Fuel Cell Control Device Transient State Determination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel cell systems face erroneous determinations of transient states during rapid changes in control operations, such as pressure on the anode side or flow rate of cooling water, leading to incorrect assessments of operational states.

Innovation Solution

A control device that calculates a target smoothing value to slow down temporal changes in target values, determining transient states when the difference between the target value and smoothing value exceeds a threshold, and non-transient states when the difference is below the threshold, thereby accurately identifying operational states.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the difference between requirement output and current output is used to determine transient state, then the determination method is simple, but erroneous determination occurs during rapid changes in control operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetermination method complexityVSAvoidtransient state determination accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a target smoothing value as an intermediary between the requirement output (target value) and current output. This smoothing value filters rapid fluctuations in the target value, serving as a mediator that prevents erroneous transient state determinations while maintaining the simplicity of the difference-based determination method

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary smoothing processing to the target value before it is used for transient state determination. By pre-processing the target value to reduce rapid fluctuations, the system prepares a more reliable reference value that prevents erroneous determinations during rapid control changes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the target value is smoothed to prevent erroneous determination, then transient state determination accuracy is improved, but the response to actual transient changes may be delayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransient state determination accuracyVSAvoidresponse speed to transient changes

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial smoothing to the target value rather than complete smoothing. The smoothing process is designed to filter only the excessive rapid fluctuations that cause erroneous determinations, while preserving the essential transient change characteristics needed for timely response

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10976711B2Control device, control method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for fuel cell system

Publication Date: 2021.04.13 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A control device includes a target value acquisition portion configured to acquire a target value of amount of control per predetermined computation cycle, a control portion configured to control the control target using the acquired target value, a target smoothing value calculation portion configured to calculate a target smoothing value in which a temporal change in the target value is slowed down, and a state determination portion configured to calculate a first difference that is a difference between the target value and the target smoothing value to determine that the amount of control is in a transient state when the calculated first difference is equal to or more than a predetermined first threshold value and to determine that the amount of control is in a non-transient state when the first difference is smaller than the first threshold value.