Fuel Cell Startup Sequencing Under Battery Capacity Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric power supply systems with fuel cells lack sufficient startup responsiveness, necessitating improvements in the management and coordination of multiple fuel cell systems and secondary batteries to enhance system startup efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An electric power supply system that includes a control device to calculate required startup power, set priorities based on fuel cell temperatures and battery capacity, and initiate the startup of multiple fuel cell systems accordingly, allowing for both simultaneous and prioritized startup modes to quickly provide power to a load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system waits for all fuel cell systems to complete startup before supplying power, then the reliability of power supply is improved, but the startup responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control device supplies power to the load using only a subset of fuel cell systems that have completed startup, rather than waiting for all systems. This partial action approach allows the system to begin power supply as soon as sufficient capacity is available, improving startup responsiveness while maintaining adequate reliability through selective use of ready systems.
2Device complexity
If the system uses a single fuel cell system for power supply, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity of power supply is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into multiple independent fuel cell systems, each capable of operating autonomously. The control device manages these segmented systems individually, selecting which systems to activate based on power demand and startup status. This segmentation allows the system to scale productivity by activating additional systems without increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple fuel cell systems are merged into a coordinated power supply network where the control device aggregates their output to meet total power demand. The systems work together as a unified resource pool, combining their individual capacities to achieve higher overall productivity while maintaining manageable complexity through centralized control.
3Loss of time
If the system activates all fuel cell systems simultaneously, then the startup time is reduced, but the power demand on the secondary battery increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The control device dynamically adjusts the startup sequence of fuel cell systems based on real-time battery state of charge and power demand conditions. Rather than using a fixed simultaneous or sequential approach, the system adaptively determines optimal startup timing, balancing the need for rapid power availability against battery capacity constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device calculates required startup power in advance and uses this information to determine the optimal startup sequence. By performing preliminary power requirement assessment, the system can plan which systems to activate and in what order, ensuring that total power demand never exceeds battery capacity while minimizing overall startup time.
Data Source
AI summary
A control device calculates a required startup power as an electric power required to start a fuel cell system (referred to as an “FCS”). The control device sets priorities indicating order of startups on the plurality of FCSs according to the temperature and the required startup power of each of the FCSs, and a remaining capacity of a battery, and start the plurality of FCSs in accordance with the priorities.