A multi-environment integrative thermal management method for a fuel cell vehicle is provided. The method can ensure the accuracy and the stability of the control for a temperature of a fuel cell system of the fuel cell vehicle in a complicated and changeable environment, decrease the energy consumption of the entire vehicle, and increase the economical efficiency of the entire vehicle.

A multi-environment integrative thermal management method for a fuel cell vehicle is provided. The method can ensure the accuracy and the stability of the control for a temperature of a fuel cell system of the fuel cell vehicle in a complicated and changeable environment, decrease the energy consumption of the entire vehicle, and increase the economical efficiency of the entire vehicle.

Disclosed is a cooling and heating system utilized in a vehicle using a fuel cell configured to generate electricity with hydrogen and oxygen supplied thereto as a power supply source, wherein a power supply source apparatus of a conventional hydrogen fuel vehicle is utilized as the cooling and heating system and wherein a heat exchanger necessary in the process of heat-exchanging liquefied hydrogen is utilized as a heating means and cool air generated in the process of cooling high-temperature coolant discharged after cooling the fuel cell through a heat exchanger is utilized as a cooling means.

A battery and a load device are connected to a fuel cell stack. Electric power is supplied from the battery to fuel cell auxiliary equipment. A controller of a fuel cell system has stored therein a desired output of the fuel cell stack. The controller predicts auxiliary equipment power consumption, which is the amount of electric power that is consumed by the fuel cell auxiliary equipment for operation of the fuel cell stack, and determines estimated input and output power of the battery. The controller determines a requested output, which is an output requested for the fuel cell stack, based on the predicted auxiliary equipment power consumption and the estimated input and output power. The controller determines an operating point of the fuel cell stack based on the desired output. The load device controls its operation so that the difference between the requested output and the desired output becomes zero.

A battery and a load device are connected to a fuel cell stack. Electric power is supplied from the battery to fuel cell auxiliary equipment. A controller of a fuel cell system has stored therein a desired output of the fuel cell stack. The controller predicts auxiliary equipment power consumption, which is the amount of electric power that is consumed by the fuel cell auxiliary equipment for operation of the fuel cell stack, and determines estimated input and output power of the battery. The controller determines a requested output, which is an output requested for the fuel cell stack, based on the predicted auxiliary equipment power consumption and the estimated input and output power. The controller determines an operating point of the fuel cell stack based on the desired output. The load device controls its operation so that the difference between the requested output and the desired output becomes zero.

A fuel cell vehicle comprises a fuel cell, a power storage device, a drive motor, a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the fuel cell, a detector configured to detect an operation condition of the fuel cell, and a controller. At a start time of the fuel cell, in a case where the temperature of the fuel cell detected by the temperature sensor is below a freezing point, when an output condition of the fuel cell shown by the detected operation condition of the fuel cell continuously corresponds to a predetermined low output condition for a predetermined reference time period or longer, the controller sets a driving state of the fuel cell vehicle to a first driving state that stops power generation of the fuel cell, drives the drive motor by using only the power storage device as a power source and limits a motor output of the drive motor to be equal to or lower than a predetermined first upper limit output.

A fuel cell vehicle comprises a fuel cell, a power storage device, a drive motor, a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the fuel cell, a detector configured to detect an operation condition of the fuel cell, and a controller. At a start time of the fuel cell, in a case where the temperature of the fuel cell detected by the temperature sensor is below a freezing point, when an output condition of the fuel cell shown by the detected operation condition of the fuel cell continuously corresponds to a predetermined low output condition for a predetermined reference time period or longer, the controller sets a driving state of the fuel cell vehicle to a first driving state that stops power generation of the fuel cell, drives the drive motor by using only the power storage device as a power source and limits a motor output of the drive motor to be equal to or lower than a predetermined first upper limit output.

A fuel cell includes a cell stack having a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction, a plate disposed at at least one of two opposite ends of the cell stack, and a heating element disposed between the plate and the at least one of the two opposite ends of the cell stack. The heating element includes a plurality of heating patterns generating heat at different temperatures and the plate includes a plurality of power terminals connected to respective ones among the plurality of heating patterns.

A fuel cell includes a cell stack having a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction, a plate disposed at at least one of two opposite ends of the cell stack, and a heating element disposed between the plate and the at least one of the two opposite ends of the cell stack. The heating element includes a plurality of heating patterns generating heat at different temperatures and the plate includes a plurality of power terminals connected to respective ones among the plurality of heating patterns.

A cooling system for a fuel cell of a motor vehicle may include a closed coolant circuit through which a coolant is circulatable, a heat exchanger fluidically incorporated in the coolant circuit for cooling the coolant, an open sprinkler circuit through which a sprinkler fluid is flowable for cooling the heat exchanger, and a channel structure fluidically incorporated in the sprinkler circuit. The heat exchanger may include an air inlet surface, an air outlet surface, and a plurality of cooling tubes. The coolant may be flowable through the heat exchanger via the plurality of cooling tubes. Air may be flowable through the heat exchanger from the air inlet surface to the air outlet surface. The channel structure may include a plurality of channels, which may each include a plurality of outlet nozzles via which the sprinkler fluid is appliable to the plurality of cooling tubes.