A method for controlling a power assembly comprising a fuel cell unit and an electric energy storage system for storing excess electric energy produced by the fuel cell unit. The method comprises predicting a power demand from the power assembly over a prediction time horizon, obtaining a state-of-charge and/or power capability of the electric energy storage system, based on the predicted power demand and the obtained SoC and/or power capability, identifying a time period during which the power assembly is expected to be able to deliver power in accordance with the predicted power demand with the fuel cell unit shut down, or is at least expected to be able to deliver power at a minimum power level determined with respect to the predicted power demand, controlling the power assembly to shut down the fuel cell unit during at least a part of the identified time period in response to the identified time period being larger than a time threshold.

An apparatus for controlling a fuel cell includes a cooling module that cools a fuel cell stack, a first temperature sensor that measures ambient air temperature of a vehicle, and a processor that, when a cooling fan of the cooling module is detected to be defective, determines a fail-safe control method depending on a defect situation of the cooling fan, sets a first limit level depending on the ambient air temperature, sets a second limit level depending on a state of charge (SOC) of a battery and an output requirement, and controls limitation of output of the fuel cell stack, based on at least one of the fail-safe control method, the first limit level, or the second limit level.

Disclosed are a device and a method for controlling a fuel cell system, in which during operation of the fuel cell system, the device and method determine a minimum motoring current limit value applied to a motor for driving a fuel cell vehicle by varying an output current limit threshold value of the fuel cell stack by determining an available output current of the stack and by varying an available voltage lower limit threshold value of the stack by determining an available operating voltage of the stack, thereby preventing the fuel cell vehicle from rattling due to excessive limitation of output current of the stack. They also control the pressures of an anode and a cathode of the stack by monitoring whether the performance of the stack is degraded as limitation of output current of the stack is suppressed, thereby suppressing degradation of the performance of the stack.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell including a plurality of stacked cells, a fuel gas supply unit configured to supply fuel gas to a supply port of the fuel cell and return the fuel gas exhausted through an exhaust port of the fuel cell, and a controller configured to control an operation of the fuel gas supply unit. The controller is configured to execute a drain process for draining residual water accumulated in the fuel cell through the exhaust port. In the drain process, a first process in which the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell until a pressure in the fuel cell reaches a predetermined threshold pressure and a second process in which the pressure in the fuel cell is reduced after the first process are repeatedly executed.

A fuel cell ship includes a fuel cell compartment in which a fuel cell is installed, a tank compartment in which a fuel tank is installed, a fuel supply pipe through which fuel is supplied from the fuel tank to the fuel cell, and a control unit. The fuel supply pipe includes at least two shutoff valves. Fuel gas detectors that detect a fuel gas being in a gaseous state of the fuel are each installed in the compartments. If at least one of the fuel gas detectors detects that a concentration of the fuel gas is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard value, the control unit controls to close a shutoff valve in a compartment out of the tank compartment and the fuel cell compartment, where the fuel gas detector having detected the concentration equal to or greater than the standard value is installed.

A method of operating a fuel cell includes determining a total age of the fuel cell, determining a state-of-charge of a battery, in response to the state-of-charge of the battery being greater than a predetermined charge threshold, operating the fuel cell at a maximum efficiency point. The method further includes in response to the state-of-charge of the battery being less than or equal to the predetermined charge threshold, operating the fuel cell such that the battery operates in a charge-sustaining mode. The maximum efficiency point is based on the determined total age of the fuel cell, and the maximum efficiency power output of the fuel cell at the maximum efficiency point increases as the total age of the fuel cell increases so as to maximize a range of the fuel cell.

The fuel cell unit comprises a fuel cell stack, a power converter configured to convert the power of the fuel cell stack, and a case configured to accommodate the fuel cell stack and the power converter in the same space. The power converter is configured to be disposed below the fuel cell stack.

A fuel cell system includes a battery and a fuel cell stack, each configured to output electrical energy to satisfy total final required power, and a controller configured to perform a method of controlling the fuel cell system. The controller may be configured to calculate a required power proportion of the fuel cell stack to satisfy the final required power, to calculate a final power proportion of the stack by calibrating the required power proportion of the fuel cell stack using a power adjustment value depending on a state of health (SoH) of the fuel cell stack, and to control power generation of the fuel cell stack according to the calculated final power proportion.

A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack, a DC-DC converter including a diode and a switching element and configured to convert an output voltage of the fuel cell stack and output the converted voltage to a power storage device, and a controller. The fuel cell module controls power generation of the fuel cell stack in response to a command from a high-level system. The fuel cell stack is connected to a node between the diode and the switching element. The controller turns off a switch that is provided between the DC-DC converter and the power storage device in a situation in which the output voltage of the fuel cell stack is higher than a voltage of the power storage device.

A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack, and a controller configured to start power generation of the fuel cell stack when a charging rate of a power storage device directly connected between the fuel cell stack and a load becomes a lower limit value or less, and configured to stop power generation of the fuel cell stack when the charging rate of the power storage device becomes an upper limit value or more. The fuel cell stack is connected to the power storage device not through a power conversion circuit, and the controller changes at least one of the lower limit value and the upper limit value based on a deterioration degree of the fuel cell stack.