Methods, apparatus, electronic devices and storage media for optimizing cold start of hydrogen fuel cells

Abstract

This application discloses a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for optimizing the cold start of a hydrogen fuel cell. The method includes: real-time acquisition of the temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; when the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than a preset temperature threshold Tth, determining that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered a low-temperature cold start condition; when the hydrogen fuel cell has entered a low-temperature cold start condition, continuously applying low-frequency pulse signals to the electrodes of the stack via a pulse signal generator, causing the stack temperature to continuously rise under the action of the low-frequency pulse signals; repeating the above operation until the stack temperature reaches a preset cold start target temperature Ta, at which point the application of low-frequency pulse signals to the stack is stopped. The embodiments of this application can automatically identify low-temperature conditions and automatically start and stop the heating process, achieving rapid, low-energy-consumption, and reliable cold start of fuel cells in low-temperature environments, reducing damage to the core components of the stack caused by low-temperature icing, and improving the environmental adaptability of fuel cell vehicles in extremely cold regions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for optimizing the cold start of a hydrogen fuel cell. Background Technology

[0002] Proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cells have outstanding advantages such as high energy conversion efficiency, zero emissions, and no corrosion during operation. They are the mainstream development direction of clean energy power systems for vehicles. Low-temperature cold start performance directly determines the applicability of fuel cell vehicles in frigid regions and is also a key technological bottleneck restricting the large-scale industrialization of fuel cells.

[0003] In low-temperature environments, the liquid water generated by the electrochemical reaction in fuel cell stacks is highly susceptible to freezing inside the proton exchange membrane, catalyst layer, gas diffusion layer, and media flow channels. The ice layer can cause multiple irreversible damages and start-up failures: on the one hand, the ice layer expands and squeezes the membrane electrode assembly, causing permanent degradation of the performance of individual cells; on the other hand, the ice layer covers the active sites of the catalyst layer, significantly reducing the catalytic efficiency of the electrochemical reaction; at the same time, ice blockage in the flow channels and gas supply valves can block the delivery of reaction media such as hydrogen and air, further causing catalyst dissolution and carbon support corrosion, ultimately leading to problems such as start-up failure and stack scrapping.

[0004] Currently, the mainstream low-temperature start-up solution in the industry relies on the power battery to drive a PTC heater to heat the cooling water circuit and increase the stack temperature. This solution has obvious drawbacks: PTC heating requires a large amount of power battery power, resulting in high energy consumption during cold starts; moreover, the heat source comes from outside the stack, and the heat is only slowly transferred to the inside of the stack through the cooling medium, resulting in slow heating rate and uneven heating of individual cells inside the stack. This easily leads to temperature imbalance problems such as unmelted ice in some areas and overheating in others, making it impossible to achieve synchronous ice melting across the entire area; at the same time, conventional preheating strategies simply start and stop heating based on a single temperature threshold, lacking adaptive control logic based on the stack's own state, and cannot meet the multiple requirements of rapid heating, low energy consumption, and stack protection. Meanwhile, existing technologies also include auxiliary cold start methods such as low-current self-heating, phase change thermal storage heating, and high-pressure airflow purging. The low-current fixed output self-heating scheme has a slow heating rate and poor effect on melting inner layer ice; phase change thermal storage is an external auxiliary heat source and cannot activate the internal catalytic reaction of the fuel cell stack; high-pressure airflow purging can only remove floating ice on the surface of the flow channel and is difficult to eliminate ice inside the membrane electrode. All existing solutions are difficult to simultaneously meet the comprehensive requirements of fuel cell stack self-generated heat, uniform heating across the entire area, and low-energy safe cold start. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for optimizing the cold start of a hydrogen fuel cell. It can automatically identify low-temperature operating conditions and automatically start and stop the heating process, thereby achieving rapid, low-energy, and reliable cold start of the fuel cell in low-temperature environments, reducing damage to the core components of the fuel cell stack caused by low-temperature icing, and improving the environmental adaptability of fuel cell vehicles in cold regions.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for optimizing the cold start of a hydrogen fuel cell, the method comprising:

[0007] The temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack is collected in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to have entered the low temperature cold start condition.

[0008] When the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to have entered a low-temperature cold start condition, a low-frequency pulse signal is continuously applied to the electrodes of the fuel cell stack through a pulse signal generator, so that the temperature of the fuel cell stack continues to rise under the action of the low-frequency pulse signal; the above operation is repeated until the temperature of the fuel cell stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, at which point the application of the low-frequency pulse signal to the fuel cell stack is stopped.

[0009] Secondly, this application also provides a cold start optimization device for hydrogen fuel cells, the device comprising: a temperature acquisition module and a pulse heating module; wherein,

[0010] The temperature acquisition module is used to acquire the temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, it is determined that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered the low temperature cold start condition.

[0011] The pulse heating module is used to continuously apply low-frequency pulse signals to the electrodes of the fuel cell stack via a pulse signal generator when the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to enter a low-temperature cold start condition, so that the temperature of the fuel cell stack continues to rise under the action of the low-frequency pulse signals; the above operation is repeated until the temperature of the fuel cell stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, at which point the application of the low-frequency pulse signals to the fuel cell stack is stopped.

[0012] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including:

[0013] One or more processors;

[0014] Memory, used to store one or more programs.

[0015] When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method described in any embodiment of this application.

[0016] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method described in any embodiment of this application.

[0017] This application proposes a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for optimizing the cold start of a hydrogen fuel cell. By real-time acquisition of the fuel cell stack temperature and setting two-level temperature thresholds (Tth and Ta), it achieves automatic determination of cold start conditions and automatic start / stop via pulse excitation. A simple closed-loop control logic can be formed solely based on temperature signals, reducing the controller's computational load and facilitating vehicle integration. Low-frequency pulse excitation is used to stimulate the internal electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell stack to generate heat autonomously, unlike traditional high-power external PTC heating solutions. This significantly reduces the energy consumption of the power battery, and the heat is generated directly in the core ice-forming areas such as the membrane electrode assembly and catalyst layer, melting the ice layer from the inside out. The heating and de-icing efficiency is higher and the cold start time is shorter. At the same time, the pulse excitation is only started when the temperature is below Tth and there is a risk of icing. The output is stopped immediately after the temperature is raised to Ta. This avoids the damage to the catalyst layer and carbon support caused by continuous pulse impact on the stack at room temperature, and also prevents the stack from overheating and aging caused by continuous pulse. It effectively alleviates the problems of irreversible damage to membrane electrode assembly, catalytic failure, and ice blockage in the flow channel caused by low temperature icing. It takes into account low energy consumption, fast start-up and stack component protection, and improves the operational reliability and engineering adaptability of fuel cells in cold environments. Moreover, the technical solution of this application embodiment is simple and convenient to implement, easy to popularize, and has a wider range of applications. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the application and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present application, not the entire structure.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method according to an embodiment of this application. The method can be executed by a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization device or electronic device, which can be implemented in software and / or hardware, and can be integrated into any smart device with network communication capabilities. Figure 1 As shown, the cold start optimization method for hydrogen fuel cells may include the following steps:

[0025] S101. The temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack is collected in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to enter the low temperature cold start condition.

[0026] The hydrogen fuel cell in this embodiment uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen from the air as oxidant. Based on the principle of electrochemical oxidation-reduction reaction, it directly converts the chemical energy of hydrogen oxidizing into direct current, heat energy, and water, making it a clean power generation device. Unlike batteries that rely on internal energy storage, it can stably output electrical energy as long as hydrogen and air are continuously supplied. The entire reaction process produces no carbon, sulfur, or nitrogen pollutants, making it a highly efficient, zero-carbon energy conversion device. The fuel cell stack (hereinafter referred to as the stack) in this embodiment is a core power generation assembly composed of two or more single proton exchange membrane fuel cells assembled in series and stacked. It is formed by pressing and integrating structural components such as membrane electrode assemblies, bipolar plates, seals, cooling channels, current collectors, insulating plates, and end plates. The stack integrates a shared manifold channel to achieve unified distribution of hydrogen, air, and coolant. It can continuously output direct current through hydrogen-oxygen electrochemical oxidation-reduction reaction and simultaneously generate water and heat energy. It is the core functional unit in the hydrogen fuel cell system that realizes the conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy. The number of single cells connected in series is determined by the rated power requirement of the entire unit. The low-temperature cold start condition in this application embodiment is a unique operating state determined by the hydrogen fuel cell system. It refers to the real-time temperature of the stack body being lower than the system's preset low-temperature threshold Tth, the whole being in the low-temperature range, the proton conduction capacity of the proton exchange membrane being greatly reduced, the reaction activity of the catalyst layer being significantly reduced, and the internal moisture being prone to freezing and blocking the gas flow channel. Normal hydrogen and oxygen power generation output cannot be carried out directly, and a unique preheating process needs to be executed first until the stack temperature rises to the normal operating range for all operating stages.

[0027] In this step, the operating temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack is acquired in real time by the acquisition unit, and the measured temperature is compared with the pre-calibrated low-temperature threshold Tth. If the measured temperature is lower than Tth, it indicates that the ambient / stack body temperature is too low, the internal resistance of the proton exchange membrane increases significantly, and the reaction activity deteriorates, making it impossible to generate electricity directly. The system determines that the fuel cell has entered a low-temperature cold start condition and triggers the corresponding low-temperature heating control process. This embodiment of the application relies on the real-time temperature of the stack body to establish a quantitative judgment standard, which can accurately identify the low-temperature state of the stack and avoid misjudgment of the operating condition caused by relying solely on the ambient temperature. Before the stack becomes low-temperature, the internal resistance of the membrane increases, and the internal structure is prone to icing failure, the preheating control logic is proactively switched in, defining clear control switching boundaries. This avoids irreversible damage to the membrane electrode assembly caused by direct low-temperature start-up from the source and improves the standardization and operational stability of the system control logic.

[0028] S102. When it is determined that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered the low temperature cold start condition, a low frequency pulse signal is continuously applied to the electrodes of the stack through a pulse signal generator, so that the temperature of the stack continues to rise under the action of the low frequency pulse signal; repeat the above operation until the temperature of the stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, and then stop applying the low frequency pulse signal to the stack.

[0029] In a specific embodiment of this application, after confirming the low-temperature cold start condition, the pulse signal generator continuously outputs a low-frequency pulse signal to the stack electrode. The current flows through the stack internal resistance to generate Joule heat, thereby achieving autonomous heating of the stack. The temperature measurement and pulse heating are continuously cycled until the stack temperature reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, and then the low-frequency pulse output is terminated. This application embodiment utilizes the internal resistance of the fuel cell stack to generate heat for self-preheating, eliminating the need for external PTC heating equipment and supporting piping structures, thus reducing the system's hardware size, weight, and manufacturing costs. The low-frequency pulsed current can generate heat uniformly throughout the entire fuel cell stack, eliminating the problem of excessive temperature difference in a single cell caused by water circulation heating, and reducing the risk of local overheating or local low-temperature icing. The pulsed heating has a fast heating rate, effectively shortening the overall cold start waiting time in low-temperature environments. A closed-loop temperature control is adopted, stopping the pulse input once the target temperature is reached, preventing continuous power supply from causing high-temperature dehydration of the proton exchange membrane and accelerated catalyst aging. At the same time, compared with steady-state large DC, the low-frequency pulse can reduce electrode polarization losses under low-temperature and high internal resistance conditions. After heating is completed, the proton conduction efficiency and electrochemical reaction activity are restored, and the problem of water accumulation and icing blockage in the flow channel is eliminated, ensuring the output performance and long-term service life of the fuel cell after cold start.

[0030] In one example, the low-frequency pulse signal has a frequency range of 0.1Hz to 100Hz, an amplitude lower than the rated voltage / current of the fuel cell stack, and a duty cycle of 10% to 50%. The amplitude and frequency of the low-frequency pulse signal satisfy the condition: amplitude = A × frequency², where A is a preset constant. Preferably, if the average voltage drop rate of the fuel cell stack is higher than aV / min or the current change rate is higher than bA / min, the frequency of the low-frequency pulse signal is reduced to f1 or the amplitude to A1. After maintaining this for a set duration, if the average voltage drop rate of the fuel cell stack is still higher than aV / min or the current change rate is still higher than bA / min, the frequency and amplitude of the low-frequency pulse signal are further reduced until the temperature of the fuel cell stack rises to the target temperature Ta.

[0031] The hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method proposed in this application automatically determines the cold start condition and automatically starts and stops the pulse excitation by real-time acquisition of the stack temperature and setting two-level temperature thresholds (Tth and Ta). It forms a simple closed-loop control logic based solely on temperature signals, reducing the controller's computational load and facilitating vehicle integration. By utilizing low-frequency pulse excitation to stimulate the internal electrochemical reaction of the stack and generate heat autonomously, unlike traditional high-power external PTC heating solutions, it significantly reduces the energy consumption of the power battery. Furthermore, the heat is generated directly in the ice-forming core areas such as the membrane electrode assembly and catalyst layer, melting the ice layer from the inside out, resulting in higher heating and ice-melting efficiency. The high and cold start times are shorter; pulse excitation is only activated when the temperature is below Tth and there is a risk of icing, and the output is stopped immediately after the temperature rises to Ta. This avoids the damage to the catalyst layer and carbon support caused by continuous pulse impact on the stack at room temperature, and also prevents the stack from overheating and aging caused by continuous pulse. It effectively alleviates problems such as irreversible damage to the membrane electrode, catalytic failure, and ice blockage in the flow channel caused by low temperature icing. It takes into account low energy consumption, fast start-up and stack component protection, and improves the operational reliability and engineering adaptability of fuel cells in cold environments. Moreover, the technical solution of this application embodiment is simple and convenient to implement, easy to popularize, and has a wider range of applications.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method provided in this application. Further optimizations and extensions can be made based on the above technical solution, and it can be combined with the various optional embodiments described above. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the cold start optimization method for hydrogen fuel cells may include the following steps:

[0033] S201. The temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack is collected in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to have entered the low temperature cold start condition.

[0034] S202. When it is determined that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered the low temperature cold start condition, a low frequency pulse signal is continuously applied to the electrodes of the stack through a pulse signal generator, so that the temperature of the stack continues to rise under the action of the low frequency pulse signal; repeat the above operation until the temperature of the stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, then stop applying the low frequency pulse signal to the stack.

[0035] Preferably, in this embodiment, the low-frequency pulse signal is output through a low-frequency pulse voltage excitation module. The pulse excitation module operates synchronously with the thermal management system, uniformly conducting the heat generated by the low-frequency pulse voltage excitation module to the entire fuel cell stack, thus balancing the temperature of different areas of the stack. In a specific embodiment of this application, if the average voltage drop rate of the fuel cell stack is higher than aV / min or the current change rate is higher than bA / min, the frequency of the low-frequency pulse signal can be reduced to f1 or the amplitude to A1. After maintaining this for a set duration, if the average voltage drop rate of the fuel cell stack is still higher than aV / min or the current change rate is still higher than bA / min, the frequency and amplitude of the low-frequency pulse signal are further reduced until the temperature of the fuel cell stack rises to the target temperature Ta. In one example, the value of a ranges from 0.02 to 0.2V / min; the value of b ranges from 2 to 15A / min. In this embodiment, the low-frequency pulse signal can be output through a low-frequency pulse voltage excitation module. The pulse excitation module operates synchronously with the thermal management system, uniformly conducting the heat generated by the low-frequency pulse voltage excitation module to the entire fuel cell stack, thus balancing the temperature of different areas of the stack.

[0036] S203: Real-time acquisition of the voltage and current of the fuel cell stack.

[0037] In specific embodiments of this application, real-time voltage and current data at the fuel cell stack output terminal can also be collected in real time to continuously acquire the electrical operating status of the fuel cell stack during pulse heating, providing real-time electrical raw data support for subsequent adaptive adjustment of pulse parameters. The continuous collection of fuel cell stack voltage and current in this embodiment allows for real-time monitoring of the internal state of the fuel cell stack under low-frequency pulse heating, such as changes in internal resistance and polarization reaction, forming a complete electrical monitoring data source. This enables timely capture of fluctuations in the electrical characteristics of the fuel cell stack during low-temperature heating, providing a reliable and real-time data foundation for the dynamic adjustment of pulse frequency and amplitude. This avoids control lag caused by relying solely on single temperature parameter adjustments and improves the multi-dimensional state monitoring capabilities of the fuel cell stack during the low-temperature preheating stage.

[0038] S204. Based on the real-time collected voltage and current of the fuel cell stack, calculate the average voltage drop rate and current change rate of the fuel cell stack, and adaptively adjust the frequency and amplitude of the low-frequency pulse signal according to the average voltage drop rate and current change rate of the fuel cell stack.

[0039] In this step, based on the collected real-time voltage and current data, two dynamic characteristic parameters, the average voltage drop rate and current change rate of the fuel cell stack, are calculated. These two rate indicators are combined to determine the changes in the fuel cell stack's low-temperature internal resistance, heating efficiency, and polarization loss in real time. Based on the determination results, the frequency and amplitude of the current output low-frequency pulse signal are adaptively adjusted. This embodiment relies on the voltage and current change rates to reflect the real-time heating state and internal losses of the fuel cell stack, dynamically matching the pulse frequency and amplitude to achieve adaptive adjustment of heating power. In the initial stage of low temperature, when the fuel cell stack's internal resistance is high and the voltage decays rapidly, the pulse amplitude is automatically increased or the frequency is adjusted to quickly improve Joule heating efficiency and shorten preheating time. As the temperature rises, the internal resistance decreases, and the voltage tends to stabilize, the pulse amplitude is automatically reduced and the frequency optimized to avoid excessive pulse current causing severe electrode polarization and membrane electrode dehydration and aging. Compared to fixed-parameter pulse heating schemes, this approach balances heating speed and fuel cell protection, suppressing single-cell performance degradation caused by sudden voltage drops throughout the process, balancing the working state of each cell in the fuel cell stack, effectively extending the fuel cell's lifespan while ensuring rapid low-temperature heating, and improving the control accuracy and operational stability of the entire low-temperature cold start process.

[0040] The hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method proposed in this application can fully acquire the real-time electrical status of the fuel cell stack during low-frequency pulse heating by real-time acquisition of stack voltage and current, providing real-time and reliable data support for parameter control. Combined with the adaptive adjustment of pulse frequency and amplitude based on the rate of change of voltage and current, the heating power can be matched and adapted according to the dynamic changes of stack internal resistance and polarization loss. When the internal resistance is large at low temperature and the voltage decay is severe, the pulse output intensity is increased to accelerate the temperature rise. After the internal resistance improves as the temperature rises, the pulse parameters are automatically reduced to reduce the risk of electrode polarization damage and membrane electrode aging. Compared with the control method with fixed pulse parameters, the control accuracy and operating condition adaptability of the low-temperature preheating stage are greatly improved. While shortening the cold start preheating time, the state of individual cells in the stack is balanced, taking into account both the need for rapid temperature rise and the long service life of the stack.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method according to another embodiment of this application. Further optimizations and extensions based on the above technical solution are possible, and it can be combined with the various optional embodiments described above. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the cold start optimization method for hydrogen fuel cells may include the following steps:

[0042] S301. The temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack is collected in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to have entered the low temperature cold start condition.

[0043] S302. When it is determined that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered the low temperature cold start condition, a low frequency pulse signal is continuously applied to the electrodes of the fuel cell stack through a pulse signal generator, so that the temperature of the fuel cell stack continues to rise under the action of the low frequency pulse signal; repeat the above operation until the temperature of the fuel cell stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, and then stop applying the low frequency pulse signal to the fuel cell stack.

[0044] S303: Real-time acquisition of the temperature of each region of the fuel cell stack and calculation of the internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack based on the temperature of each region.

[0045] This application embodiment can also collect temperature data from different zones of the fuel cell stack in real time, and calculate the overall internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack based on multi-point temperature measurement values. This quantitatively characterizes the uniformity of temperature rise in each region of the fuel cell stack, providing a basis for temperature difference judgment for pulse heating power adjustment. By accurately quantifying the differences in internal temperature distribution of the fuel cell stack through multi-point zone temperature measurement, local overheating or local low temperature phenomena occurring in individual cells, upper and lower flow channels, and gas inlet and outlet areas during pulse heating can be identified in a timely manner. Local temperature imbalance problems that cannot be detected by relying solely on the overall average temperature can be effectively captured, realizing full-domain monitoring of the fuel cell stack temperature field. This provides a quantitative basis for judgment on control actions after the temperature difference exceeds the limit, avoiding performance differentiation of individual cells, local icing, or local high-temperature damage caused by excessive local temperature differences.

[0046] S304. When the internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack is greater than the preset temperature difference threshold ΔT1, reduce the output current or output voltage of the low-frequency pulse signal to reduce the internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack.

[0047] In this step, the calculated internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack can be compared with the preset temperature difference threshold ΔT1. When the internal temperature difference exceeds ΔT1, the output current or output voltage of the low-frequency pulse signal is reduced to decrease the total Joule heat output of the pulse heating, slow down the heating rate, alleviate the problem of uneven local heat generation in the fuel cell stack, and gradually reduce the temperature difference between different regions.

[0048] S305. If the temperature rise rate of the fuel cell stack is detected to be too fast, the output of the low-frequency pulse signal will be immediately cut off and the fuel cell stack will be heated by DC current heating mode. The DC current adopts a fixed loading speed of mA / s, and stepped variable current heating is adopted. The voltage of each unit is controlled not to exceed 0.3V throughout the heating process.

[0049] In this step, the overall temperature rise rate of the fuel cell stack can be continuously monitored. When the temperature rise rate is detected to be excessive, the low-frequency pulse signal output is immediately shut off, and the system switches to DC heating mode. The DC current is gradually applied in a stepped manner at a fixed rate of mA / s, and the voltage of each individual cell is limited to a maximum of 0.3V throughout the heating process. This rapidly cuts off the pulse heat source when the pulse heating rate is too fast and there is a risk of localized overheating, thus avoiding instantaneous localized high temperatures caused by large pulse current fluctuations. The stepped, low-speed DC current application provides stable and controllable heat output, with better heat generation uniformity than low-frequency pulses, suppressing further expansion of the temperature difference within the fuel cell stack. Strictly limiting the individual cell voltage to within 0.3V prevents membrane electrode degradation, catalyst carbon corrosion, and proton exchange membrane dehydration and damage caused by excessive voltage at low temperatures and high internal resistance. The stepped, slowly increasing current does not cause electrical shock to the fuel cell stack, balancing temperature control stability and protection of core components, significantly reducing the risk of irreversible fuel cell degradation under low-temperature rapid heating conditions. In one example, m = 5–50 mA / s.

[0050] The hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method proposed in this application collects the temperature of each zone of the fuel cell stack in real time through multi-point partitioning and calculates the internal temperature difference. This allows for precise control of the temperature field distribution across the entire stack, timely identification of localized uneven heating and cooling, and reduction of low-frequency pulse output power when the temperature difference exceeds a threshold to smooth heat generation and reduce regional temperature differences. Simultaneously, it monitors the stack temperature rise rate in real time, and immediately cuts off the pulse output and switches to a DC heating mode with a fixed mA / s rate of stepped loading and a constant constraint that the individual cell voltage does not exceed 0.3V. The entire control logic achieves control over the stack temperature uniformity and heating rate. The dual closed-loop control of speed can avoid the performance differentiation, local icing or overheating damage of single cells caused by excessive local temperature difference during pulse heating. It can also quickly switch to a more stable DC heating mode when the temperature rise is abnormal, eliminating the risk of instantaneous heat surge caused by pulse fluctuation current. The stepped DC current rise has no electrical impact. Strictly limiting the voltage of individual cells can effectively prevent irreversible degradation such as proton membrane dehydration and catalyst carbon corrosion under low temperature and high internal resistance conditions. While ensuring the heating efficiency of low temperature cold start, it maximizes the balance of the temperature field across the entire stack, protects the core components of the membrane electrode assembly in all aspects, and extends the service life of the stack.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization device provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization device includes: a temperature acquisition module 401 and a pulse heating module 402; wherein,

[0052] The temperature acquisition module 401 is used to acquire the temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, it is determined that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered the low temperature cold start condition.

[0053] The pulse heating module 402 is used to continuously apply a low-frequency pulse signal to the electrodes of the fuel cell stack through a pulse signal generator when it is determined that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered a low-temperature cold start condition, so that the temperature of the fuel cell stack continues to rise under the action of the low-frequency pulse signal; the above operation is repeated until the temperature of the fuel cell stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, and then the application of the low-frequency pulse signal to the fuel cell stack is stopped.

[0054] The aforementioned hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization device can execute the method provided in any embodiment of this application, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects for executing the method. Technical details not described in detail in this embodiment can be found in the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method provided in any embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 A block diagram of an exemplary electronic device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 5 The electronic device 12 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of this application.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device 12 is represented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 12 may include, but are not limited to: one or more processors or processing units 16, system memory 28, and bus 18 connecting different system components (including system memory 28 and processing unit 16).

[0057] Bus 18 represents one or more of several bus architectures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processor, or a local bus using any of the various bus architectures. For example, these architectures include, but are not limited to, the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, the Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) bus, the Enhanced ISA bus, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0058] Electronic device 12 typically includes a variety of computer system readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by electronic device 12, including volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0059] System memory 28 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and / or cache memory 32. Electronic device 12 may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, storage system 34 may be used to read and write non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (… Figure 5 Not shown; usually referred to as a "hard drive"). Although Figure 5 As not shown, a disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile disk (e.g., a "floppy disk") and an optical disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media) may be provided. In these cases, each drive may be connected to bus 18 via one or more data media interfaces. Memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to perform the functions of the embodiments of this application.

[0060] A program / utility 40 having a set (at least one) of program modules 42 may be stored, for example, in memory 28. Such program modules 42 include, but are not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment. Program modules 42 typically perform the functions and / or methods described in the embodiments of this application.

[0061] Electronic device 12 can also communicate with one or more external devices 14 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, display 24, etc.), and with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 12, and / or with any device that enables electronic device 12 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 22. Furthermore, electronic device 12 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 20. As shown, network adapter 20 communicates with other modules of electronic device 12 via bus 18. It should be understood that, although... Figure 5 As not shown, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with electronic device 12, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0062] The processing unit 16 executes various functional applications and data processing by running programs stored in the system memory 28, such as implementing the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0063] This application also provides a computer storage medium.

[0064] The computer-readable storage medium of this application embodiment can be any combination of one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. For example, a computer-readable storage medium can be—but is not limited to—an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, 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 device, magnetic storage device, 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, apparatus, or device.

[0065] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0066] Program code contained on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including—but not limited to—wireless, wire, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0067] Computer program code for performing the operations of this application can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0068] This application also provides a computer program product.

[0069] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), payload-programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer program products, which may include one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be an application-specific or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmitting data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0070] Note that the above are merely preferred embodiments and the technical principles employed in this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, although this application has been described in detail through the above embodiments, this application is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of this application, the scope of which is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing the cold start of a hydrogen fuel cell, characterized in that, The method includes: The temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack is collected in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to have entered the low temperature cold start condition. When the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to have entered a low-temperature cold start condition, a low-frequency pulse signal is continuously applied to the electrodes of the fuel cell stack through a pulse signal generator, so that the temperature of the fuel cell stack continues to rise under the action of the low-frequency pulse signal; the above operation is repeated until the temperature of the fuel cell stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, at which point the application of the low-frequency pulse signal to the fuel cell stack is stopped.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low-frequency pulse signal has a frequency range of 0.1Hz to 100Hz, an amplitude lower than the rated voltage / current of the fuel cell, and a duty cycle of 10% to 50%. The amplitude and frequency of the low-frequency pulse signal satisfy the condition: amplitude = A × frequency², where A is a preset constant.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The voltage and current of the fuel cell stack are collected in real time; Based on the real-time collected voltage and current of the fuel cell stack, the average voltage drop rate and current change rate of the fuel cell stack are calculated, and the frequency and amplitude of the low-frequency pulse signal are adaptively adjusted according to the average voltage drop rate and current change rate of the fuel cell stack.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The frequency and amplitude of the low-frequency pulse signal are adaptively adjusted based on the average voltage drop rate and current change rate of the fuel cell stack, including: If the average voltage drop rate of the fuel cell stack is higher than aV / min or the current change rate is higher than bA / min, then the frequency of the low-frequency pulse signal is reduced to f1 or the amplitude is reduced to A1. After maintaining the set duration, if the average voltage drop rate of the fuel cell stack is still higher than aV / min or the current change rate is still higher than bA / min, then the frequency and amplitude of the low-frequency pulse signal are reduced again until the temperature of the fuel cell stack rises to the target temperature Ta.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The temperature of each region of the fuel cell stack is collected in real time, and the internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack is calculated based on the temperature of each region. When the internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack exceeds a preset temperature difference threshold ΔT1, the output current or output voltage of the low-frequency pulse signal is reduced to decrease the internal temperature difference of the fuel cell stack.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the temperature rise rate of the fuel cell stack is detected to be too fast, the output of the low-frequency pulse signal is immediately cut off, and the fuel cell stack is switched to DC current heating mode for heating. The DC current adopts a fixed loading rate of mA / s, and stepped variable current heating is used. The voltage of each unit is controlled not to exceed 0.3V throughout the heating process.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low-frequency pulse signal is output through the low-frequency pulse voltage excitation module. The pulse excitation module works synchronously with the thermal management system to evenly conduct the heat generated by the low-frequency pulse voltage excitation module to the entire fuel cell stack, thereby balancing the temperature of each area of ​​the fuel cell stack.

8. A cold start optimization device for hydrogen fuel cells, characterized in that, The device includes: a temperature acquisition module and a pulse heating module; wherein... The temperature acquisition module is used to acquire the temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack in real time. When the temperature of the stack is detected to be lower than the preset temperature threshold Tth, it is determined that the hydrogen fuel cell has entered the low temperature cold start condition. The pulse heating module is used to continuously apply low-frequency pulse signals to the electrodes of the fuel cell stack via a pulse signal generator when the hydrogen fuel cell is determined to enter a low-temperature cold start condition, so that the temperature of the fuel cell stack continues to rise under the action of the low-frequency pulse signals; the above operation is repeated until the temperature of the fuel cell stack reaches the preset cold start target temperature Ta, at which point the application of the low-frequency pulse signals to the fuel cell stack is stopped.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; Memory, used to store one or more programs. When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the program is executed by the processor, it implements the hydrogen fuel cell cold start optimization method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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