Fuel Cell Controller Deviation Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In fuel cell systems, it is challenging to identify which power-consuming device is causing deviations in electric power consumption, making it difficult to prevent overcharge or overdischarge of the secondary battery.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system with a controller that includes a calculation section, estimation section, and identification section to calculate and estimate electric power consumption of power-consuming devices, identify deviations, and adjust operation command values or power generation to minimize differences between actual and estimated charge/discharge amounts, thereby preventing overcharge or overdischarge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the secondary battery stores dump electric power or compensates for power shortage, then energy management is optimized, but it becomes difficult to identify which power consuming device causes deviation in electric power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the total electric power consumption into individual components by calculating consumption for each power consuming device separately using operation command values. This segmentation enables identification of which specific device causes deviation, resolving the contradiction by maintaining energy management efficiency while enabling device-level detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by comparing actual electric power consumption with estimated consumption and using this difference to identify deviating devices. The controller continuously monitors and adjusts based on this feedback loop, allowing identification of problematic devices without compromising overall energy management optimization.
2Measurement precision
If the controller monitors all power consuming devices to identify consumption deviations, then device identification accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by having each power consuming device report its operation command values to the controller, which then autonomously calculates and monitors its own power consumption contribution. This self-service approach enables accurate deviation detection without requiring additional sensors or complex monitoring infrastructure for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that receives operation command values from power consuming devices, calculates their power consumption, and identifies deviations. This intermediary role allows the system to maintain measurement precision while avoiding direct complex interactions between devices, thereby managing system complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the operation command value for a power consuming device is varied to identify deviations, then device identification capability improves, but control stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by varying operation command values in a controlled, periodic manner rather than continuously or randomly. This periodic variation allows the system to identify deviating devices through systematic testing while maintaining overall control stability, as the variations are predictable and can be compensated for in the identification algorithm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by varying operation command values only for specific devices under test rather than all devices simultaneously. This partial variation maintains control stability for the overall system while enabling identification capability for individual devices, balancing the competing requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a plurality of power consuming devices, a secondary battery, a charge-discharge amount sensor, and a controller configured to control operations of the plurality of power consuming devices. An identification section of the controller is configured to execute a variation process of varying the operation command value of one of the plurality of power consuming devices and, in a second case where an absolute value of a difference between an amount of change in the actual amount of charge and discharge and an amount of change in the estimated amount of charge and discharge before and after execution of the variation process is greater than a second threshold, identify the power consuming device, for which the operation command value is varied, as the device to be identified.