Method for Controlling an Electric Power System

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for controlling a power system of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), the power system comprising an energy storage system and a fuel cell, the fuel cell being controlled to operate in a power mode when the electric energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electric energy capacity of the power system and when arriving at the starting position of the forward road route.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power system including an energy storage system and a fuel cell. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for controlling such a power system. The present invention also relates to a corresponding power system. The present invention is applicable to so-called fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), particularly medium and large FCEVs. Although the present invention will be described with respect to large FCEVs in the form of trucks, the present disclosure is not limited to this particular vehicle and is applicable to other FCEVs as well.

Background Art

[0002] Electric propulsion of passenger vehicles is becoming a common solution for reducing the environmental impact of vehicles. Large vehicles such as trucks are also continuously being developed to be able to provide electric propulsion. An electric propulsion system includes one or more electric machines operable to generate propulsion torque at one or more wheels of the vehicle.

[0003] However, in large vehicles, it is necessary to increase the energy capacity of the battery that supplies power to the electric machine in order to provide a desired vehicle driving range. Therefore, the electrical capacity of the battery is a limiting factor for large vehicles.

[0004] Using a fuel cell to generate power during vehicle operation is one way to extend the driving range of large vehicles. The power generated by the fuel cell can be supplied directly to the battery or directly to the electric machine that propels the vehicle. In order to suppress the deterioration of the fuel cell, it is preferable to operate the fuel cell to generate a low level of power, and it is preferable to avoid sudden increases and decreases in power. However, since FCEVs need to be able to cope with all types of operating conditions, it is desired to improve the operation control of the power system of such FCEVs.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to at least partially overcome the above-described drawbacks.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method for controlling a power system of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), the power system being operationally controlled by a processing circuit and comprising an energy storage system and a fuel cell, the fuel cell being operable in a cruising mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a first power level and a power mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a second power level, the second power level being higher than the first power level, the method comprising: determining, by the processing circuit, a road topology of a forward road route on which the FCEV travels; determining, by the processing circuit, an electrical energy level of the energy storage system; determining, by the processing circuit, a power level that can be generated by the fuel cell on the road route when the fuel cell operates in the cruising mode; determining, by the processing circuit, an electrical energy consumption of the power system based on the road topology for driving the FCEV along the forward road route; determining, by the processing circuit, an electrical energy capacity of the power system along the road route based on the electrical energy level of the energy storage system and the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell when operating in the cruising mode; and when the electrical energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system, controlling, by the processing circuit, the fuel cell to operate in the power mode when arriving at the start position of the forward road route.

[0007] Therefore, the cruise mode and the power mode should be interpreted as two different operating modes of the fuel cell, where the fuel cell generates power at different levels. Specifically, the fuel cell generates power at a relatively high power level when operating in the power mode and at a lower power level when operating in the cruise mode. The cruise mode should be interpreted as the "sweet spot" of the fuel cell, i.e., the fuel cell operates to generate a power level that minimizes the fuel degradation rate. Therefore, it is desirable to operate the fuel cell in the cruise mode as much as possible. By way of a non-limiting example, the fuel cell generates power centered around approximately 100 kW when operating in the cruise mode and power centered around approximately 300 kW when operating in the power mode. That is, it is an integer multiple of 3. These are merely examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the functionality of the present invention. Also, the cruise mode and the power mode should not be interpreted as fixed power levels. Rather, the cruise mode is a mode in which the fuel cell generates power in a first range, and the power mode is a mode in which the fuel cell generates power in a second range, and this second range is at a higher power level compared to the first range. Preferably, the lower power level of the second range is higher than the upper power level of the first range.

[0008] In this context, the road topology should be interpreted as the changes in uphill and downhill slopes in the forward road path. Therefore, the forward road path can include one or more uphill slopes of various angles and lengths, as well as one or more downhill slopes of various angles and lengths.

[0009] The present invention is based on the recognition that a fuel cell should operate in a cruise mode as much as possible. However, when the fuel cell needs to operate in a power mode to travel along a forward road route without depleting the energy storage system, it is more advantageous to switch to the power mode before entering the forward road route rather than switching to the power mode while traveling along the road route. Therefore, the present invention advantageously determines in advance that the power system will be unable to travel along the forward road route by controlling the fuel cell to operate in the cruise mode, and thereby does not directly switch the fuel cell to the power mode when it is determined that the energy storage system will soon run out of electrical energy. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment, the electrical energy level of the energy storage system can be determined relative to the starting position of the forward road route. However, the electrical energy level at the starting position can be estimated before arriving at the starting position.

[0010] Therefore, the switch from the cruise mode to the power mode is not for traveling on a steep uphill slope, that is, for briefly adding additional power to the power system, but rather should be interpreted as being for preventing the power system from traveling along the forward road route without depleting the energy storage system and the risk of insufficient electrical energy for further driving on the road route.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include estimating, by a processing circuit, a change in the state-of-charge level of the energy storage system along a forward road route when the fuel cell operates in the cruise mode, and controlling, by the processing circuit, the fuel cell to operate in the power mode when arriving at the starting position when it is determined that the state-of-charge level of the energy storage system falls below a predetermined threshold limit on the forward road route.

[0012] The variation in the state of charge level can be based on the number and slope of uphill and downhill slopes on the forward road path. Thereby, using the power generated by the electric traction motor(s) of the FCEV during braking, the energy storage system can determine how much it can be charged in which downhill section and how much power to supply to the electric traction motor(s) in which uphill section.

[0013] Therefore, when the state of charge level falls below a predetermined threshold limit at any position on the road path, it is preferable to operate the fuel cell in power mode throughout the road path.

[0014] Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, the FCEV may include an electric traction motor configured to receive power from the power system during propulsion and supply the power generated by the electric traction motor during braking to the energy storage system, and the electrical energy capacity of the power system is further based on the power generated by the electric traction motor on the forward road path.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment, the processing circuit may control the fuel cell to operate in power mode throughout the forward road path from the start position to the end position when it is determined that the electrical energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include controlling, by the processing circuit, the fuel cell to operate in cruise mode when the electrical energy consumption of the power system is below the electrical energy capacity of the power system. Thereby, as described above, the degradation rate of the fuel cell is reduced and the operating life of the fuel cell is extended.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method further includes dividing, by a processing circuit, a forward road route into a plurality of road route segments, each road route segment being associated with an individual road topology, and an electrical energy consumption of the power system being determined for each road route segment. By dividing the road route into a plurality of road route segments, the computational amount for estimating the electrical energy consumption of the entire road route is reduced as compared with the case of estimating the electrical energy consumption of the entire road route. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment, the electrical energy capacity of the power system can be determined for each road route segment. Thereby, the processing circuit can determine, for each road route segment, whether the electrical energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, the electrical energy level of the energy storage system may be determined at the start position of each road route segment. Preferably, according to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes setting, by a processing circuit, a desired state of charge level of the energy storage system at the end position of the forward road route, determining, by the processing circuit, a desired electrical energy capacity of the power system for each road route segment so as to reach the end position with the desired state of charge of the energy storage system, and when the determined electrical energy capacity of the road route segment is less than the desired electrical energy capacity of that road route segment, controlling, by the processing circuit, the fuel cell to operate in a power mode when arriving at the start position of the forward road route.

[0019] Thus, a backward calculation is performed based on the desired state of charge level at the end position of the forward road route. Thus, the FCEV not only needs to be able to travel without depleting the energy storage system, but also needs to be able to reach the end position at the desired charge level. If the processing circuit determines that this is impossible by controlling the fuel cell to operate in a cruise mode, the fuel cell needs to be controlled to operate in a power mode over the entire forward road route, i.e., each road route segment, until reaching the end position.

[0020] According to a second aspect, a power system electrically connectable to an electric traction motor of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is provided. The power system includes an energy storage system and a fuel cell. The fuel cell is operable in a cruise mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a first power level and a power mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a second power level. The second power level is higher than the first power level. The power system further includes a control unit including a processing circuit operable to control the energy storage system and the fuel cell. The processing circuit determines a road topology of a forward road path on which the FCEV travels, determines an electrical energy level of the energy storage system, determines a power level that can be generated by the fuel cell on the road path when the fuel cell operates in the cruise mode, determines an electrical energy consumption of the power system based on the road topology for driving the FCEV along the forward road path, determines an electrical energy capacity of the power system along the road path based on the electrical energy level of the energy storage system and the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell when operating in the cruise mode, and is configured to control the fuel cell to operate in the power mode when arriving at the start position of the forward road path if the electrical energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system.

[0021] The control unit may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable digital signal processor, or another programmable device. The control unit may further include, or alternatively, an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array or programmable array logic, a programmable logic device, or a digital signal processor. If the control unit includes a programmable device such as the above-described microprocessor, microcontroller, or programmable digital signal processor, the processor may further include computer-executable code for controlling the operation of the programmable device.

[0022] The expression "processing circuit" used above should be understood to include all kinds of computing devices such as ASICs and microprocessors. It should also be understood that the actual implementation of such a processing circuit may be divided into multiple devices / circuits.

[0023] The effects and features of the second aspect are substantially the same as those described above with respect to the first aspect.

[0024] According to a third aspect, a vehicle equipped with the system according to the second aspect is provided.

[0025] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program is provided that includes program code means for executing the method of any of the embodiments described above in connection with the first aspect when the program is executed on a computer.

[0026] According to a fifth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided that holds a computer program including program code for executing the method of any of the embodiments described above in connection with the first aspect when the program is executed on a computer.

[0027] According to a sixth aspect, a control unit for controlling an auxiliary system of a transport vehicle is provided, and the control unit is configured to execute the method according to any of the embodiments described above in connection with the first aspect.

[0028] The effects and features of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth aspects are substantially similar to those described above in connection with the first aspect.

[0029] Further features of the present disclosure and advantages associated with the present disclosure will become apparent by considering the appended claims and the following description. Those skilled in the art will recognize that examples other than those described below can be created by combining different features of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] The above, as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0032] The present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing embodiments. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout the description.

[0033] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes" and / or "including", when used herein, specify the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0034] The terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element.

[0035] Relative terms such as "below", "above", "upper", "lower", "horizontal", "vertical", etc. may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another as shown in the figures. It will be understood that these terms and the terms described above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. When an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it will be understood that the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intervening elements are present.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terms used in this specification shall be construed to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and it will be further understood that they will not be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0037] Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) 10 in the form of a truck is shown. The FCEV 10, hereinafter simply referred to as the vehicle, includes an electric traction motor 101 for driving the vehicle's wheels. The electric traction motor 101 is arranged in the form of an electric machine in an exemplary embodiment. The electric traction motor 101 is arranged to receive power from the power system 102 during propulsion and supply the power generated by the electric machine 101 to the energy storage system 104 of the power system during braking. The energy storage system 104 is preferably the high-voltage battery of the vehicle 10. As will become apparent in connection with the following disclosure, particularly FIG. 5, the power system 102 also includes a fuel cell 106 electrically connected to the energy storage system 104. The fuel cell 106 is configured to receive hydrogen fuel and oxygen and generate power.

[0038] Vehicle 10 is also provided with a control unit 114 that is connected to the power system 102 and controls its operation. The control unit 114 may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable digital signal processor, or another programmable device. The control unit may further include, or alternatively, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array or programmable array logic, a programmable logic device, or a digital signal processor. When the control unit 114 includes a programmable device such as the above-described microprocessor, microcontroller, or programmable digital signal processor, the processor may further include computer-executable code that controls the operation of the programmable device.

[0039] During the propulsion of vehicle 10, power is generated by the fuel cell 106, and the power is supplied to the energy storage system 104, and the energy storage system 104 is charged with electrical energy. The energy generated by the fuel cell 106 may also be directly supplied to the electric traction motor 101 during propulsion. During propulsion, it is also preferable that power is supplied from the energy storage system 104 to the electric traction motor 101. Therefore, when propelling vehicle 10, the energy storage system 10 gradually consumes due to the electrical energy consumed by the electric traction motor 101.

[0040] The fuel cell 106 is operable in a cruise mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a first power level. When operable in the cruise mode, the fuel cell 106 generates power in a power range of, for example, 70 to 130 kW, more preferably 85 to 115 kW, and most preferably about 100 kW. The fuel cell 106 can also be operated so as to operate in a power mode in which the fuel cell 106 generates power at a second power level. The second power level is higher than the first power level. For example, the second power level may be in the range of 250 to 350 kW, more preferably 275 to 325 kW, and most preferably about 300 kW.

[0041] In order to suppress the degradation of the fuel cell 106, it is desirable to operate the fuel cell 106 in the cruising mode as much as possible. However, depending on the operating conditions, even when combining the electrical energy of the energy storage system 104 and the power generated by the fuel cell 106 when operating in the cruising mode, it may not be sufficient to perform the intended mission. In other words, the electromechanics 101 may require a very high level of electrical energy for the forward road path, and if the fuel cell 106 is operated in the cruising mode, the electrical energy of the energy storage system 104 will be depleted. In such a situation, the fuel cell 106 can be switched to the power mode. Here, to explain an example of an embodiment of switching to the power mode by a method of reducing the degradation of the fuel cell 106, refer to FIG. 2.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 is located at the starting position 202 and is about to travel on the forward road path 204. The forward road path 204 includes several uphill slopes and several downhill slopes. Therefore, the state of charge level of the energy storage system 104 may vary along the road path according to the number, length, slope, and vehicle speed on the road path of the uphill and downhill slopes. Thereby, before starting the mission from the starting position 202 to the ending position 206 of the forward road path 204, the processing circuit of the control unit 114 determines the road topology 208 of the forward road path 204. The road topology 208 may be determined based on map data from a GPS or the like arranged to communicate with the control unit.

[0043] Furthermore, before the mission, the electrical energy level of the energy storage system 104, i.e., the state of charge (SoC) level, is determined. Further, the processing circuit further determines the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell 106 during travel from the start position 202 to the end position 206 when the fuel cell 106 operates in the cruise mode. Thereby, based on the electrical energy level of the energy storage system 104 and the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell 106 when operating in the cruise mode, the electrical energy capacity of the power system 102 along the road route 204 can be determined. In other words, the processing circuit can determine the electrical energy level available to the electric machine 101 when the vehicle 10 travels along the road route 204.

[0044] Furthermore, based on the road topology 204, the electrical energy consumption of the power system 102 is determined. Accordingly, the processing circuit determines the amount of electrical energy consumed by the electric machine 101 to drive the vehicle 10 along the forward road route. For example, the processing circuit can determine the level of power supplied to the electric machine 101 to properly propel the vehicle uphill and the level of power generated by the electric machine 101 during braking downhill.

[0045] When the fuel cell 106 operates in the cruise mode and it is determined that the electrical energy consumption of the power system 102 exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system 102 somewhere on the road route 204, the processing circuit controls the fuel cell 106 to operate in the power mode before the vehicle leaves the start position 202 and begins to move forward along the road route 204. Accordingly, the fuel cell 106 is switched to the power mode throughout the road route from the start position 202 to the end position 206, and the risk of the energy storage system 104 running out on the road route 204 is reduced. The inventors also unexpectedly discovered that when switching to the power mode before the vehicle 10 leaves the start position 202, the degradation level of the fuel cell 106 is reduced compared to switching to the power mode only when it is determined that the energy storage system 104 has run out or is about to run out.

[0046] However, when the processing circuit determines that the electrical energy consumption of the power system 102 is less than or will be less than the electrical energy capacity of the power system 102, the fuel cell 106 is controlled to operate in a cruising mode throughout the road route 204 from the start position 202 to the end position 206.

[0047] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the forward road route 204 may advantageously be divided into a plurality of road route segments 210. In FIG. 2, the forward road route 204 is divided into a first road route segment 212, a second road route segment 214, a third road route segment 216, a fourth road route segment 218, a fifth road route segment 220, a sixth road route segment 222, a seventh road route segment 224, and an eighth road route segment 226. Each road route segment 210 is associated with an individual road topology. That is, the processing circuit can determine the length and slope of each road route segment 210 and, based thereon, determine the electrical energy consumption of the power system 102 for each of these road route segments 210. Also, the electrical energy capacity of the power system for each road route segment 210 can be determined.

[0048] Furthermore, the processing circuit can also set a desired state of charge level of the energy storage system 104 at the end position of the forward road route 204. Furthermore, the desired electrical energy capacity of the power system in each road route segment 210 to reach the end position with the desired state of charge can be determined. Thereby, when the electrical energy capacity determined for at least one road route segment 210 is less than the desired electrical energy capacity of that road route segment, the processing circuit can control the fuel cell to operate in a power mode when arriving at the start position 202 of the forward road route 204.

[0049] Furthermore, the electrical energy level of the energy storage system 104 is preferably determined at the start position of each road route section. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the electrical energy level of the third road route section 216 is determined at the start position 230 of that road route section, i.e., the position between the second road route section 214 and the third road route section 216.

[0050] According to the example of FIG. 2, when determining the desired state of charge level at the end position 206, the desired electrical energy capacity of the power system 102 for the eighth road route section 226 is determined. Thereby, the desired state of charge level at the start position 232 of the eighth road route section 226 can be determined. Then, based on the desired state of charge level at the start position 232 of the eighth road route section 226, the desired electrical energy capacity of the power system 102 for the seventh road route section 224 is determined. Thereby, the power system 102 is controlled to reach the end position 206 with the desired state of charge across each road route section 210 from the start position 202, and when the electrical energy capacity for appropriately reaching the vehicle to the end position in any one of the road route sections 210 is insufficient, when the vehicle 10 is at the start position 202, the fuel cell 106 can be controlled to operate in the power mode.

[0051] Finally, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the power system 102 and the control method of the power system will be described in more detail. During operation, the road topology 208 for the forward road route 204 that the vehicle 10 is scheduled to travel on is determined (S1). Also, the electrical energy level of the energy storage system 104 is determined (S2).

[0052] Furthermore, when the vehicle travels along the road route 204 while the fuel cell 106 is operating in the cruise mode, the power that can be generated by the fuel cell 106 is determined (S3). Also, the electrical energy consumption of the power system 102 can be determined based on the road topology 208 (S4), and based on the electrical energy level of the power storage system 102 and the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell 106 when operating in the cruise mode, the electrical energy capacity of the power system 102 along the road route 208 is determined (S5).

[0053] Thereafter, when the vehicle 10 travels along the road route 204 while the fuel cell 106 is operating in the cruise mode, if it is determined that the electrical energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system, the processing circuit controls the fuel cell 106 to operate in the power mode before leaving the starting position 202 (S6).

[0054] The present disclosure is not limited to the examples described above and shown in the drawings. Rather, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a power system of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), wherein the power system is operationally controlled by a processing circuit and includes an energy storage system and a fuel cell, and the fuel cell is operable in a cruising mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a first power level and a power mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a second power level, and the second power level is higher than the first power level, determining, by the processing circuit, a road topology of a forward road route on which the FCEV travels; determining, by the processing circuit, an electrical energy level of the energy storage system; determining, by the processing circuit, a power level that can be generated by the fuel cell on the road route when the fuel cell operates in the cruising mode; determining, by the processing circuit, an electrical energy consumption of the power system based on the road topology for driving the FCEV along the forward road route; determining, by the processing circuit, an electrical energy capacity of the power system along the road route based on the electrical energy level of the energy storage system and the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell when operating in the cruising mode; when the electrical energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system, controlling, by the processing circuit, the fuel cell to operate in the power mode when arriving at the start position of the forward road route; The computer-implemented method comprising the above.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical energy level of the energy storage system is determined with respect to the start position of the forward road route.

3. estimating, by the processing circuit, a change in a state of charge level of the energy storage system along the forward road route when the fuel cell operates in the cruising mode; when it is determined that the state of charge level of the energy storage system falls below a predetermined threshold limit on the forward road route by the fuel cell operating in the cruising mode, controlling, by the processing circuit, the fuel cell to operate in the power mode when reaching the start position; The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, further comprising

4. The FCEV is an electric traction motor configured to receive power from the power system during propulsion and supply power generated by the electric traction motor to the energy storage system during braking, and the electric energy capacity of the power system is further based on the power generated by the electric traction motor on the forward road path, the computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims.

5. When it is determined that the electric energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electric energy capacity of the power system, the processing circuit controls the fuel cell to operate in the power mode throughout the forward road path from the start position to the end position, the computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. When the electric energy consumption of the power system is below the electric energy capacity of the power system, further comprising controlling, by the processing circuit, the fuel cell to operate in the cruise mode, the computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. Further comprising dividing, by the processing circuit, the forward road path into a plurality of road path sections, each road path section being associated with an individual road topology, The electric energy consumption of the power system is determined for each road path section, the computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, wherein the electric energy capacity of the power system is determined for each road path section.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the electric energy level of the energy storage system is determined at the start position of each road path section.

10. Setting, by the processing circuit, a desired state of charge level of the energy storage system at the end position of the forward road path; Determining, by the processing circuit, the desired electric energy capacity of the power system for each road path section to reach the end position at the desired state of charge level of the energy storage system. If the determined electrical energy capacity for the road route section is less than the desired electrical energy capacity for that road route section, the processing circuit controls the fuel cell to operate in the power mode when arriving at the start position of the forward road route. A computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 8 or 9, further comprising. **Claim 11** A power system electrically connectable to an electric traction motor of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), the power system comprising an energy storage system and a fuel cell, the fuel cell being operable in a cruise mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a first power level and a power mode in which the fuel cell generates power at a second power level, the second power level being higher than the first power level, the power system further comprising a control unit including a processing circuit operable to control the energy storage system and the fuel cell, the processing circuit determining the road topology of a forward road route on which the FCEV travels; determining the electrical energy level of the energy storage system; determining the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell on the road route when the fuel cell operates in the cruise mode; determining the electrical energy consumption of the power system based on the road topology for driving the FCEV along the forward road route; determining the electrical energy capacity of the power system along the road route based on the electrical energy level of the energy storage system and the power level that can be generated by the fuel cell when operating in the cruise mode; when the electrical energy consumption of the power system exceeds the electrical energy capacity of the power system, controlling the fuel cell to operate in the power mode when arriving at the start position; The power system configured to perform. **Claim 12** A vehicle comprising the system according to claim 11. **Claim 13** A computer program comprising program code means for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 when the program is executed on a computer. **Claim 14** A non-transitory computer-readable medium holding a computer program, the computer-readable medium including program code means for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 when the product of the program is executed on a computer.

15. A control unit for controlling an auxiliary system of a transport vehicle, the control unit being configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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