Methods, apparatus, controllers, systems, and articles for disabling phase-locked loop circuits

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, an apparatus, a controller, a system and a product for disabling a phase-locked loop circuit. The method includes determining a current of a compressor in the fuel cell system. The method also includes determining that the fuel cell system is in a purge phase in response to the current being less than a current threshold. Further, the method includes disabling a phase-locked loop circuit in the fuel cell system when the fuel cell system is in a purge phase, where the phase-locked loop circuit is configured to determine whether there is a fault in the compressor based on the current. According to the embodiment of the invention, the accuracy of judging the fault of the air compressor in the fuel cell system can be improved, the normal work of the fuel cell system is realized when the air compressor is in the purging stage, and the working efficiency of the fuel cell system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of fuel cell technology, and more particularly to methods, apparatus, controllers, systems and products for disabling phase-locked loop circuits. Background Technology

[0002] A fuel cell system is a highly efficient and environmentally friendly power generation system. It directly converts the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction. It typically includes components such as fuel supply, oxidant supply, water / heat management, and a control system. Fuel cell systems offer advantages such as high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and low noise, making them suitable for various fields including transportation, aerospace, and industrial vehicles.

[0003] In fuel cell systems, the air compressor is a key component in fuel cell electric vehicles, responsible for providing the fuel cell stack with the necessary pressure and flow rate of clean air to support the electrochemical reaction. Currently, various fields are accelerating the research and application of fuel cell air compressor technology to meet the high requirements of fuel cell systems for air compressors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method, apparatus, controller, system, and product for disabling a phase-locked loop circuit.

[0005] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a method for disabling a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit is provided. The method includes determining the current of a compressor in a fuel cell system. The method further includes determining that the fuel cell system is in a purging phase in response to the current being less than a current threshold. Furthermore, the method includes disabling the PLL circuit in the fuel cell system while the fuel cell system is in the purging phase, wherein the PLL circuit is used to determine whether a fault exists in the compressor based on the current.

[0006] In a second aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for disabling a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit is provided. The apparatus includes a current determination module configured to determine the current of a compressor in a fuel cell system. The apparatus also includes a purge phase determination module configured to determine that the fuel cell system is in a purge phase in response to a current less than a current threshold. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a PLL circuit disabling module configured to disable the PLL circuit in the fuel cell system when the fuel cell system is in the purge phase, wherein the PLL circuit is used to determine the presence of a fault in the compressor based on the current.

[0007] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a controller is provided. The controller includes at least one processor. The controller also includes memory coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform the method provided according to the first aspect.

[0008] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a fuel cell system is provided, which includes a controller provided according to a third aspect of this disclosure.

[0009] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a machine program product is provided. The machine program product includes a machine program that is executed by a processor to implement the method provided according to a first aspect of this disclosure.

[0010] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a machine storage medium is provided. The machine-readable storage medium stores machine-executable instructions, which are executed by a processor to implement the method provided according to a first aspect of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fuel cell system in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown;

[0013] Figure 2 Flowcharts of methods for disabling phase-locked loop circuits according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0014] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between air compressor speed and time in some embodiments of this disclosure is provided;

[0015] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for determining whether a fuel cell system is in the purging phase, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, is shown.

[0016] Figure 5 Block diagrams of apparatus for disabling phase-locked loop circuits according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; and

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of an example device representing some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] In all the accompanying figures, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0020] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0021] As mentioned above, fuel cell systems require highly accurate operation of the air compressor. After prolonged operation, fuel cell systems generate water vapor and unreacted hydrogen. If these residual gases are not removed promptly, they can adversely affect the fuel cell system. For example, if too much moisture remains after the fuel cell system is shut down, it may freeze in low-temperature environments, leading to restart failure. Furthermore, the accumulation of unreacted hydrogen in the fuel cell system may pose safety hazards.

[0022] Fuel cell systems use an air compressor to inject a large amount of air into the stack. The airflow carries away residual moisture, unreacted gases, and other impurities, ensuring the normal operation and safety of the fuel cell system. This stage is called the purging stage. The purging process typically lasts several minutes. During this time, the air compressor's bypass valve suddenly switches from closed to open. The air compressor load decreases, and the corresponding current drops sharply to near zero amperes. At this point, the rotational speed calculated using a Kalman filter differs significantly from the speed calculated using a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit. This discrepancy leads to the air compressor being flagged as faulty and shutting down. Therefore, using a PLL circuit to diagnose air compressor faults in related technologies has low accuracy, resulting in false alarms and compressor shutdowns, ultimately leading to low fuel cell system efficiency.

[0023] To address this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for disabling a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit. First, the current of the air compressor is determined. If the air compressor current is less than a threshold, the fuel cell system is determined to be in the purging phase. Then, the PLL circuit is disabled from calculating the rotational speed, thereby preventing the PLL circuit from incorrectly determining a fault in the air compressor based on the current. In this way, the purging phase of the fuel cell system can be determined based on the air compressor current, avoiding incorrect fault determination of the air compressor by the PLL circuit during the purging phase, which could lead to shutdown. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure improve the accuracy of air compressor fault determination in the fuel cell system, enabling normal operation of the fuel cell system during the purging phase and improving the operating efficiency of the fuel cell system.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fuel cell system 100 that can be implemented according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference Figure 1 The fuel cell system 100 includes a cathode 102 and an anode 103 in a fuel cell stack. Hydrogen in the anode 103 and oxygen in the cathode 102 can undergo an electrochemical reaction at the membrane electrode to generate electrical energy, which is then used to power a load via a DC / DC converter.

[0025] In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 further includes an air compressor 104, a bypass valve 105, an air filter 113, and sensors 110 (including at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor). The air filter 113 filters impurities and moisture from the air, and the air compressor 104 draws in the filtered air and increases its pressure to supply air to the cathode 102 of the fuel cell system 100. Furthermore, during the purging phase, the high-pressure gas provided by the air compressor 104 can carry away residual moisture and other impurities inside the fuel cell stack through airflow, ensuring the stack is dry and clean, thereby guaranteeing the normal operation of the fuel cell system 100. The bypass valve 105 can regulate the internal pressure and gas flow of the fuel cell system 100, and can also discharge residual gas inside the fuel cell system 100 after purging. The sensors 110 monitor key system parameters, namely gas conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, and pressure), in real time, providing accurate data support for the fuel cell system 100.

[0026] In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 further includes an intercooler 109 for cooling the high-temperature gas compressed by the air compressor 104. The intercooler 109 enables the fuel cell system 100 to operate within an ideal temperature range by precisely controlling the gas temperature. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 also includes a humidifier 106 and a humidifier bypass valve 107. The humidifier 106 improves the performance of the fuel cell system 100 by increasing the humidity of the air entering the fuel cell system 100, thereby enhancing the proton conductivity of the proton exchange membrane and reducing the membrane resistance. The humidifier bypass valve 107 can regulate the airflow entering the humidifier.

[0027] In some embodiments, shut-off valves 108 may be provided at the gas inlet and outlet of the cathode 102. The shut-off valves 108 can control the gas flow rate to prevent backflow and, if necessary, provide isolation. (Continue to refer to...) Figure 1 The cathode 102 and anode 103 are respectively equipped with a throttle valve 112 and an overpressure valve 111, which are used to regulate the gas pressure of the cathode 102 and anode 103, respectively. The fuel cell system 100 also includes a muffler 114.

[0028] It should be understood that Figure 1 The fuel cell system 100 shown is merely an example of an embodiment of this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the solutions provided in this disclosure. The fuel cell system 100 may include more or fewer components. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 may further include a hydrogen injector for supplying hydrogen from the hydrogen storage system to the anode 103. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 may further include a hydrogen circulation pump for circulating unreacted hydrogen from the outlet of the anode 103 to the inlet of the anode 102. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 may include a water separator for separating liquid water discharged from the anode 103. It should also be understood that the fuel cell system 100 in the embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various scenarios and can be configured as a power source or auxiliary power source in various devices, including but not limited to vehicles, yachts, aerospace equipment, underwater propulsion equipment, etc.

[0029] Continue to refer to Figure 1The starting, operation, and shutdown of each component in the fuel cell system 100 can be controlled by a controller 115, which may be, for example, a fuel cell control unit (FCCU). In some embodiments, the controller 115 may include: a current determination unit 116 for determining the current of the air compressor 104 in the fuel cell system 100; a condition determination unit 117 for determining whether the current is less than a current threshold; a purging phase determination unit 118 for determining that the fuel cell system 100 is in the purging phase; and a phase-locked loop circuit disable unit 119 for disabling the phase-locked loop circuit in the fuel cell system 100 when the fuel cell system 100 is in the purging phase.

[0030] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the current of the air compressor 104 in the fuel cell system 100 is determined. If the current of the air compressor 104 is less than a threshold, it is determined that the fuel cell system 100 is in the purging stage, and the air compressor 104 is purging. At this time, the phase-locked loop circuit is disabled from calculating the rotational speed to avoid the phase-locked loop circuit incorrectly determining that there is a fault in the air compressor 104 based on the current.

[0031] In this way, the current of the air compressor 104 can be used to determine whether the fuel cell system 100 is in the purging phase, thus avoiding incorrect judgment of air compressor 104 failure and subsequent shutdown due to the phase-locked loop circuit during the purging phase. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure can improve the accuracy of judging the failure of air compressor 104 in the fuel cell system 100, and achieve normal operation of the fuel cell system 100 when air compressor 104 is in the purging phase, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the fuel cell system 100.

[0032] The following will combine Figures 2 to 6 The process according to embodiments of this disclosure is described in detail. For ease of understanding, the specific data mentioned in the following description are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the embodiments described below may also include additional actions not shown and / or actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0033] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method 200 for disabling a phase-locked loop circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, method 200 may be provided by... Figure 1 The controller 115 shown executes the procedure. It should be understood that method 200 may also include additional actions not shown and / or the actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0034] At box 202, the current of the air compressor in the fuel cell system is determined. In some embodiments, the operating current of the air compressor 104 varies under different operating conditions. For example, there are different current value ranges under rated operating conditions, start-up operating conditions, and load operating conditions. Simultaneously, the current value of the air compressor 104 is also affected by the power supply voltage, three-phase voltage, and load. For example, during the purging phase, the bypass valve 105 of the air compressor 104 suddenly switches from a closed state to an open state, the load on the air compressor 104 decreases, and the current drops sharply to near 0 amperes. The controller 115, through sensors at the air compressor 104, can monitor and accurately calculate the current value of the air compressor 104 during operation in real time.

[0035] At box 204, it is determined whether the current of the air compressor is less than a current threshold. It should be understood that the controller 115 can determine the current of the air compressor 104 in the fuel cell system 100 and whether the current of the air compressor 104 is less than a current threshold. In some embodiments, under normal operating conditions, the current value of the air compressor 104 ranges from 2 to 3 amperes. In some embodiments, during the purging phase, the current value of the air compressor 104 is close to 0 amperes.

[0036] At box 206, if the current is less than the current threshold, the fuel cell system is determined to be in the purging phase. It should be understood that the current of the air compressor 104 during the purging phase is significantly lower than the current under normal operating conditions. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 performs purging before shutdown. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 performs purging before normal operation and then resumes normal operation after purging. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system 100 performs purging both before and after normal operation.

[0037] At block 208, when the fuel cell system is in the purging phase, the phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit in the fuel cell system is disabled. This PLL circuit is used to determine if a fault exists in the compressor based on the current. In some embodiments, during the purging phase, the load on the air compressor 104 decreases, and the current drops sharply, approaching 0 amperes. The PLL circuit determines whether the air compressor 104 is faulty based on the current value. During the purging phase, the air compressor 104 is not at full load or running continuously. The PLL circuit may incorrectly calculate the speed of the air compressor 104 based on the sudden drop in current, thus misjudging that the air compressor 104 is in an abnormal operating state, leading to false alarms or even shutdown. To avoid misjudgments interfering with the normal operation of the fuel cell system 100, the controller 115 in the fuel cell system 100 can disable the PLL circuit, thereby determining the fault in the air compressor 104 without relying on the PLL circuit.

[0038] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the current of the air compressor 104 can be used to determine whether the fuel cell system 100 is in the purging phase. During the purging phase, the phase-locked loop circuit can be used to avoid incorrectly determining that the air compressor 104 is faulty, thus preventing shutdown. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure can improve the accuracy of determining the fault of the air compressor 104 in the fuel cell system 100, and ensure the normal operation of the fuel cell system 100 when the air compressor 104 is in the purging phase, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the fuel cell system 100.

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the relationship 300 between air compressor speed and time according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, fault determination is performed by... Figure 1 The controller 115 shown executes the following: The fault diagnosis logic of the fuel cell system 100 is as follows: The controller 115 uses a Kalman filter to calculate the rotational speed 302 of the air compressor 104 (referred to as the first rotational speed) and uses a phase-locked loop circuit to calculate the rotational speed 304 of the air compressor 104 (referred to as the second rotational speed). Then, the controller 115 determines the difference between the rotational speed 302 and the rotational speed 304. If the difference is greater than a threshold (referred to as the first threshold), it is determined that the air compressor 104 is faulty. In this way, the accuracy of fault diagnosis of the air compressor 104 can be improved when the fuel cell system 100 is operating normally.

[0040] Combination Figure 3 The horizontal axis 308 represents time (t / s), and the vertical axis 306 represents rotational speed (r / s). At time 310, the current drops sharply, causing a significant deviation in the rotational speed calculated by the phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit based on the current. This results in a large difference between the rotational speed 302 calculated by the Kalman filter and the rotational speed 304 calculated by the PLL circuit. When the difference exceeds a threshold, the controller 115 determines that the air compressor 104 has malfunctioned and shuts it down. It is understandable that after time 310, the air compressor 104 is performing purging operations, and the bypass valve 105 suddenly switches from closed to open, reducing the load on the air compressor 104 and causing a sharp drop in current, thus leading to the aforementioned situation where the air compressor 104 is determined to have malfunctioned.

[0041] In this situation, due to the large error in the rotational speed 304 calculated based on the phase-locked loop circuit, the original fault diagnosis method for the air compressor 104 will cause an incorrect alarm and shutdown, even though the air compressor 104 is not actually malfunctioning, thus affecting the normal purging operation of the air compressor 104. Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for disabling the phase-locked loop circuit, which can report the purging status of the fuel cell system 100 to the upper-level system when the air compressor 104 is in the purging phase, and allow the air compressor 104 to continue purging, thus achieving normal operation of the fuel cell system 100.

[0042] In some embodiments, the controller 115 uses a Kalman filter to determine the rotational speed 302 of the air compressor 104. Specifically, the controller 115 first determines an estimate of the current of the air compressor 104 at the current moment based on the current at historical moments using the Kalman filter. This historical current can be, for example, an updated estimate from a previous moment or the average of multiple updated estimates from multiple previous moments. Then, the controller 115 obtains the actual current magnitude, i.e., the measured value, from the current sensor at the output of the air compressor 104.

[0043] Furthermore, the controller 115 updates the current estimate by combining the measured and estimated current values ​​of the air compressor 104 at the current moment with the gain coefficient of the Kalman filter, and then determines the rotational speed 302 (first rotational speed) of the air compressor 104 based on the updated estimate. In some embodiments, during the process of updating the current estimate, the variance of the estimate can also be incorporated to update the estimate, and the update is completed when the variance meets the convergence condition, thereby obtaining the updated estimate. It is understood that the gain coefficient of the Kalman filter can adjust the influence of the estimated and measured values ​​on the final result based on the confidence levels of the estimated and measured values ​​at the current moment, thereby obtaining an accurate current and calculating an accurate rotational speed 302. For example, when the measured current value drops sharply at time 310, its confidence level decreases. At this time, the controller 115 can reduce the weight of the measured value and increase the weight of the estimated value through the gain coefficient. In this way, the accuracy of the final current and rotational speed results can be improved.

[0044] In some embodiments, after receiving a new current value (i.e., a measured value) at the next moment, the controller 115 uses a Kalman filter to determine an estimated value of the current of the air compressor 104 at the next moment based on the estimated values ​​of the current at historical moments. The controller 115 then continues to update the estimated value using the aforementioned Kalman filter based on the measured value, the estimated value, and the gain coefficient, thereby determining the rotational speed 302 of the air compressor 104. It is understood that at each moment, the controller 115 calculates the final current and rotational speed based on the aforementioned Kalman filtering process, using the current estimated value obtained before each moment as prior knowledge. In the fuel cell system 100, the controller 115 can continuously iterate this process using the Kalman filter to determine the current of the air compressor 104 in real time. In this way, the accuracy of determining the output current of the air compressor 104 is improved.

[0045] In some embodiments, the controller 115 determines the rotational speed (first speed) of the air compressor 104 based on an updated estimate. It is understood that the speed value is calculated by the controller 115 based on the correspondence between current and the rotational speed of the air compressor 104, for example, based on a dynamic model of the system (such as the equation of motion of the air compressor 104).

[0046] In some embodiments, the controller 115 uses a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit to determine the rotational speed 304 of the air compressor 104. The PLL circuit determines an error signal based on the difference between the input phase and the output phase of the indicator current, and adjusts the current based on the error signal to determine the rotational speed 304 of the air compressor 104 (which may be referred to as the second speed). It is understood that the PLL circuit may internally include a phase-frequency detector for comparing the received rotational speed-related current signal with the output signal of the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) within the PLL circuit. Based on this comparison, the phase-frequency detector may output an error signal reflecting the phase difference between the current signal and the VCO output signal.

[0047] In some embodiments, the error signal can be filtered by a low-pass filter to remove high-frequency noise and interference. The controller 115 adjusts the output frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) based on the filtered error signal to gradually approximate the frequency of the current signal, while the phase difference gradually decreases. The controller 115 determines the rotational speed 304 of the air compressor 104 by measuring the output frequency of the VCO. In this way, the accuracy of acquiring the current of the air compressor 104 based on the phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit can be improved.

[0048] Understandably, the Kalman filter, by incorporating prior knowledge of the current at previous moments, possesses a certain degree of adaptability in the event of a sudden drop in the current of the air compressor 104. The controller 115 can accurately correct the current at different times based on the Kalman filter. Utilizing the Kalman filter's ability to learn and correct the current, interference and noise can be reduced, such as in the case of a sudden current drop at time 310, thus resulting in a more accurate calculation of the rotational speed. In contrast to the Kalman filter, the phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit, by detecting the phase of the input signal and comparing it with the phase of a reference signal, adjusts the frequency and phase of the output signal to synchronize it with the input signal. This requires a longer time to adjust and stabilize the output signal. Therefore, the rotational speed 304 calculated using the PLL circuit at the moment of a sudden current change is inaccurate and has a large error. Consequently, when the current changes suddenly, the rotational speed 302 calculated based on the Kalman filter and the rotational speed 304 calculated based on the PLL circuit 304 will exhibit a significant deviation.

[0049] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method 400 for determining that a fuel cell system is in the purging phase, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown. In some embodiments, method 400 may be performed by... Figure 1 The controller 115 shown executes the procedure. It should be understood that method 400 may also include additional actions not shown and / or the actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0050] In block 402, controller 115 sends a command to air compressor 104, causing the motor in air compressor 104 to enter a speed mode (referred to as target mode) and rotate at idle speed (referred to as target speed). In some embodiments, speed mode refers to a mode in which the speed of air compressor 104 is allowed to be adjusted according to specific needs; speed modes include fixed speed mode and variable speed mode. In some embodiments, the motor in air compressor 104 rotating at idle speed means that the motor maintains operation at a low speed, which can quickly respond to the speed required for specific needs. In some embodiments, the command sent by controller 115 to air compressor 104 may include information on the motor's speed mode and the required speed.

[0051] In block 404, controller 115 determines and records the motor control mode, speed, and current value of air compressor 104. It is understood that controller 115 can use the motor control mode, speed, and current value as input signals for diagnostic logic. In some embodiments, the motor control mode may include a speed mode, or other modes such as standby mode. In some embodiments, controller 115 can accurately acquire and record the speed and current values ​​of air compressor 104 through steps such as installing sensors, receiving and processing signals, and calculating and analyzing data.

[0052] In block 406, controller 115 determines whether the current air compressor 104 motor control mode is speed mode and whether the speed is idle. In some embodiments, if the current air compressor 104 motor control mode is speed mode and the speed is idle, proceed to block 408. In some embodiments, if the current air compressor 104 motor control mode is speed mode and the air compressor 104 speed is not idle, proceed to block 410. Alternatively or additionally, if the current air compressor 104 motor control mode is not speed mode and the air compressor 104 speed is idle, also proceed to block 410. Furthermore, if the current air compressor 104 motor control mode is neither speed mode nor idle, also proceed to block 410.

[0053] In block 408, controller 115 determines whether the current at the current moment is less than a current threshold. In some embodiments, controller 115 can determine the current range of air compressor 104 based on the motor speed in the instruction. Then, controller 115 determines the current threshold based on the lower limit of the current range. In some embodiments, if the current at the current moment is less than the current threshold, proceed to block 412. If the current at the current moment is greater than the current threshold, proceed to block 410.

[0054] In box 412, controller 115 sets the flag to true when sending it to the higher-level system. This means that in box 412, controller 115 sets the flag to true only after determining that air compressor 104 is in purging mode. In box 410, controller 115 sets the flag to false when sending it to the higher-level system. This means that in box 410, controller 115 sets the flag to false only after determining that air compressor 104 is in normal operating mode.

[0055] In block 414, controller 115 disables the phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit. It is understood that disabling the PLL circuit while the air compressor 104 is in purge mode prevents the PLL circuit from calculating the rotational speed and triggering false alarms due to significant errors. In block 416, controller 115 activates or maintains the PLL circuit. In some embodiments, controller 115 determines whether the air compressor 104 is faulty based on the difference between the rotational speed determined by the Kalman filter and the rotational speed determined by the PLL circuit.

[0056] In block 420, controller 115 sends a signal (referred to as a first signal) to the upper-level system indicating that fuel cell system 100 is in the purging phase, including a flag set to true in block 412. In some embodiments, controller 115 receives a signal (referred to as a second signal) from the upper-level system indicating a decision, which includes keeping air compressor 104 in the purging state without confirming a fault in air compressor 104. Then, controller 115 makes a determination for the next moment. In block 418, controller 115 determines that the determination process for the current moment has ended.

[0057] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the state of the fuel cell system 100 in the purging phase and the normal operation phase is determined based on the motor control mode, speed, and current of the air compressor 104. When it is determined that the fuel cell system 100 is in the purging phase, the phase-locked loop circuit is used to avoid erroneously judging the air compressor 104 as faulty and causing it to shut down. At the same time, the signal indicating that the fuel cell system 100 is in the purging phase is reported to the upper-level system to ensure that the air compressor 104 maintains a continuous purging state and receives further instructions from the upper-level system.

[0058] Furthermore, when the fuel cell system 100 is determined to be in normal operation, the phase-locked loop circuit is activated to calculate the rotational speed, and the difference between this calculation and the speed calculated by the Kalman filter is used to further determine whether the air compressor 104 is faulty. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure can avoid false alarms caused by the activation of the phase-locked loop circuit when the air compressor 104 is in the purging stage, ensuring the normal operation of the fuel cell system 100, improving the accuracy of the fuel cell system 100 in determining the fault of the air compressor 104, and thus improving the working efficiency of the fuel cell system 100.

[0059] Figure 5 A block diagram of an apparatus 500 for detecting anodic oxygen permeation in a fuel cell stack, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown. (See reference...) Figure 5 The device 500 includes an air compressor current determination module 502, configured to determine the current of the air compressor in the fuel cell system. The device 500 also includes a purge phase determination module 504, configured to determine that the fuel cell system is in a purge phase in response to a current less than a current threshold. Furthermore, the device 500 includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit disable module 506, configured to disable the PLL circuit in the fuel cell system when the fuel cell system is in the purge phase, wherein the PLL circuit is used to determine whether a fault exists in the air compressor based on the current.

[0060] In some embodiments, the device 500 further includes a first speed determination module configured to determine a first speed of the air compressor via a Kalman filter. The device 500 also includes a second speed determination module configured to determine a second speed of the air compressor via a phase-locked loop circuit. Furthermore, the device 500 includes an air compressor fault determination module configured to determine a fault in the air compressor in response to the difference between the first speed and the second speed being greater than a first threshold.

[0061] In some embodiments, the current is a measured value for the output current of the air compressor, and the first speed determination module is further configured to: determine an estimated value for the output current of the air compressor based on the current at a historical moment; update the estimated value based on the measured value, the estimated value, and the gain coefficient of the Kalman filter; and determine a first speed of the air compressor based on the updated estimated value.

[0062] In some embodiments, the second speed determination module is further configured to: determine an error signal based on a current, the error signal indicating the difference between the input phase and the output phase of the current; adjust the current based on the error signal; and determine a second speed of the air compressor based on the adjusted current.

[0063] In some embodiments, the purging phase determination module 504 is further configured to: determine at least one of the mode and speed of the air compressor; and determine that the fuel cell system is in the purging phase in response to the air compressor satisfying at least one of the following two conditions and the current being less than a current threshold: the air compressor mode is the target mode; and the air compressor speed is the target speed.

[0064] In some embodiments, the purging phase determination module 504 further includes a current threshold determination module configured to determine a range of current for the air compressor based on a first rotational speed; and to determine a current threshold based on a lower limit of the range.

[0065] In some embodiments, the purging phase determination module 504 is further configured to: determine that the fuel cell system is in a normal operating phase in response to the air compressor not meeting at least one of two conditions, or the current being greater than a current threshold; activate the phase-locked loop circuit when the fuel cell system is in a normal operating phase; and determine whether there is a fault in the air compressor based on the difference between a first speed and a second speed, wherein the first speed is determined by a Kalman filter and the second speed is determined by the phase-locked loop circuit.

[0066] It is understood that the device 500 of this disclosure can achieve at least one of the many advantages that the method or process described above can achieve. For example, the device 500 can determine whether the fuel cell system is in the purging phase or the normal operation phase based on the motor control mode, speed, and current of the air compressor. When the fuel cell system is determined to be in the purging phase, the phase-locked loop circuit that relies on the current value to determine compressor faults is disabled, thereby avoiding false alarms and shutdowns. At the same time, the signal indicating that the system is in the purging phase is reported to the upper-level system to ensure that the compressor continues to be purged and to receive further instructions from the upper-level system. In addition, when the fuel cell system is determined to be in the normal operation phase, the phase-locked loop circuit is activated to calculate the speed, and the difference between the calculated speed and the speed calculated by the Kalman filter is used to further determine whether there is a compressor fault. Therefore, the device 500 can disable the phase-locked loop circuit when the air compressor is in the purging phase, avoid false alarms, ensure the normal operation of the fuel cell system, and improve the operating efficiency of the fuel cell system.

[0067] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of an example device that can be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, electronic device 600 may be used to implement controller 115 in fuel cell system 100. Figure 6As shown, the electronic device 600 includes a processor 601, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on machine program instructions loaded into random access memory (RAM) 603 according to machine program instructions stored in read-only memory (ROM) 602. The RAM 603 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 600. The processor 601, ROM 602, and RAM 603 are interconnected via a bus 604. An input / output (I / O) interface 605 is also connected to the bus 604.

[0068] The various processes and procedures described above, such as method 200, can be executed by processor 601. For example, in some embodiments, method 200 may be implemented as a machine software program tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium. In some embodiments, part or all of the machine program may be loaded into and / or installed onto electronic device 600 via ROM 602. When the machine program is loaded into RAM 603 and executed by processor 601, one or more actions of method 200 described above may be performed.

[0069] This disclosure can be a method, apparatus, system, and / or machine program product. A machine program product may include a machine-readable storage medium loaded with machine-readable program instructions for performing various aspects of this disclosure.

[0070] Machine-readable storage media can be tangible devices capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. Machine-readable storage media can be, for example—but not limited to—electrical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, electromagnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of machine-readable storage media include: random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), and any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, machine-readable storage media is not to be construed as transient signals themselves, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0071] The machine-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from machine-readable storage media to various computing / processing devices, or downloaded via a network, such as the Internet, local area network, wide area network, and / or wireless network, to external machines or external storage devices. The network may include copper cables, fiber optic cables, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway machines, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the machine-readable program instructions from the network and forwards them to the machine-readable storage media within the respective computing / processing device.

[0072] Machine program instructions used to perform the operations of this disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. Machine-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user machine, partially on the user machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server. In cases involving remote machines, the remote machine may be connected to the user machine via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or may be connected to an external machine (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry, such as programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), is personalized by utilizing state information from the machine-readable program instructions to implement various aspects of this disclosure.

[0073] Various aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and machine program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by machine-readable program instructions.

[0074] These machine-readable program instructions can be provided to the processing unit of a general-purpose machine, a special-purpose machine, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processing unit of the machine or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These machine-readable program instructions can also be stored in a machine-readable storage medium that causes a machine, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the machine-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0075] Machine-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a machine, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the machine, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other equipment to produce a machine-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions executed on the machine, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other equipment to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0076] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and machine program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those marked in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and machine instructions.

[0077] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method (200) for disabling a phase-locked loop circuit, comprising: Determine the current of the air compressor in the (202) fuel cell system; In response to the current being less than a current threshold, it is determined (206) that the fuel cell system is in the purging phase; as well as When the fuel cell system is in the purging phase, disable (208) the phase-locked loop circuit in the fuel cell system, wherein the phase-locked loop circuit is used to determine whether there is a fault in the air compressor based on the current.

2. The method (200) according to claim 1, further comprising: The first rotational speed of the air compressor is determined using a Kalman filter; The second rotational speed of the air compressor is determined by the phase-locked loop circuit. as well as In response to the difference between the first speed and the second speed being greater than a first threshold, it is determined that the fault exists in the air compressor.

3. The method (200) according to claim 2, wherein the current is a measured value of the output current of the air compressor, and determining the first speed of the air compressor according to a Kalman filter comprises: Based on the current at historical moments, an estimated value for the output current of the air compressor is determined; The estimated value is updated based on the measured value, the estimated value, and the gain coefficient of the Kalman filter; as well as The first rotational speed of the air compressor is determined based on the updated estimate.

4. The method (200) according to claim 2, wherein determining the second speed of the air compressor via the phase-locked loop circuit comprises: An error signal is determined based on the current, the error signal indicating the difference between the input phase and the output phase of the current; The current is adjusted based on the error signal; as well as The second speed of the air compressor is determined based on the adjusted current.

5. The method (200) according to claim 1, wherein determining (206) that the fuel cell system is in the purging phase comprises: Determine at least one of the mode and speed of the air compressor; as well as The fuel cell system is determined to be in the purging phase in response to the air compressor satisfying at least one of the following two conditions, and the current being less than the current threshold: The mode of the air compressor is the target mode; The rotational speed of the air compressor is the target rotational speed.

6. The method (200) according to claim 5, wherein determining the current threshold comprises: Based on the target rotational speed, determine the range of the current for the air compressor; as well as The current threshold is determined based on the lower limit of the range.

7. The method (200) according to claim 5, further comprising: In response to the air compressor satisfying at least one of the two conditions and the current being less than the current threshold, a first signal indicating that the fuel cell system is in the purging phase is sent to the upper-level system; The system receives a second signal indicating a decision, wherein the decision is used to keep the air compressor in a purging state.

8. The method (200) according to claim 5, further comprising: In response to the air compressor not meeting at least one of the two conditions, or the current being greater than the current threshold, it is determined that the fuel cell system is in a normal operating phase; When the fuel cell system is in the normal operating phase, the phase-locked loop circuit is activated; as well as The difference between the first speed and the second speed is used to determine whether there is a fault in the air compressor. The first speed is determined by a Kalman filter, and the second speed is determined by a phase-locked loop circuit.

9. A device (500) for disabling a phase-locked loop circuit, comprising: The current determination module (502) is configured to determine the current of the air compressor in the fuel cell system; The purge phase determination module (504) is configured to determine that the fuel cell system is in the purge phase in response to the current being less than a current threshold. as well as A phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit disable module (506) is configured to disable the PLL circuit in the fuel cell system when the fuel cell system is in the purging phase, wherein the PLL circuit is used to determine whether there is a fault in the air compressor based on the current.

10. A controller (115), comprising: At least one processor; as well as A memory coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A fuel cell system (100), comprising: Air compressor (104); as well as The controller (115) according to claim 10.

12. A machine program product comprising a machine program that is executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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