Motor vehicle with a fuel cell

Abstract

The fuel cell system of a motor vehicle has a fuel cell, comprising an anode side and a cathode side, a compressor, which is rotationally connected to a motor and connected by a feed line to the cathode side of the fuel cell, and a turbine, which is connected by an exhaust air line to the cathode side and which furthermore is rotationally connected only to a generator, which is connected at the output side to a second inverter and a low-voltage battery.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system of a motor vehicle with a fuel cell, comprising: a compressor rotationally connected to a motor, and connected by a feed line to a cathode side of the fuel cell; a turbine connected by an exhaust air line to the cathode side, and rotationally connected only to a generator that is electrically connected to an auxiliary battery; and a traction battery electrically connected to an output of the fuel cell, the auxiliary battery and traction battery lacking a converter therebetween for converting high voltage power to low voltage power, wherein values are set for a mass flow of air and for cathode pressure of the fuel cell according to voltage of the auxiliary battery.

2. The fuel cell system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction battery has a second converter electrically connected upstream of the traction battery.

3. A vehicle comprising: a compressor, fluidly connected with a gas inlet of a fuel cell, configured to be driven with power from a traction battery; a turbine, fluidly connected with a gas outlet of the fuel cell, configured to drive a generator to deliver power to an auxiliary battery; and a controller configured to regulate a pressure in the fuel cell via the compressor without a bypass valve spanning the fuel cell and to set a mass flow for the fuel cell based on a voltage of the auxiliary battery.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the traction battery and auxiliary battery lack a converter therebetween for converting high voltage power to low voltage power.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein an electrical output of the fuel cell is electrically connected with the traction battery.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 further comprising a converter electrically between the electrical output and the traction battery.

7. A vehicle comprising: a compressor, fluidly connected with a gas inlet of a fuel cell, configured to be driven with power from a traction battery; a turbine, fluidly connected with a gas outlet of the fuel cell, configured to drive a generator to deliver power to an auxiliary battery, the traction battery and auxiliary battery lacking a converter therebetween for converting high voltage power to low voltage power; and a controller configured to set a mass flow for the fuel cell based on a voltage of the auxiliary battery.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate a pressure in the fuel cell via the compressor without a bypass valve spanning the fuel cell.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein an electrical output of the fuel cell is electrically connected with the traction battery.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 further comprising a converter electrically between the electrical output and the traction battery.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a basic circuit diagram of an architecture for an arrangement with a fuel cell for a hybrid vehicle,

(2) FIG. 2 shows a basic circuit diagram like FIG. 1, but now in a second variant,

(3) FIG. 3 shows a basic circuit diagram like FIG. 1, but now in a third variant,

(4) FIG. 4 shows a basic circuit diagram like FIG. 1, but now in a variant for a plug-in hybrid vehicle,

(5) FIG. 5 shows a circuit diagram to explain the regulating of the cathode pressure 8 at the air outlet side, and

(6) FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram for an alternator of a vehicle with controllable rectifier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

(8) In the following, FIG. 1 shall be described more closely; FIGS. 2 to 4 contain much which agrees with FIG. 1, and therefore these figures are only described insofar as they differ from FIG. 1. After this, we shall address FIGS. 5 and 6.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a hydrogen fuel cell 20, represent schematically. At the top of the figure is the anode side 19 or hydrogen side, at the bottom is the cathode side 21, also known as the air side. The two sides receive a flow in opposite directions. The anode side 19 is supplied with hydrogen. For this, a hydrogen tank 22 is provided, in which gas is stored at high pressure. This can be closed by a tank valve and is connected there to a feed line. In this line there is installed a pressure regulator 26. The feed line emerges into the anode side 19, and a jet pump 28 is furthermore installed in the feed line. This may also be designed as a circulation pump or a blower. It serves to take up hydrogen gas flowing from the anode side and carried in an exhaust gas line and feed it back into the feed line in the area of the jet pump 28. In the exhaust gas line there is further provided a pressure sensor 30, which detects the exhaust gas pressure at the outlet of the anode side 19. A differential pressure meter may also be provided, which detects the differential pressure between the anode and the cathode.

(10) The cathode side 21 is charged with air. For this, air is taken in across an air inlet 32 by a compressor 34. The compressor 34 is driven by a motor M 36. Electrically connected upstream from it is a first inverter 38, which also additionally has the function of the motor control. At its primary side, it is connected to a distributor box 40, which in turn is connected to a high-voltage (traction) battery 42. Also connected to the distributor box 40 is the output of a DC/DC converter 44. This is connected at the input side to the fuel cell 20. The electrical power generated by the fuel cell 20 is tapped via the converter 44 and supplied to the high-voltage battery 42 for its charging. From here, the electrical power needed for the propulsion of the vehicle may be tapped, which is prior art and not present here.

(11) At the outlet side, the air flows from the cathode side 21 through an exhaust air line to a turbine 46. This is set in rotation by the kinetic energy of the exhaust air, the air flowing out at an air outlet. A cathode pressure sensor 48 is installed in the exhaust air line.

(12) At the outlet of the anode side 19 there is arranged a purge valve 31, which is directly connected to the fuel cell 20. A purge outlet of this purge valve 31 is connected to a collecting point 50, with which the exhaust air line also stands in communication. In this way, hydrogen gas flows together with the exhaust air during the purging and reaches the turbine 46 together with it. In this way, the kinetic energy of the purge gas is also utilized.

(13) The turbine 46 is drive-connected solely to a generator G 52, and it drives this generator 52. The generator 52 is driven solely by the turbine 46 and is connected solely to it. Downstream from the generator 52 is connected a second inverter 54, which at the same time is also designed as a controller for the generator 52. Its output is connected to a low-voltage (auxiliary) battery 56. At the same time, it is connected to consumers 58 operating at low voltage, said consumers not being shown more closely here. In particular, these are devices belonging directly to the fuel cell 20.

(14) The described arrangement is controlled by an FCU controller 60, which monitors and controls the overall arrangement. For this, it is connected by control lines, shown by dashes, to individual components, especially the second inverter 54, the jet pump 28, the purge valve 31 and the first inverter 38. It receives its input signals across dot-and-dash lines; shown here, for example, are an input line for the pressure sensor (cathode) 48, an input line for the pressure sensor (anode) 30 and an input line for a voltage sensor 62 on the plus side of the low-voltage battery 56. Its minus side is connected to ground.

(15) In the variant of FIG. 2, there is no converter 44, which is the inverter of the fuel cell 20, but instead the electrical output of the fuel cell 20 is connected directly to the distributor box 40. The output voltage of the fuel cell 20 is thus present directly at the first inverter 38. The high-voltage battery 42 is now connected across a second converter 64, which is the converter of the high-voltage battery 42, to the distributor box 40.

(16) In the third variant of FIG. 3, by contrast with FIG. 1, there is additionally provided a second converter 64 between the distributor box 40 and the high-voltage battery 42.

(17) In the diagram of FIG. 4, by contrast with FIG. 3, there is additionally connected to the distributor box 40 a charger 66, which is preferably a charger located on board the vehicle. This can be connected by a plug 68 to a network, such as a household network or a public network. Through the charger 66, the high-voltage battery 42 can be charged. During the charging, the high-voltage battery 42 to be charged is electrically isolated from the second converter 64 by means of the battery contact switch 67.

(18) FIG. 5 shows a block circuit diagram for the sequence of regulating the cathode pressure 48. Based on the currently required power of the fuel cell system or the current demand, a cathode pressure and a setpoint value for the air flow are computed. In addition, a decision offset is determined for both the mass flow of air and the cathode pressure, primarily taking into account the power demand of the fuel cell or the battery voltage and the charge state of the battery. The values for decision offset are added to the adjustment values.

(19) As input variables, four values are supplied to the system at the left side, namely

(20) the currently required power of the fuel cell or the required current (requested fuel cell power or current),

(21) the measured value of the actual mass flow of air (actual mass flow of air),

(22) the measured value of the current cathode pressure (actual cathode pressure) and

(23) the measured voltage of the low-voltage battery (LV battery voltage).

(24) The value for the required power is supplied to a first stage 70 in the upper part of the block circuit diagram, in which a required value for the mass flow of air of the cathode (cathode mass flow of air request) is determined, this value being taken to a first combinatorial point 72. Here, it is logically combined with an arbitrary value for the mass flow of air (mass flow of air arbitration), the combinatorial point being positive each time, see the figure. This value is determined in a second stage 74, in which the mass flow of air, the cathode pressure 48 and the charge state of the low-voltage battery 56 are logically combined with each other. At the input side of this second stage 74 are present the voltage signal of the low-voltage battery (LV battery voltage) and the value for the required power. At the output of the first combinatorial point 72 is present an adjustment value for the mass flow of cathode air (cathode mass flow of air setpoint). This value on the one hand is taken directly to a turbine controller 76, and on the other hand logically combined in a second combinatorial point 78 with indicated sign with the measured value for the actual mass flow of air and then taken at the output side to a compressor controller 80. This receives a further input signal, which shall be discussed further below. At the output side, an adjustment value for the rotary speed of the compressor (compressor speed setpoint) is obtained.

(25) The value for the required power is furthermore present at a third stage 82. In this stage, a request value for the cathode pressure 48 (cathode pressure request) is determined, which is provided to a fourth combinatorial point 84. There, it is logically combined in accordance with the indicated sign with the arbitrary value for the cathode pressure 48 (cathode pressure arbitration), which is determined by the second stage 74. At the output side, the fourth combinatorial point 84 is connected on the one hand to a second input of the compressor controller 80, and on the other hand to a fifth combinatorial point 86. Here as well the sign should be indicated. The fifth combinatorial point 86 is furthermore provided with the measured value for the current cathode pressure 48. The output signal of the fifth combinatorial point 86 is provided to the turbine controller 76 as an input value, and the turbine controller 76 determines from its two input values an adjustment value for the turbine rotary speed (turbine speed setpoint) and/or an adjustment value for the generator torque (generator torque setpoint).

(26) FIG. 6 finally shows a more concrete sample embodiment for the use of a 3 kW alternator of a motor vehicle in connection with a controllable rectifier. The anode side and the air inlet side of the cathode are as represent in FIG. 1; by contrast with this figure, the first inverter 38 is connected directly to the HV-battery 42, i.e., no distributor box 40 is provided. At the exhaust gas side, once more, there is provided a turbine 46, which is now mechanically connected in rotation with the alternator G. This forms an example of a special configuration of the generator 52. Downstream from the alternator G is connected a controllable rectifier, e.g., a charge regulator, which is an example here of a special configuration of the second inverter 54. At the output side, it is connected to a low-voltage battery 56.

(27) In the method for controlling the fuel cell system, an adjustment value is determined for the rotary speed of the compressor 34 by taking into account an input value for the required power of the fuel cell 20, a measured value of the actual mass flow of air, a measured value of the current cathode pressure 48 and an input value for the voltage of the low-voltage battery 56. Based on the currently required power of the fuel cell 20, a value for the cathode pressure 48 and a setpoint value for the air flow are computed. A decision value is determined both for the mass flow of air and for the cathode pressure, primarily taking into account the power demand of the fuel cell 20 and/or the battery voltage of the low-voltage battery 56.

(28) The fuel cell system of a motor vehicle has a fuel cell 20, comprising an anode side and a cathode side, a compressor 34, which is rotationally connected to a motor M 36 and connected by a feed line to the cathode side of the fuel cell 20, and a turbine 46, which is connected by an exhaust air line to the cathode side and which furthermore is rotationally connected only to a generator G 52, which is connected at the output side to a second inverter 54 and a low-voltage battery 56.

(29) While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.