step 307; otherwise, continue to step 308.

[0108] Step 307: The cathode gas supply line is restored to normal. The current fault location is determined to be the bypass valve and the fault type is abnormal bypass valve opening. The first fault prompt message is issued to prompt the user to check the bypass valve.

[0109] Step 308: The cathode gas supply line has not been restored to normal. Keep the bypass valve open and control the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve and the pressure regulating valve to open simultaneously. Obtain the actual air flow value when these valves are fully open.

[0110] After obtaining the actual airflow values ​​when these valves are fully open, the front shut-off valve, rear shut-off valve, and pressure regulating valve can be closed simultaneously again, with only the bypass valve open, to ensure that the fuel cell system can continue to be purged.

[0111] Step 309: Determine whether the actual air flow rate when the valve is fully open is higher than the second flow rate threshold corresponding to the current ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. If yes, continue to step 310; otherwise, continue to step 311.

[0112] Step 310: The gas flow rate in the cathode gas supply line is normal. The current fault location is determined to be the bypass valve and the fault type is blockage in the bypass valve and the second fault prompt is issued. The second fault prompt is used to remind the user to check the bypass valve and the bypass valve.

[0113] Step 311: The gas flow rate in the cathode gas supply line is abnormal. The fault location is determined to be the tailpipe and / or silencer at the end of the cathode gas supply line, and the fault type is that the tailpipe and / or silencer of the cathode gas supply line is blocked. A third fault prompt is issued. The third fault prompt is used to remind the user to check the tailpipe and silencer at the end of the cathode gas supply line.

[0114] This embodiment can efficiently and accurately pinpoint faults such as blockages or leaks in components like bypass valves, pipelines, tailpipes, and mufflers in the cathode gas supply line by detecting changes in cathode gas flow rate, and respond quickly, thereby effectively preventing component damage caused by cathode gas supply line faults during fuel cell system purging.

[0115] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a fault diagnosis device 400 for a fuel cell system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This device 400 can be used for fault diagnosis during the purging process of a fuel cell system. See [link to documentation]. Figure 4 The control device 400 of the fuel cell system may include:

[0116] Acquisition unit 401 is used to acquire the actual value of cathode gas flow rate;

[0117] The fault determination unit 402 is used to determine the cause of the fault in the cathode gas supply pipeline based on the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate.

[0118] The prompting unit 403 is used to provide a fault prompt corresponding to the cause of the fault.

[0119] In some embodiments, the fault determination unit 402 may specifically be used to: compare the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate with a first predetermined threshold, the first predetermined threshold indicating the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when only the bypass valve is open during the purging process of the fuel cell system; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate is less than the first predetermined threshold, control the bypass valve to perform an opening adjustment action, and obtain the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action through the acquisition unit 401; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold, determine that the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply pipeline is faulty.

[0120] In some embodiments, the fault determination unit 402 may specifically be used to: if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate after the bypass valve performs the opening adjustment action is less than a first predetermined threshold, control the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve to be fully open, and obtain the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open through the acquisition unit 401; compare the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open with a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold indicating the lower limit of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open during the fuel cell system purging process; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is greater than or equal to the second predetermined threshold, determine that the bypass valve and / or the pipeline before and after the cathode gas supply pipeline is faulty; if the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front shut-off valve, the rear shut-off valve, and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is less than the second predetermined threshold, determine that the tailpipe and / or the silencer of the cathode gas supply pipeline is faulty.

[0121] In some embodiments, the acquisition unit 401 can also be used to acquire the actual value of the cathode gas pressure; the fault determination unit 402 is specifically used to: determine the cause of the fault in the cathode gas supply pipeline based on the actual value of the cathode gas flow rate and the actual value of the cathode gas pressure.

[0122] In practical applications, the fault diagnosis device 400 for a fuel cell system can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the fault diagnosis device 400 for a fuel cell system can be implemented as software running in the aforementioned fuel cell system's fuel cell controller.

[0123] Other technical details regarding the fault diagnosis device 400 for the fuel cell system can be found in the section on fault diagnosis methods above, and will not be repeated here.

[0124] In addition, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, the program including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, execute the steps of the aforementioned fault diagnosis method for a fuel cell system.

[0125] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This electronic device can be the main controller of the aforementioned fuel cell system. See also... Figure 5 The electronic device 500 may include one or more processors 501, and a memory 502 storing one or more programs, which are executed by the one or more processors 501 to implement the method flow and / or program units corresponding to each unit in the apparatus shown in the above embodiments of this disclosure.

[0126] The various components are interconnected via different buses and can be mounted on a common motherboard or otherwise as required. Processor 501 can process instructions executed within the electronic device, including instructions stored in or on memory to display graphical information of a user interface on an external input / output device (such as a display device coupled to an interface). In other embodiments, multiple processors and / or multiple buses can be used with multiple memories and multiple memory sets, if desired.

[0127] Processor 501 may include one or more single-core or multi-core processors. Processor 501 may include any combination of general-purpose processors or special-purpose processors (such as graphics processors, application processors, baseband processors, etc.).

[0128] Memory 502 is the computer-readable storage medium provided in this disclosure, which can be used to store non-transitory software programs, non-transitory computer-executable programs, and units, such as those in the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 2 The program instructions / units corresponding to the fault diagnosis method of the fuel cell system shown are as follows. The processor 501 executes non-transient software programs, instructions, and units stored in the memory 502, thereby performing operations such as those described in the above method embodiments. Figure 2 The program, instructions, and units corresponding to the fault diagnosis method of the fuel cell system shown.

[0129] The electronic device 500 may further include an input device 503 and an output device 505. The processor 501, memory 502, input device 503, and output device 505 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 5 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0130] Input device 503 can receive input digital or character information, and generate signal inputs related to user settings and function control, such as touch screens, keypads, mice, trackpads, touchpads, joysticks, one or more mouse buttons, trackballs, joysticks, etc. Output device 505 may include display devices, auxiliary lighting devices (e.g., LEDs), and haptic feedback devices (e.g., vibration motors). The display device may include, but is not limited to, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light-emitting diode (LED) displays, and plasma displays. In some embodiments, the display device may be a touch screen.

[0131] The aforementioned programs (also known as software, software applications, or code) include the machine instructions of a programmable processor and can be implemented using object-oriented programming languages, assembly language, or machine language.

[0132] With the development of time and technology, the meaning of "medium" has become increasingly broad. The dissemination of computer programs is no longer limited to tangible media; they can also be downloaded directly from the network. Any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media can be used. Computer-readable storage media can be, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0133] In a specific implementation, the electronic device 500 can be implemented as, but is not limited to, a fuel cell controller in a fuel cell system.

[0134] This disclosure also provides a vehicle that includes the fuel cell system provided in this disclosure.

[0135] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this disclosure. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the methods and core ideas of this disclosure. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this disclosure, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

[0136] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A failure diagnosis method of a fuel cell system, characterized by, The method comprises: During a fuel cell system purging process, an actual value of cathode gas flow rate is obtained; A fault cause of a cathode gas supply pipeline is determined according to the actual value of cathode gas flow rate; A fault prompt corresponding to the fault cause is provided.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The determination of the fault cause of the cathode gas supply pipeline according to the actual value of cathode gas flow rate comprises: The fault cause of the cathode gas supply pipeline is determined according to the actual value of cathode gas flow rate and a first predetermined threshold value, the first predetermined threshold value indicating a lower limit of cathode gas flow rate when only a bypass valve is open during the fuel cell system purging process; or The fault cause of the cathode gas supply pipeline is determined according to the actual value of cathode gas flow rate, the first predetermined threshold value and a second predetermined threshold value, the second predetermined threshold value indicating a lower limit of cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, a front stop valve, a rear stop valve and a pressure regulating valve are all fully open during the fuel cell system purging process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The determination of the fault cause of the cathode gas supply pipeline according to the actual value of cathode gas flow rate comprises: The actual value of cathode gas flow rate is compared with a first predetermined threshold value, the first predetermined threshold value indicating a lower limit of cathode gas flow rate when only a bypass valve is open during the fuel cell system purging process; If the actual value of cathode gas flow rate is less than the first predetermined threshold value, an opening degree adjustment action of the bypass valve is controlled, and an actual value of cathode gas flow rate after the opening degree adjustment action of the bypass valve is obtained; If the actual value of cathode gas flow rate after the opening degree adjustment action of the bypass valve is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold value, a bypass valve fault of the cathode gas supply pipeline is determined.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The opening degree adjustment action is to adjust to a first opening degree first, and then adjust from the first opening degree to a second opening degree, the second opening degree being greater than the first opening degree.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein, Further comprising: An environmental condition is obtained, the environmental condition comprising an environmental temperature and an atmospheric pressure; A first mapping table pre-configured is inquired to obtain a first predetermined threshold value corresponding to the environmental condition; The first mapping table is used to save the first predetermined threshold value under different environmental conditions.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein, The determination of the fault cause of the cathode gas supply pipeline according to the actual value of cathode gas flow rate further comprises: If the actual value of cathode gas flow rate after the opening degree adjustment action of the bypass valve is less than the first predetermined threshold value, the bypass valve, the front stop valve, the rear stop valve and the pressure regulating valve are controlled to be fully open, and an actual value of cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front stop valve, the rear stop valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is obtained; The actual value of cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front stop valve, the rear stop valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is compared with a second predetermined threshold value, the second predetermined threshold value indicating a lower limit of cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front stop valve, the rear stop valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open during the fuel cell system purging process; If the actual value of cathode gas flow rate when the bypass valve, the front stop valve, the rear stop valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is greater than or equal to the second predetermined threshold value, a bypass valve front and rear pipeline fault of the cathode gas supply pipeline is determined. If the actual value of the cathode gas flow when the bypass valve, the front stop valve, the rear stop valve and the pressure regulating valve are all fully open is less than the second predetermined threshold, it is determined that the tail pipe and / or the muffler of the cathode gas supply pipeline is faulty.

7. The method according to claim 2 or 6, characterized in that, Also included are: obtaining an environmental condition, the environmental condition including an ambient temperature and an atmospheric pressure; querying a preconfigured second mapping table to obtain a second predetermined threshold corresponding to the environmental condition; wherein the second mapping table is used to save the second predetermined threshold under different environmental conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, The fault prompt includes one of: a first fault prompt for prompting a user to check the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply pipeline; a second fault prompt for prompting a user to check the pipeline before and after the bypass valve of the cathode gas supply pipeline; a third fault prompt for prompting a user to check the tail pipe and / or the muffler of the cathode gas supply pipeline.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, During the purging process of the fuel cell system, the actual value of the cathode gas flow is obtained, including: after the fuel cell system is started and begins to purge, in response to the rotation speed of the air compressor reaching a preset constant rotation speed, the cathode gas flow is obtained.

10. An electronic device, comprising: Included are: one or more processors and a memory storing a program, the program including instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9.

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