Fuel Cell Controller Emergency Stop Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell systems face increased power consumption due to continuous electric power supply needed for monitoring emergency stop conditions, which is inefficient and wasteful.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system with a controller that performs an emergency stop process instead of the ordinary stop process when an emergency condition is met, allowing for a restart after a predetermined time period and then completing the ordinary stop process, thereby avoiding unnecessary power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous monitoring of emergency stop conditions is performed after emergency stop, then the system can detect when the emergency condition is eliminated, but electric power is continuously consumed increasing power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the monitoring function from continuous operation and implements it only when needed. After emergency stop, the system sets a restart timing and performs monitoring only during the period from emergency stop to restart, then stops monitoring after restart occurs, eliminating continuous power consumption while maintaining necessary detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic monitoring instead of continuous monitoring by setting a predetermined restart timing after emergency stop. The monitoring is performed in periods: actively monitoring from emergency stop until restart timing arrives, then stopping monitoring after restart. This periodic approach reduces power consumption while ensuring the system detects when emergency conditions are eliminated
2Productivity
If the ordinary stop process is performed immediately after emergency stop, then the system can complete proper shutdown procedures, but the system cannot account for transient emergency conditions that may be temporarily present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by setting a restart timing after emergency stop occurs. This predetermined restart timing allows the system to wait for a specific period before attempting restart, giving time for transient emergency conditions (like temporary fuel lid opening or brief overheat) to be eliminated naturally, while still ensuring the ordinary stop process is eventually executed if conditions permit
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic decision-making where the system adapts its shutdown behavior based on the emergency situation. Instead of a fixed immediate shutdown or fixed delayed shutdown, the system dynamically determines whether to perform ordinary stop process based on whether the emergency condition persists until the restart timing arrives, allowing flexible response to varying emergency scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
At an ordinary stop time of a fuel cell system, a controller of the fuel cell system completes an ordinary stop process that includes at least one of a water drainage process that discharges water from at least one of the fuel gas flow path and the oxidizing gas flow path and a cathode sealing process that seals the oxidizing gas flow path, and subsequently stops the fuel cell system. When the fuel cell system satisfies a predetermined emergency stop condition, the controller does not perform at least part of the ordinary stop process but performs an emergency stop process that sets the fuel cell system to be restarted after elapse of a first time period since a stop of the fuel cell system and subsequently stops the fuel cell system. The controller restarts the fuel cell system after elapse of the first time period since stop of the fuel cell system and performs a restart process that performs the ordinary stop process.