Fuel Cell Purge Decisions Based on Stop-Period Cooling Prediction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel cell system described in JP 2017-010904 A does not adequately account for the environment in which the fuel cell system is placed when determining the need for purging, particularly when the system is stopped and cools down, which can lead to inadequate purging and potential freezing of water in the fuel cell.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system that includes a temperature acquisition unit to measure temperatures at specific positions, a control unit to determine if purging is necessary based on these measurements, and the ability to estimate environmental conditions such as winter, allowing for targeted purging processes when the system is stopped.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the fuel cell system uses outside air temperature during traveling to determine purging, then the purging can be adjusted based on temperature, but the system cannot accurately predict environmental conditions when stopped and cooling down
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary cooling down temperature prediction before the actual stop occurs. By predicting the temperature during the stop period in advance, the system determines purging necessity based on predicted rather than actual temperature, preventing water freezing without requiring continuous monitoring during the stop period.
Solution Approach 2:
The system cushions against the risk of water freezing by predicting the cooling down temperature and comparing it with the freezing point. This beforehand cushioning allows the system to take preventive purging action before the stop occurs, eliminating the need for continuous temperature monitoring during the stop period.
2Measurement precision
If the system continuously monitors temperature during stop, then accurate environmental conditions can be detected, but the system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuously monitoring temperature during the stop period, the system performs preliminary temperature prediction before the stop occurs. This eliminates the need for continuous monitoring hardware and processing, reducing system complexity while maintaining sufficient accuracy for purging determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit creates a predictive model that copies the cooling down temperature behavior based on operating conditions before stop. This virtual temperature copy replaces the need for physical continuous monitoring, simplifying the system while providing sufficient information for purging decisions.
3Ease of operation
If purging is performed without accurate temperature prediction, then the system operation is simpler, but water freezing may occur in the fuel cell
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary cooling down temperature prediction before the stop to determine purging necessity. This advance prediction ensures accurate temperature assessment without complex continuous monitoring, preventing water freezing while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the predicted cooling down temperature to determine purging control. By comparing the predicted temperature with the freezing point of water, the system automatically adjusts purging timing and duration, preventing freezing while maintaining simple operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a temperature acquisition unit that acquires a temperature at a specific position in a vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system; a purge unit that purges the fuel cell when an operation of the fuel cell is stopped; and a control unit that acquires the temperature at the specific position from the temperature acquisition unit at least once from when the fuel cell system is stopped until the fuel cell system is started again, and uses the temperature at the specific position to determine whether purging at a stop by the purge unit is necessary when the fuel cell system is stopped next.