Fuel Cell Vehicle Pump Floating State Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell vehicles equipped with shaft floating type pumps face durability issues due to vibrations during startup, as the rotatable element may not fully float before the vehicle begins moving, potentially causing damage and delaying responsiveness.
Innovation Solution
A control unit is implemented to determine the floating state of the rotatable element, restricting travel until a predetermined condition is met, which includes detecting rotation number, elapsed time, or electrical energy accumulation, ensuring the element has stabilized before allowing the vehicle to move, thereby preventing damage and enhancing responsiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the shaft floating type pump is used to enable high-speed rotation and high-pressure air supply, then the productivity and power are improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential damage from vibrations before floating is complete
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit restricts vehicle travel before the rotatable element completes floating, ensuring the pump reaches its stable operating state before the vehicle moves. This preliminary restriction prevents vibration-induced damage while allowing the pump to achieve high-speed rotation capability.
2Reliability
If the vehicle is restricted from traveling until the rotatable element floats, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases due to delayed vehicle startup
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors the rotation number of the rotatable element and uses this feedback to determine when floating is complete. Based on this real-time information, the control unit lifts the travel restriction at the appropriate moment, optimizing both pump protection and vehicle startup time.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the travel permission is restricted until floating is complete, then the object-affected harmful factors are reduced, but the responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors changes in rotation number parameters to detect when floating is complete. By using parameter thresholds (predetermined rotation numbers or elapsed times), the system quickly determines when to permit travel, improving responsiveness while maintaining pump protection.
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 solution improves the durability of the oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus by ensuring the rotatable element has floated and stabilized before allowing travel, reducing the risk of damage and enhancing the vehicle's starting responsiveness.
Implementation Method 1
the shaft floating type pump which generates dynamic pressure by rotation of a rotatable element to float the rotatable element itself
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell, an oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus, and an ECU. A pump of the oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus is a shaft floating type air pump having a rotatable element. The rotatable element floats from a wall around the rotatable element, as a result of rotation of the rotatable element. The ECU includes a travel permission determination instruction unit. The travel permission determination instruction unit determines whether or not a predetermined condition indicative of a floating state of the rotatable element is satisfied, and if the predetermined condition is satisfied, permits traveling of the fuel cell vehicle, and if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, restricts traveling of the fuel cell vehicle.