Fuel Cell Pump Cold Activation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell pumps face challenges in cold environments where water freezing can cause the pump components to adhere to the housing, leading to increased activation time and unnecessary power consumption due to standard activation current settings.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell pump with a controller that executes a cold activation mode by increasing the activation current and extending its duration when the outside air temperature is low, shifting to sensorless vector control after activation, to prevent adhesion and reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pump portion is activated in a cold environment using standard activation current, then the pump can be activated, but the activation time increases and power consumption increases due to ice adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the activation current value dynamic rather than fixed. The controller adjusts the activation current based on detected temperature conditions, switching between a first value for cold temperatures (≤ threshold) and a second value for warmer temperatures. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to overcome ice adhesion in cold environments while maintaining efficient operation in warmer conditions, thereby reducing activation time without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of activation current based on temperature conditions. When the temperature detector detects that the temperature is at or below a threshold value, the controller supplies activation current at a first value; when the temperature is above the threshold, it supplies current at a second value. This parameter change approach allows the system to adapt to varying environmental conditions, ensuring reliable activation while minimizing activation time and power consumption in each condition.
2Reliability
If the activation current value is increased to overcome ice adhesion in cold environments, then the pump can activate more reliably, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the activation current based on real-time temperature detection. Rather than continuously operating at high current to ensure reliability, the controller only increases current when cold conditions are detected. This dynamic approach ensures reliable activation in cold environments while minimizing power consumption during normal operation in warmer conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes the activation current parameter based on temperature conditions detected by the temperature detector. When temperature ≤ threshold, the first current value is used; when temperature > threshold, the second current value is used. This conditional parameter change ensures that increased power consumption only occurs when necessary for reliable activation in cold environments, not during normal operation.
3Reliability
If the activation current supply duration is extended to ensure pump activation in cold environments, then activation reliability improves, but energy waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts both the current value and supply duration based on temperature conditions. In cold environments where ice adhesion occurs, the controller extends the supply duration and increases current to ensure activation. In warmer conditions, it uses shorter duration and lower current, thereby ensuring reliability when needed while minimizing energy waste during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes multiple parameters including activation current value and supply duration based on temperature detection. When temperature ≤ threshold, both the current value and supply duration are increased to overcome ice adhesion. When temperature > threshold, these parameters are reduced to normal levels, ensuring reliable activation in cold conditions while minimizing energy waste in warmer conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces activation time and power consumption by specifically addressing adhesion issues in cold conditions, ensuring quicker and more efficient pump activation while minimizing energy waste.
Implementation Method 1
a motor configured to drive the pump portion
Implementation Method 2
a temperature detector configured to detect an outside air temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A pump for a fuel cell includes a pump portion, a motor, a controller, a housing, and a temperature detector. The controller executes an activation control and a sensorless vector control. In the activation control, the controller executes a cold activation mode process when the outside air temperature is less than or equal to a set temperature. In the cold activation mode process, the controller executes at least one of increasing a value of an activation current supplied to the motor relative to when a normal activation mode process is executed or setting a supply duration of the activation current to the motor to be longer than that of when the normal activation mode process is executed.