Fuel cell system, starting method thereof, electronic device and medium

Abstract

The invention provides a fuel cell system, a starting method thereof, electronic equipment and a medium. The fuel cell system starting method disclosed by the invention comprises the following steps: after electrifying, controlling a cooling module to start and enter a heating mode to heat a cooling liquid; after the temperature of the cooling liquid at the inlet of the electric pile is increased to a first temperature threshold value, the cathode air supply subsystem is controlled to execute bypass purging so as to deice an expansion machine; and detecting the working state of the expansion machine, if the working state of the expansion machine is normal, opening the gas path between the air compressor and the electric pile, disconnecting the first gas flow path, and heating the cooling liquid to a second temperature threshold value, thereby completing the cold start of the fuel cell system. According to the method and the device, low-temperature cold start failure or low-temperature cold start speed caused by freezing of the expansion machine can be effectively avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

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

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

[0003] At present, the fuel cell system using the structure of the expander (VNT) air compressor, when cold starting at low temperature, due to the mechanical structure of the expander, the fuel cell system cannot completely purge the liquid water on the cathode side when shutting down at low temperature, resulting in freezing of the expander and failure of the mechanical components to operate normally during the next cold start, and the fuel cell system fails to start. Therefore, how to effectively avoid the failure of the fuel cell system to start cold or slow start due to freezing of the expander is a technical problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a fuel cell system, a starting method thereof, an electronic device and a medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel cell system is provided, comprising a stack, a cathode gas supply subsystem and a cooling module, the cathode gas supply subsystem comprising an expander, an air compressor, an intercooler and an exhaust pipe line communicating with the outside;

[0006] The expander and the air compressor are connected, the air inlet end of the air compressor is in communication with the outside, the air outlet end of the air compressor is connected with the air inlet end of the intercooler, the cathode gas outlet of the stack, the air inlet end of the expander and the air outlet end of the expander are all in communication with the exhaust pipe line; the intercooler has a first gas outlet and a second gas outlet, the first gas outlet is connected to the air inlet end of the expander through a first gas flow path and the exhaust pipe line, and the second gas outlet of the intercooler is in communication with the cathode gas inlet of the stack through a second gas flow path;

[0007] During the starting process of the fuel cell system, the gas output from the first gas outlet of the intercooler can enter the expander through the first gas flow path to drive the expander to output mechanical work to the air compressor;

[0008] The cooling module is used for preheating the stack and the intercooler by using cooling liquid during the starting process of the fuel cell system.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the cooling module has a first coolant flow path, the coolant inlet and outlet of the intercooler and the coolant inlet and outlet of the stack are connected to the first coolant flow path respectively, and a heater for heating the coolant is arranged in the first coolant flow path.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a starting method applied to the fuel cell system is provided, the starting method of the fuel cell system comprising:

[0011] after power-up, controlling the cooling module to start and enter a heating mode to heat the coolant;

[0012] after the coolant temperature at the stack inlet is heated to a first temperature threshold, controlling the cathode gas supply subsystem to perform a bypass purge to defrost the expander, the bypass purge comprising: controlling the air path between the air compressor and the stack in the cathode gas supply subsystem to be disconnected, controlling the air compressor to supply air to the expander through the intercooler and the first gas flow path and discharge the air through the tail exhaust pipeline;

[0013] detecting the working state of the expander, if the working state of the expander is normal, opening the air path between the air compressor and the stack, disconnecting the first gas flow path, heating the coolant to a second temperature threshold, and completing the cold start of the fuel cell system.

[0014] In some embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure, the controlling the cooling module to start and enter the heating mode comprises:

[0015] controlling the first opening and the second opening of the thermostat in the cooling module to be opened and the third opening to be closed to open a first coolant flow path with a heater in the cooling module;

[0016] controlling the heater in the cooling module to be turned on to heat the coolant in the first coolant flow path;

[0017] controlling the cooling pump in the cooling module to work so that the coolant in the first coolant flow path is pumped into the intercooler and the stack.

[0018] In some embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: if the coolant temperature at the stack inlet does not reach the first temperature threshold, the step of performing the bypass purge is not performed.

[0019] In some embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure, the first temperature threshold is determined by:

[0020] determining a candidate value of the first temperature threshold;

[0021] calculate a start duration corresponding to the candidate value of the first temperature threshold, the start duration being a sum of a stack preheating duration and a turbo deicing duration, the stack preheating duration representing a time consumption from power-on to a temperature of the inlet coolant of the stack rising to the candidate value, and the turbo deicing duration representing a time consumption from start of the air compressor to determination of a normal working state of the turbo;

[0022] select the candidate value with the minimum start duration as the first temperature threshold.

[0023] In some embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure, further comprising: if the working state of the turbo is abnormal, continuing to execute the step of bypass purging.

[0024] In some embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure, further comprising: controlling the cooling module to continuously work in the heating mode while controlling the cathode gas supply subsystem to perform bypass purging to defrost the turbo.

[0025] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising one or more processors and a memory storing a program, the program comprising instructions which, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform the method described above.

[0026] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium storing a program is provided, the program comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method described above.

[0027] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, in the low-temperature cold start process of the fuel cell system, the fuel cell system of the embodiments of the present disclosure is preheated by the cooling module first, and then bypass purging is performed by the cathode gas supply subsystem to defrost the turbo, so that the low-temperature cold start of the fuel cell system is realized quickly, thereby effectively avoiding the problems of low-temperature cold start failure or slow low-temperature cold start caused by icing of the turbo under the premise of not improving the complexity of the system, not prolonging the shutdown purging time, and not increasing the hydrogen flow during purging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0029] Figure 1 a structural schematic diagram of a fuel cell system provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 Flow chart of a start-up method of a fuel cell system provided for embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 3 Flow chart of a specific implementation of a start-up method of a fuel cell system provided for embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 4 Structural schematic diagram of a start-up device applied to a fuel cell system provided for embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 5 Schematic structural block diagram of an electronic device provided for embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0035] 100 fuel cell system

[0036] 110 stack

[0037] 121 intake pipe

[0038] 122 air compressor

[0039] 123 expander

[0040] 124 intercooler

[0041] 125 humidifier

[0042] 126 flow divider valve

[0043] 127 exhaust pipe

[0044] 128 air inlet stack cutoff valve

[0045] 129 air outlet stack cutoff valve

[0046] 131 liquid storage tank

[0047] 132 radiator fan

[0048] 133 heater

[0049] 134 thermostat 128 125

[0050] 135 cooling pump

[0051] 136 stack outlet temperature sensor

[0052] 137 stack inlet temperature sensor DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] With reference to the drawings, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0054] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0055] Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein can be interpreted to mean "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting". Similarly, the phrase "if determined" or "if detecting (a stated condition or event)" can be interpreted to mean "when determined" or "in response to determining" or "when detecting (a stated condition or event)" or "in response to detecting (a stated condition or event)", depending on the context.

[0056] At present, there are mainly three methods for ice formation in the expander of the fuel cell system: 1) increasing the flow rate and time of low-temperature shutdown purging; 2) increasing the air-air intercooler and the cathode gas-liquid separator to reduce the content of liquid water. The first method uses pure hydrogen for purging during purging, and increasing the flow rate and time of low-temperature shutdown purging will inevitably increase the consumption of hydrogen, reduce the efficiency of the fuel cell system, and increase the use cost of the fuel cell system. The second method requires the addition of an air-air intercooler and a cathode gas-liquid separator in the fuel cell system, which not only increases the hardware cost, but also increases the complexity of the fuel cell system.

[0057] In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a starting method of a fuel cell system, an electronic device and a medium, etc., which can solve the problem of ice formation in the expander 123 by optimizing the control strategy of the fuel cell controller, thereby reducing the cold start cost of the fuel cell system 100.

[0058] For ease of understanding, the fuel cell system 100 related to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0059] The fuel cell system 100 of the embodiments of the present disclosure can include a stack 110, a cathode gas supply subsystem, a fuel cell controller (FCU), an anode gas supply subsystem and a cooling module.

[0060] Exemplarily, the fuel cell controller can be used to control other parts to work. The cathode gas supply subsystem can be used to supply cathode gas for the stack 110, the anode gas supply subsystem can be used to supply anode gas for the stack 110, and the cooling module can be used to heat and cool the stack 110 and the intercooler 124 in the cathode gas supply subsystem.

[0061] In the fuel cell system 100, the fuel cell controller (FCU, Fuel Cell Control Unit) can be used to execute the following start-up method of the fuel cell system 100.

[0062] Figure 1 A structure schematic diagram of the fuel cell system 100 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 In the example, the cathode gas is air, and the anode gas is hydrogen. Referring to Figure 1 As shown, the cathode gas supply subsystem of the fuel cell system 100 includes an expander 123, an air compressor 122, an intercooler 124, and an exhaust pipe 127 connected to the outside.

[0063] The expander 123 and the air compressor 122 are connected, the air inlet end of the air compressor 122 is connected to the outside, the air outlet end of the air compressor 122 is connected to the air inlet end of the intercooler 124, the cathode gas outlet of the stack 110, the air inlet end of the expander 123, and the air outlet end of the expander 123 are all connected to the exhaust pipe 127; the intercooler 124 has a first gas outlet and a second gas outlet, the first gas outlet is connected to the air inlet end of the expander 123 through a first gas flow path and the exhaust pipe 127, and the second gas outlet of the intercooler 124 is connected to the cathode gas inlet of the stack 110 through a second gas flow path.

[0064] Referring to Figure 1, the cathode gas supply subsystem can further include an air inlet pipe 121, a humidifier 125, an air inlet stack stop valve 128, an air outlet stack stop valve 129, and a shunt valve 126. The air compressor 122 is connected to the outside through the air inlet pipe 121, and the air from the outside enters the air compressor 122 through the air inlet pipe 121 for compression and pressurization. The air compressor 122 can adjust the speed of the motor to control the flow of air while compressing and pressurizing the air. The air compressed and pressurized by the air compressor 122 enters the intercooler 124, which cools and / or heats the air compressed by the air compressor 122 to ensure that the temperature of the air entering the cathode of the stack 110 meets the design requirements. The intercooler 124 sends the processed air to the humidifier 125 through the second gas flow path, and the humidifier 125 humidifies the air processed by the intercooler 124 to meet the humidity requirements of the cathode of the stack 110. When the air inlet stack stop valve 128 is opened, the air humidified by the humidifier 125 enters the cathode of the stack 110. In addition, when the air outlet stack stop valve 129 is opened, the air discharged from the cathode of the stack 110 can be humidified by the humidifier 125 and then enter the tail pipe 127, and finally be discharged by the tail pipe 127.

[0065] Specifically, at the initial stage of starting the fuel cell system 100, the air output by the air compressor 122 has a low temperature, and at this time the intercooler 124 can heat the air compressed by the air compressor 122. As the starting time of the fuel cell system 100 increases, the temperature of the air output by the air compressor 122 will gradually increase. At the later stage of starting the fuel cell system 100, the air output by the air compressor 122 will reach a high temperature state such as 100°, and at this time the intercooler 124 can cool the air compressed by the air compressor 122.

[0066] Referring to Figure 1 The intercooler 124 is connected to the cooling module through the cooling liquid flow path, and the cooling module can be used to preheat the stack 110 and the intercooler 124 using cooling liquid during the starting process of the fuel cell system 100. At the initial stage of starting the fuel cell system 100, the air output by the air compressor has a low temperature, and at this time the intercooler 124 outputs the air processed by heating through the first gas outlet and enters the expander 123 through the first gas flow path. At the later stage of starting the fuel cell system 100, the air output by the air compressor 122 will reach a high temperature state such as 100°, and at this time the intercooler 124 outputs the air processed by cooling through the first gas outlet and enters the expander 123 through the first gas flow path. The air entering the expander 123 drives the expander to output mechanical work to the air compressor 122 to drive the air compressor 122 to work efficiently.

[0067] Referring to Figure 1The bypass valve 126 can be used to control the opening and closing of the first gas flow path and the tail pipe 127 path. When the bypass valve 126 is opened, the first gas flow path is communicated with the tail pipe 127 path. When the bypass valve 126 is closed, the first gas flow path is disconnected from the tail pipe 127 path. During the start-up of the fuel cell system 100, the bypass valve 126 can be opened to allow the intercooler 124 to send the air after the temperature raising treatment to the expander 123 through the first gas flow path and the tail pipe 127 path.

[0068] Referring to Figure 1 The cooling module can include a coolant tank 131, a coolant pump 135, a thermostat 134, a heater 133, a radiator fan 132, a stack inlet temperature sensor 137, and a stack outlet temperature sensor 136. The coolant tank 131 is used to store the coolant, the coolant pump 135 is used to circulate the coolant, the heater 133 can be used to heat the coolant, the radiator fan 132 can be used to radiate the heat of the coolant, the stack inlet temperature sensor 137 is used to detect the temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the stack 110, and the stack outlet temperature sensor 136 is used to detect the temperature of the coolant at the outlet of the stack 110.

[0069] The cooling module has a first coolant flow path, the coolant inlet and outlet of the intercooler 124 and the coolant inlet and outlet of the stack 110 are connected to the first coolant flow path, and the heater 133 for heating the coolant is arranged in the first coolant flow path. Thus, the stack 110 and the intercooler 124 can be simultaneously preheated by the cooling module.

[0070] The cooling module also has a second coolant flow path, the coolant inlet and outlet of the intercooler 124 and the coolant inlet and outlet of the stack 110 are connected to the second coolant flow path, and the radiator fan 132 for cooling the coolant is arranged in the second coolant flow path.

[0071] The cooling module also has a thermostat 134, and the thermostat 134 can be used to control one of the first coolant flow path and the second coolant flow path to simultaneously communicate the stack 110 and the intercooler 124. During the start-up of the fuel cell system 100, the thermostat 134 can be used to control the first coolant flow path to simultaneously communicate the stack 110 and the intercooler 124, so as to simultaneously preheat the intercooler 124 and the stack 110. During the normal operation after the start-up of the fuel cell system 100, the thermostat 134 can be used to control the second coolant flow path to simultaneously communicate the stack 110 and the intercooler 124, so as to simultaneously cool the intercooler 124 and the stack 110.

[0072] Referring to Figure 1The thermostat 134 has three openings, a first opening 1, a second opening 2, and a third opening 3. The first opening 3 of the thermostat 134 is connected to the radiator fan 132, the second opening 2 is connected to the heater 133, and the third opening 1 is connected to both the stack 110 and the intercooler 124. The opening degrees of the first opening 1, the second opening 2, and the third opening 3 can be adjusted respectively. When the first opening 1 and the second opening 2 are open and the third opening 3 is closed, the first coolant flow path is connected between the stack 110 and the intercooler 124, and the cooling module works in the heating mode. When the first opening 1 and the third opening 3 are open and the second opening 2 is closed, the second coolant flow path is connected between the stack 110 and the intercooler 124, and the cooling module works in the cooling mode.

[0073] In a low-temperature environment, the fuel cell system 100 can need to be preheated to improve its performance and efficiency. When the cooling module works in the heating mode, the first coolant flow path is connected between the stack 110 and the intercooler 124, and the heated coolant is circulated in the stack 110 and the intercooler 124 by the cooling pump 135, so as to quickly increase the temperatures of the stack 110 and the intercooler 124 by the coolant, thereby realizing the rapid start of the fuel cell system 100.

[0074] When the cooling module works in the cooling mode, the coolant is circulated in the fuel cell system 100 through the second coolant flow path to absorb the heat generated by the stack 110 during operation and cool the intercooler 124. Specifically, when the coolant flows through the stack 110, it absorbs the heat generated by the electrochemical reaction and the internal resistance loss of the stack 110, and the heat-absorbed coolant is pumped to the radiator fan 132 by the cooling pump 135. At the same time, when the coolant flows through the intercooler 124, it absorbs the heat of the air in the intercooler 124, and the heat-absorbed coolant is pumped to the radiator fan 132 by the cooling pump 135. Meanwhile, in the radiator fan 132, the coolant transfers heat to the air or another cooling medium flowing through the radiator fan 132 through heat exchange, and the air flow in the radiator fan 132 helps the coolant release heat and lower its temperature, thereby cooling the coolant. The cooled coolant in the radiator fan 132 enters the cooling pump 135 through the thermostat 134 and is pumped back to the stack 110 and the intercooler 124 by the cooling pump 135, and the cooling cycle starts again.

[0075] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The structure of the fuel cell system 100 is not limited to the above Figure 1 implementation manner.

[0076] The fuel cell system 100 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various application scenarios. For example, power stations, household scenarios, and mobile application scenarios such as vehicles. The specific application scenarios of the fuel cell system 100 are not limited by the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart illustrating the start-up method of a fuel cell system 100 provided in this embodiment is shown. The start-up method of the fuel cell system 100 provided in this embodiment can be executed by the fuel cell controller in the fuel cell system 100. See also... Figure 2 The method in this disclosure embodiment may include:

[0078] Step 201: After power-on, control the cooling module to turn on and enter the heating mode to heat the coolant;

[0079] Step 202: After the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 rises to the first temperature threshold, the cathode gas supply subsystem is controlled to perform bypass purging to de-ice the expander 123. The bypass purging includes: controlling the air path between the air compressor 122 and the fuel cell stack 110 in the cathode gas supply subsystem, controlling the air compressor 122 to supply air to the expander 123 through the intercooler 124 and the first gas flow path and discharge it through the tailpipe 127.

[0080] Step 203: Detect the working status of expander 123. If expander 123 is working normally, open the air passage between air compressor 122 and fuel cell stack 110, disconnect the first gas flow path, and raise the coolant to the second temperature threshold to complete the cold start of fuel cell system 100.

[0081] In this embodiment, during the startup process of the fuel cell system 100, the cooling module is first used for preheating, and then the cathode gas supply subsystem is used for bypass purging to de-ice the expander 123. This enables the fuel cell system 100 to start up quickly at low temperatures. Thus, without increasing system complexity, extending shutdown purging time, or increasing hydrogen flow rate during purging, problems such as low-temperature cold start failure or slow low-temperature cold start caused by ice formation in the expander 123 are effectively avoided.

[0082] In specific applications, the type of fuel cell system 100 and the type of cathode gas vary. For example, if the fuel cell system 100 is a hydrogen fuel cell system 100, the cathode gas can be air.

[0083] In some embodiments, step 201 may include: controlling the opening of the first and second openings and the closing of the third opening of the thermostat 134 in the cooling module to open the first coolant flow path in the cooling module having a heater 133; controlling the heater 133 in the cooling module to turn on to raise the temperature of the coolant in the first coolant flow path; and controlling the cooling pump 135 in the cooling module to operate so that the coolant in the first coolant flow path is pumped into the intercooler 124 and the fuel cell stack 110. Thus, the cooling module can be operated in heating mode via the thermostat 134.

[0084] Furthermore, when the cooling pump 135 in the control cooling module operates at a predetermined speed, the predetermined speed can be set to R revolutions per second, where R can be calibrated according to the upper limit of the withstand voltage of the fuel cell stack 110.

[0085] Furthermore, when the heater 133 is turned on and enters the heating mode, the heater 133 can be controlled to operate in full-power heating mode to further improve the cold start speed of the fuel cell system 100.

[0086] Furthermore, if the temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 does not reach the first temperature threshold, the bypass purging step 202 will not be performed. Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a specific implementation of the fuel cell system 100 start-up method provided in this disclosure embodiment is shown. For some embodiments, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 Step 201 may further include: obtaining the actual value of the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110, and determining whether the actual value of the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 reaches the first temperature threshold; if the actual value of the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 does not reach the first temperature threshold, then step 201 is continued, and the bypass purging step of step 202 is not continued.

[0087] Furthermore, the first temperature threshold can be determined through the following steps a1 to a3:

[0088] Step a1: Determine candidate values ​​for the first temperature threshold;

[0089] Step a2: Calculate the startup time corresponding to the candidate value of the first temperature threshold. The startup time is the sum of the preheating time of the fuel cell stack 110 and the de-icing time of the expander 123. The preheating time of the fuel cell stack 110 represents the time from power-on to the temperature of the feed coolant of the fuel cell stack 110 rising to the candidate value. The de-icing time of the expander 123 represents the time from the start-up of the air compressor 122 to the determination that the working state of the expander 123 is normal.

[0090] Step a3: Select the candidate value with the shortest start-up time as the first temperature threshold.

[0091] In practical applications, the first temperature threshold can be predetermined through steps a1 to a3 and stored in the first mapping table. In some examples, the first mapping table may contain first temperature thresholds corresponding to different start-up times (i.e., different minimum start-up times). In practical applications, the first mapping table can be created in advance, and the first temperature threshold of the fuel cell system 100 under different start-up times can be calibrated through steps a1 to a3, and the first temperature threshold and the corresponding start-up time (i.e., minimum start-up time) can be written into the first mapping table. The cold start time of the fuel cell system 100 fluctuates due to its performance, aging, etc., and the first temperature threshold in the first mapping table can be updated periodically through steps a1 to a3. Therefore, during the start-up process of the fuel cell system 100, a suitable first temperature threshold for the current state can be selected from the first mapping table, thereby further improving the start-up efficiency of the fuel cell system 100 and shortening the start-up time.

[0092] Specifically, step a1 selects a candidate value from a pre-configured first temperature threshold candidate value table, which contains multiple first temperature threshold candidate values ​​T1; step a2 records the time t1 from power-on to the temperature of the infeed coolant of the fuel cell stack 110 reaching the candidate value T1 (i.e., the preheating time of the fuel cell stack 110), and the time t2 from the start of the air compressor 122 to the determination of the normal working state of the expander 123 (i.e., the de-icing time of the expander 123) after the temperature of the infeed coolant of the fuel cell stack 110 reaches the candidate value T1, and calculates the sum of t1 and t2 to obtain the start-up time t3; step a3 compares the currently calculated t3 with the t3 of the previous candidate value. If the t3 of the current candidate value is less than the t3 of the previous candidate value, the current candidate value is retained; if the t3 of the current candidate value is greater than or equal to the t3 of the previous candidate value, the current candidate value is not retained but the previous candidate value is retained. This process is repeated, traversing each candidate value in the first temperature threshold candidate value table to find the first temperature threshold with the shortest start-up time. The candidate value table for the first temperature threshold can be flexibly set according to various factors such as the application scenario and the performance of the fuel cell system 100.

[0093] Furthermore, the first temperature threshold can also be an empirical value, which can be a fixed temperature value. This disclosure does not limit the method for determining the first temperature threshold.

[0094] In step 202, the actual temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 can be detected in real time by the fuel cell stack inlet temperature sensor 137 and provided to the fuel cell controller.

[0095] In some embodiments, step 202 may include: when the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 reaches a first temperature threshold, controlling the diversion valve 126 in the cathode gas supply subsystem to open and the shut-off valves (i.e., the air inlet shut-off valve 128 and the air outlet shut-off valve 129) to close, and simultaneously controlling the air compressor 122 in the cathode gas supply subsystem to start and operate at a predetermined speed. This allows the air path between the air compressor 122 and the fuel cell stack 110 in the cathode gas supply subsystem to be disconnected, and the air compressor 122 to supply air to the expander 123 via the intercooler 124 and the first gas flow path, and to discharge air via the tailpipe 127. At this time, the cathode gas supplied to the expander 123 is cathode gas that has been heated by the intercooler 124. The heated cathode gas enters the expander 123 to de-ice the expander 123. Simultaneously, by opening the diversion valve 126, the cathode gas generated during this process can also be bypassed to the tailpipe 127 and flow out.

[0096] Furthermore, in step 202, the air compressor 122 can be controlled to operate at the operating point of the high-efficiency zone of the air compressor 122. The aforementioned predetermined speed is the speed corresponding to this operating point, so as to maximize the outlet air temperature of the air compressor 122.

[0097] Furthermore, in step 202, the cooling module can be controlled to continuously operate in heating mode, and the heater 133 can synchronously and stably heat the module as long as the upper limit of the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 is not reached.

[0098] In some implementations, see Figure 3 Step 203 may also include: if the expander 123 is in an abnormal working state, the bypass purging step 202 can be performed.

[0099] Specifically, step 203 may include: periodically sending a start signal to expander 123; if a start completion signal is received from expander 123 (e.g., a signal indicating that expander 123 has completed its execution), it indicates that expander 123 has defrosted and can start normally; if no start success signal is received from expander 123 or a start failure signal is received from expander 123, it indicates that defrosting of expander 123 is not complete, and the bypass purging in step 202 continues until expander 123 defrosts completely. Here, the time interval for periodically sending the start signal to expander 123 can be pre-defined, for example, but not limited to, 5 seconds.

[0100] Further, step 203 may also include: controlling the cathode gas supply subsystem to stop bypass purging. Stopping bypass purging includes: closing the diversion valve 126, opening the shut-off valve, controlling the air compressor 122 to stop rotating, etc. Controlling the shut-off valve in the cathode gas supply subsystem to open, starting the fuel cell stack 110, adjusting the opening of the thermostat 134 according to the coolant temperature at the outlet of the fuel cell stack 110. When the coolant temperature at the outlet of the fuel cell stack 110 reaches the second temperature threshold (e.g., 70°C), it indicates that the fuel cell system 100 has entered normal operation mode. At this time, controlling the thermostat 134 to open the first opening 1 and the third opening 3 and close the second opening 2, controlling the heater 133 to turn off, and the radiator fan 132 to turn on. The coolant temperature is regulated by the radiator fan 132 so that the fuel cell stack 110 and the intercooler 124 are cooled by the coolant circulation during the operation of the fuel cell stack 110.

[0101] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the starting device for a fuel cell system 100 provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. See also Figure 4 The starting device 400 of the fuel cell system 100 may include:

[0102] The cooling control unit 401 is used to control the cooling module to turn on and enter the heating mode to heat the coolant after power-on.

[0103] The bypass purging unit 402 is used to control the cathode gas supply subsystem to perform bypass purging to de-ice the expander 123 after the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 rises to a first temperature threshold. The bypass purging includes: controlling the air passage between the air compressor 122 and the fuel cell stack 110 in the cathode gas supply subsystem, and controlling the air compressor 122 to supply air to the expander 123 through the intercooler 124 and the first gas flow path and discharge it through the tailpipe 127.

[0104] The mode switching unit 403 is used to detect the working status of the expander 123. If the expander 123 is working normally, the air passage between the air compressor 122 and the fuel cell stack 110 is opened, the first gas flow path is disconnected, and the coolant is heated to the second temperature threshold to complete the cold start of the fuel cell system 100.

[0105] Furthermore, the cooling control unit 401 can be specifically used to: control the opening of the first and second openings and the closing of the third opening of the thermostat 134 in the cooling module to open the first coolant flow path in the cooling module with the heater 133; control the heater 133 in the cooling module to turn on so that the coolant in the first coolant flow path is heated; and control the cooling pump 135 in the cooling module to operate so that the coolant in the first coolant flow path is pumped into the intercooler 124 and the fuel cell stack 110.

[0106] Furthermore, the bypass purging unit 402 can be specifically used to: if the temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 does not reach the first temperature threshold, then the bypass purging step is not performed.

[0107] Furthermore, the device 400 may also include: a threshold determination unit 404, configured to determine, in the following manner: determine candidate values ​​for a first temperature threshold; calculate the start-up time corresponding to the candidate values ​​for the first temperature threshold, wherein the start-up time is the sum of the preheating time of the fuel cell stack 110 and the de-icing time of the expander 123, wherein the preheating time of the fuel cell stack 110 represents the time taken from power-on to the temperature of the feed coolant of the fuel cell stack 110 rising to the candidate value, and the de-icing time of the expander 123 represents the time taken from the start-up of the air compressor 122 to the determination that the operating state of the expander 123 is normal; and select the candidate value with the smallest start-up time as the first temperature threshold.

[0108] Furthermore, the mode switching unit 403 is also used to: if the expander 123 is in an abnormal working state, notify the bypass purging unit 402 to continue to perform the bypass purging steps.

[0109] Furthermore, the cooling control unit 401 can also be used to control the cooling module to continue operating in heating mode while the bypass purging unit 402 performs bypass purging to defrost the expander 123. This is acceptable as long as the upper limit of the coolant temperature at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 110 is not reached.

[0110] In specific applications, the starting device 400 of the fuel cell system 100 can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the starting device 400 of the fuel cell system 100 can be implemented as software running in the fuel cell controller of the aforementioned fuel cell system 100.

[0111] For further technical details regarding the starting device 400 of the fuel cell system 100, please refer to the section on starting methods above, which will not be repeated here.

[0112] In addition, this disclosure also provides 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 fuel cell system 100 startup method.

[0113] 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 100. 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] 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.).

[0116] 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 start-up method of the fuel cell system 100 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 start-up method of the fuel cell system 100 shown.

[0117] The electronic device 500 may further include an input device 503 and an output device 504. The processor 501, memory 502, input device 503, and output device 504 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 5 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0118] 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 504 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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.

[0122] 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.

[0123] 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 fuel cell system comprising an electrical stack (110), a cathode gas supply subsystem and a cooling module, characterized in that, The cathode gas supply subsystem comprises an expander (123), an air compressor (122), a intercooler (124) and a tail pipe connected with the outside; The expander (123) is connected with the air compressor (122), the air inlet end of the air compressor (122) is connected with the outside, the air outlet end of the air compressor (122) is connected with the air inlet end of the intercooler (124), the cathode gas outlet of the fuel cell stack (110), the air inlet end of the expander (123) and the air outlet end of the expander (123) are all connected with the tail pipe, the intercooler (124) has a first gas outlet and a second gas outlet, the first gas outlet is connected with the air inlet end of the expander (123) through a first gas flow path, and the second gas outlet of the intercooler (124) is connected with the cathode gas inlet of the fuel cell stack (110) through a second gas flow path; During the starting process of the fuel cell system, the gas output from the first gas outlet of the intercooler (124) can enter the expander (123) through the first gas flow path to drive the expander (123) to output mechanical work to the air compressor (122); The cooling module is used for preheating the fuel cell stack (110) and the intercooler (124) by using the cooling liquid during the starting process of the fuel cell system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The cooling module has a first cooling liquid flow path, the cooling liquid inlet and outlet of the intercooler (124) and the cooling liquid inlet and outlet of the fuel cell stack (110) are connected with the first cooling liquid flow path, and a heater (133) for heating the cooling liquid is arranged in the first cooling liquid flow path.

3. A starting method applied to the fuel cell system of any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The starting method of the fuel cell system comprises: After power-on, the cooling module is controlled to be turned on and enter a heating mode to heat the cooling liquid; After the temperature of the cooling liquid at the inlet of the fuel cell stack (110) is heated to a first temperature threshold, the cathode gas supply subsystem is controlled to perform a bypass purge to defrost the expander (123), and the bypass purge comprises: the air path between the air compressor (122) and the fuel cell stack (110) in the cathode gas supply subsystem is disconnected, the air compressor (122) is controlled to supply gas to the expander (123) through the intercooler (124) and the first gas flow path and discharge the gas through the tail pipe; The working state of the expander (123) is detected, if the working state of the expander (123) is normal, the air path between the air compressor (122) and the fuel cell stack (110) is turned on, the first gas flow path is disconnected, the cooling liquid is heated to a second temperature threshold, and the cold starting of the fuel cell system is completed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The control of the cooling module to be turned on and enter the heating mode comprises: The first opening and the second opening of the thermostat (134) in the cooling module are controlled to be turned on and the third opening is controlled to be turned off to turn on the first cooling liquid flow path with the heater (133) in the cooling module; The heater (133) in the cooling module is controlled to be turned on to heat the cooling liquid in the first cooling liquid flow path; and The control of the cooling module to be turned on and enter the heating mode comprises: The first opening and the second opening of the thermostat (134) in the cooling module are controlled to be turned on and the third opening is controlled to be turned off to turn on the first cooling liquid flow path with the heater (133) in the cooling module; The heater (133) in the cooling module is controlled to be turned on to heat the cooling liquid in the first cooling liquid flow path; and controlling the cooling pump (135) in the cooling module to work so that the cooling liquid in the first cooling liquid flow path is pumped into the intercooler (124) and the stack (110).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method further comprises: if the cooling liquid temperature at the stack (110) inlet does not reach the first temperature threshold, the step of performing the bypass purge is not executed.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first temperature threshold is determined by: determining candidate values of the first temperature threshold; calculating the start-up duration corresponding to the candidate value of the first temperature threshold, the start-up duration being the sum of the stack (110) preheating duration and the expander (123) ice-removal duration, the stack (110) preheating duration representing the time taken for the temperature of the cooling liquid at the stack (110) inlet to rise from the power-on temperature to the candidate value, and the expander (123) ice-removal duration representing the time taken for the air compressor (122) to start up to the time at which it is determined that the working state of the expander (123) is normal; selecting the candidate value with the minimum start-up duration as the first temperature threshold.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein, Further comprising: if the working state of the expander (123) is abnormal, continuing to execute the step of performing the bypass purge.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein, Further comprising: controlling the cooling module to continue to work in the heating mode while the bypass purge is performed in the cathode gas supply subsystem to de-ice the expander (123).

9. An electronic device, comprising: comprising: one or more processors and a memory storing a program, the program comprising instructions which, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform the method of any one of claims 3-8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program, the program comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of any one of claims 3-8.

Images