Hydrogen fuel cell stack controller and system

Abstract

The utility model provides a hydrogen fuel cell stack controller and system, and relates to the technical field of hydrogen fuel cell system control, and the hydrogen fuel cell stack controller comprises a main control module which is used for controlling the operation of each module; the power management module is used for providing stable power supply; the protection module is used for overcurrent and overvoltage protection of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; the communication module is used for communicating with hydrogen energy management equipment and / or external equipment; the sensor group module comprises at least one sensor and is used for monitoring each state parameter of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; the valve control module is associated with each valve and controls the on-off of each valve; the heat management module is used for adjusting the working temperature, flow and / or pressure of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; the problems that an existing controller is complex in arrangement and operation and not suitable for small-power application scenes are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of hydrogen fuel cell system control, and in particular to a hydrogen fuel cell stack controller and system. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy directly into electrical energy. It has the advantages of high efficiency, environmental protection, and energy diversification, and is one of the important directions for future energy development. As a type of fuel cell, a hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as fuel and generates electricity through electrochemical reactions. It has higher energy density and lower emissions. However, during the operation of a hydrogen fuel cell, changes in its working state and environment (such as temperature, pressure, etc.) will affect its working performance. Therefore, an efficient controller is needed to monitor and adjust the working state of the hydrogen fuel cell to ensure that it operates in the best state. The fields of power control systems and electronic control devices involve how to monitor and adjust the working state of the fuel cell through electronic equipment and control algorithms. These technologies can achieve precise control of the fuel cell, thereby improving its working performance.

[0003] Existing hydrogen fuel cell controllers are primarily based on rapid prototyping controllers and are primarily targeted at high-power systems. Their use in low-power systems is costly and has a low cost-performance ratio. While these controllers can monitor and regulate hydrogen fuel cells, they are not specifically designed for hydrogen fuel cell systems and therefore cannot fully realize the potential of hydrogen fuel cells and help them achieve optimal operating performance. Specifically, existing controllers are typically composed of multiple independent modules, which not only increases the complexity and cost of the controllers but also affects their reliability and stability. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to overcome the above technical defects, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen fuel cell stack controller and system to solve the problem that the existing controller has complex layout and operation and is not suitable for low-power application scenarios.

[0005] The utility model discloses a hydrogen fuel cell stack controller, comprising:

[0006] Main control module, used to control the operation of each module;

[0007] Power management module, used to provide stable power supply;

[0008] Protection module, used for overcurrent and overvoltage protection of hydrogen fuel cell stacks;

[0009] A communication module, used for communicating with the hydrogen energy management device and / or external devices;

[0010] A sensor group module, comprising at least one sensor for monitoring various status parameters of the hydrogen fuel cell stack;

[0011] The valve control module associates each valve and controls the on and off of each valve;

[0012] Thermal management module, used to regulate the operating temperature, flow and / or pressure of the hydrogen fuel cell stack.

[0013] Preferably, the communication module includes a CAN interface and / or an RS485 interface;

[0014] The CAN interface is used to communicate with the hydrogen energy management device, and the RS485 interface is used to communicate with the external device.

[0015] Preferably, the communication module is further connected to an interaction module for displaying data and status of the hydrogen fuel cell stack and / or debugging the execution components of the hydrogen fuel cell stack.

[0016] Preferably, the sensors in the sensor group module include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a current sensor and / or a voltage sensor.

[0017] Preferably, the valve control module is associated with an exhaust valve and a switch valve to perform air intake and / or exhaust according to the instructions of the main control module.

[0018] Preferably, the thermal management module includes a thermostat, an intercooler, cooling pipes, a radiator and / or a cooling fan to adjust the operating temperature, flow and / or pressure of the hydrogen fuel cell stack according to the instructions of the main control module and / or the temperature feedback of the sensor group module.

[0019] Preferably, the heat management module is in communication with the hydrogen storage device to control the heat generated by the operation of the hydrogen fuel cell stack to be transferred to the hydrogen storage device.

[0020] Preferably, the air outlet in the heat management module is connected to the air inlet of the hydrogen storage device.

[0021] Preferably, the main control module is equipped with a control program, and autonomously controls the operation of each module according to the status parameters fed back by the sensor group module.

[0022] The utility model also discloses a hydrogen fuel cell control system, which applies any of the hydrogen fuel cell stack controllers described above.

[0023] Compared with the existing technology, the above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller and system provided in the present application integrate several modules, including a main control module, a power management module, a protection module, a communication module, a sensor group module, a valve control module, etc., without the need to independently configure multiple control modules. It is suitable for low-power hydrogen fuel cell systems, has a simple structure, and can control each integrated module through the main control module. It is easy to operate and has high work efficiency, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of hydrogen fuel cell systems used in scenarios such as transportation and power generation, and solving the problem that the existing controller layout and operation are complex and not suitable for low-power application scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a module schematic diagram of a hydrogen fuel cell stack controller and system described in the present invention.

[0026] Reference numerals:

[0027] 1- Main control module; 2- Power management module; 3- Protection module; 4- Communication module; 41- Interaction module; 5- Sensor group module; 6- Valve control module; 61- Exhaust valve; 62- Switch valve; 7- Thermal management module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The advantages of the present invention are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0030] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0032] In the description of the present utility model, unless otherwise specified and limited, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection, or it can be the internal connection between two components. It can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] In the following description, the suffixes such as "module", "component" or "unit" used to represent elements are only used to facilitate the description of the present invention and have no specific meaning. Therefore, "module" and "component" can be used interchangeably.

[0034] Embodiment: The present invention discloses a hydrogen fuel cell stack controller. The controller is a universal fuel cell controller that integrates several modules. It is designed for a hydrogen fuel cell system. Specifically, multiple independent modules are integrated into one controller, thereby simplifying the controller structure, reducing costs, and improving the reliability and stability of the controller. For details, see Figure 1 ,include:

[0035] The main control module 1 is used to control the operation of each module. Specifically, the main control chip can adopt the STM32 series chip, which has powerful processing power and computing performance and is suitable for high-performance application scenarios. The main function of the main control module 1 is to receive the fuel cell (single chip) voltage, temperature, pressure and other state quantities (parameters) sent by the sensor group module 5, process these state quantities according to the control algorithm, and output control instructions to other modules.

[0036] The power management module 2 is used to provide a stable power supply. Specifically, the power management module 2 is used to ensure the stability of the input power supply of the single-chip microcomputer and ensure that each module can work normally.

[0037] The protection module 3 can be specifically controlled by a main relay, preferably a protection circuit design, which is lower in cost and is used for overcurrent and overvoltage protection of the hydrogen fuel cell stack to prevent the stack from being damaged or malfunctioning due to overvoltage.

[0038] A communication module is used to communicate with the hydrogen energy management device and / or external devices; specifically, it can perform operations such as sending hydrogen fuel cell related data or obtaining power request information;

[0039] The sensor group module 5 includes at least one sensor for monitoring various state parameters of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; optionally, the sensors in the sensor group module 5 include but are not limited to temperature sensors, pressure sensors, current sensors and / or voltage sensors, etc., which monitor the voltage, temperature, pressure and other state quantities of the fuel cell (single chip) and send these state quantities to the above-mentioned main control module 1.

[0040] The valve control module 6 is associated with each valve and controls the opening and closing of each valve; specifically, as an option, the valve control module 6 is associated with, including but not limited to, an exhaust valve 61 and a switch valve 62, so as to perform air intake and / or exhaust according to the instructions of the main control module 1, and can further be associated with other control valves under the working process of the hydrogen fuel cell stack so as to be controlled by the main control module 1.

[0041] The thermal management module 7 is used to adjust the operating temperature, flow rate, and / or pressure of the hydrogen fuel cell stack. Specifically, the main function of the thermal management module 7 is to adjust the temperature of the stack and ensure the flow rate and pressure at the air end of the stack to ensure that the hydrogen fuel cell system operates within the optimal operating temperature range. Optionally, the thermal management module 7 includes a heat dissipation module (which may include a heat dissipation water pump, heat dissipation pipes, and a heat dissipation fan for dissipating heat from the hydrogen fuel cell stack), a heat dissipation water pump, a thermostat, an intercooler, cooling pipes, a radiator, and / or a heat dissipation fan to adjust the operating temperature, flow rate, and / or pressure of the hydrogen fuel cell stack according to the instructions of the main control module 1 and / or the temperature feedback of the sensor group module 5.

[0042] In this embodiment, the communication module 4 provided in the above-mentioned hydrogen fuel cell stack controller can realize communication with hydrogen energy equipment such as the whole vehicle / hydrogen energy storage system main control board, send hydrogen fuel cell related data or obtain power request information and other functions. The arrangement of the communication module 4 enables the controller of this application to respond to changes in the working state of the hydrogen fuel cell in a timely manner in terms of processing data and sending instructions, with higher efficiency, thereby improving the working performance of the hydrogen fuel cell; setting a main calculator can improve the safety and reliability of the controller, and avoid damage or failure of the hydrogen fuel cell system caused by overcurrent and overvoltage; setting a sensor group module 5 can accurately monitor the fuel cell (single chip) voltage, temperature, pressure and other state parameters, and the main control module 1 can execute the control algorithm to control the thermal management module 7 (fan), solenoid valve, and output short circuit after obtaining each state parameter, to ensure that the fuel cell operates in the optimal state.

[0043] Based on the above, the hydrogen fuel cell stack controller provided in this embodiment is integrated with several modules, including but not limited to the above-mentioned main control module 1, power management module 2, protection module 3, communication module 4, sensor group module 5, valve control module 6, etc., and is used for hydrogen fuel cell low-power systems. It has a simple structure, and the control of each integrated module can be achieved through the main control module 1. There is no need to arrange multiple control modules / micro control units. It is easy to operate and has high work efficiency, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of the controller.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the communication module includes a CAN interface and / or an RS485 interface; the CAN interface and / or the RS485 interface are both serial communication interfaces, which differ only in function and application. Specifically, CAN transmits in frames, and the bus allows multiple nodes to send and receive data equally, with a powerful error detection and processing mechanism; the CAN interface is used to communicate with hydrogen energy management equipment, such as the vehicle / hydrogen energy storage system main control board. RS485 uses a differential signal transmission method, which supports high-speed data transmission, can perform reliable data transmission over long distances, and supports multiple devices to communicate on the same bus. Therefore, the RS485 interface can be used to communicate with external devices, such as other hydrogen fuel cell controllers, serial screens, or actuators, PLCs and other external devices.

[0045] Based on the above, further as an option, the communication module is also connected to an interactive module 41, specifically a serial port screen display and debugging, which is used to display the data and status of the hydrogen fuel cell stack and / or debug the execution components of the hydrogen fuel cell stack. Specifically, the interactive module 41 includes a display screen that communicates with the main control module 1 through a serial port, which integrates the functions of display and control. The main control module 1 communicates with the serial port screen by setting parameters such as baud rate, data bit, stop bit and check bit. The screen can be controlled to display text, images, etc. through instructions, thereby facilitating the visualization of data, parameters, etc. of the hydrogen fuel cell stack (and its execution components), facilitating the operator to monitor the hydrogen fuel cell stack controller, improving the safety of the use process, and can be directly controlled (debugging / adjusted) through the interaction between the serial port screen and the main control module 1, which is easy to operate and improves work efficiency.

[0046] In this embodiment, the heat management module 7 is used to adjust the temperature, pressure, etc. of the hydrogen fuel cell stack (system) in the working state. The hydrogen fuel cell stack will have a lot of heat in the working state. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the heat management module 7 is connected to the hydrogen storage device to control the heat generated by the operation of the hydrogen fuel cell stack to be transferred to the hydrogen storage device. That is, the waste heat of the fuel cell system is fully utilized, which not only improves the energy utilization efficiency but also reduces the waste of energy, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the hydrogen energy equipment (hydrogen fuel cell system). Specifically, as an option, in order to realize the above-mentioned energy utilization, the air outlet of the heat management module 7 is connected to the air inlet (ventilation port) of the hydrogen storage device, that is, the heat released by the operation of the fuel cell system is used to heat the hydrogen storage device.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the main control module 1 is equipped with a control program that autonomously controls the operation of each module based on the state parameters (including temperature, pressure, etc.) fed back by the sensor group module 5. In this embodiment, running the control program on the main control module 1 can realize functions including but not limited to data processing, working state control, and real-time monitoring, thereby achieving autonomous dynamic control of the working state of the hydrogen fuel cell stack, effectively improving work efficiency and saving costs.

[0048] This embodiment also discloses a hydrogen fuel cell control system, which applies any of the hydrogen fuel cell stack controllers described above.

[0049] Specifically, based on the integration of the above modules, when applied, first install the hydrogen fuel cell stack controller, which is installed in the hydrogen fuel cell system and is responsible for monitoring and controlling the working status of the hydrogen fuel cell stack. Secondly, connect the various sensors in the sensor group module 5. These sensors are installed in the hydrogen fuel cell system and are used to monitor the voltage, temperature, pressure and other state quantities of the fuel cell (single chip) in real time. At the same time, connect the communication module 4. Communicate with hydrogen energy equipment or external devices such as the vehicle / hydrogen energy storage system main control board through the communication module 4 to send hydrogen fuel cell related data or obtain power request information, etc.; also connect the protection module 3 to start overcurrent and overvoltage protection.

[0050] After the above arrangement, the hydrogen fuel cell system is started. A start button is mounted on the outside of the controller. During startup, the controller monitors the fuel cell's status in real time via the sensor module 5. Based on the control algorithm in the main control module 1, the controller controls the thermal management module 7 (fan), solenoid valve, and output short circuit to ensure optimal fuel cell operation.

[0051] During the operation of the hydrogen fuel cell system, the controller will continuously monitor the status (parameters) of the fuel cell and adjust the operating status (parameters) as needed. At the same time, the controller will communicate with other devices through the communication module 4 to achieve data sharing and send control instructions.

[0052] Finally, the hydrogen fuel cell system is shut down after the operation is completed, and the shutdown button is installed on the outside of the controller; during the shutdown process, the main control module 1 will also monitor the status of the fuel cell in real time through the sensor group module 5, and control the thermal management module 7 (fan), solenoid valve, and output short circuit to ensure that the fuel cell is safely shut down.

[0053] Based on the above, precise control of the hydrogen fuel cell is achieved, thereby improving the working performance and safety of the hydrogen fuel cell.

[0054] It can be understood that the hydrogen fuel cell control system provided in this embodiment has a simple structure and is easy to operate. It fully takes into account the characteristics and needs of the hydrogen fuel cell system, thereby effectively adjusting the working state of the hydrogen fuel cell and helping the hydrogen fuel cell system to achieve optimal working performance. It can further integrate or connect other modules / equipment (such as heat dissipation devices, hydrogen storage devices, hydrogen use equipment, etc.) to adapt to applications in different scenarios.

[0055] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention have better feasibility and do not limit the present invention in any form. Any technician familiar with the field may use the technical content disclosed above to change or modify it into an equivalent effective embodiment. However, any modifications or equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hydrogen fuel cell stack controller, characterized in that: include: Main control module, used to control the operation of each module; Power management module, used to provide stable power supply; Protection module, used for overcurrent and overvoltage protection of hydrogen fuel cell stacks; A communication module, used for communicating with the hydrogen energy management device and / or external devices; A sensor group module, comprising at least one sensor for monitoring various status parameters of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; The valve control module associates each valve and controls the on and off of each valve; A thermal management module is used to regulate the operating temperature, flow rate and / or pressure of the hydrogen fuel cell stack.

2. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module includes a CAN interface and / or an RS485 interface; The CAN interface is used to communicate with the hydrogen energy management device, and the RS485 interface is used to communicate with the external device.

3. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module is further connected to an interaction module for displaying data and status of the hydrogen fuel cell stack and / or debugging execution components of the hydrogen fuel cell stack.

4. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensors in the sensor group module include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a current sensor and / or a voltage sensor.

5. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve control module is associated with an exhaust valve and a switch valve to perform air intake and / or exhaust according to the instructions of the main control module.

6. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal management module includes a thermostat, an intercooler, cooling pipes, a radiator and / or a cooling fan to adjust the operating temperature, flow and / or pressure of the hydrogen fuel cell stack according to the instructions of the main control module and / or the temperature feedback of the sensor group module.

7. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat management module is in communication with the hydrogen storage device to control the heat generated by the operation of the hydrogen fuel cell stack to be transferred to the hydrogen storage device.

8. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 7, characterized in that: The air outlet of the heat management module is connected to the air inlet of the hydrogen storage device.

9. The hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main control module is equipped with a control program and autonomously controls the operation of each module according to the status parameters fed back by the sensor group module.

10. A hydrogen fuel cell control system, characterized in that: A hydrogen fuel cell stack controller according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is used.

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