Apparatus for controlling fuel cell vehicle

• US 20020189872A1
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saeki, Hibiki, Aoyagi, Satoshi, Hasuka, Yoshinobu, Uenodai, Asao
• Granted Patent: US 6,691,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An upper limit amount of discharged electric energy calculator 53 calculates an upper limit amount of discharged electric energy (Pcap_LMT), which represents a discharged electric energy of a capacitor 3 when the amount of electric energy discharged by a fuel cell stack 2 is equal to an upper limit amount of electric energy (Ifc_LMT) generated by the fuel cell stack 2, based on an open voltage (Vcap_o) across the capacitor 3 and the upper limit amount of generated electric energy (Ifc_LMT). An output limit electric energy calculator 54 calculates an output limit electric energy (PLD), which represents an upper limit amount of the electric energy that can be outputted to a motor 10, based on the upper limit amount of generated electric energy (Ifc_LMT), the upper limit amount of discharged electric energy (Pcap_LMT), and an electric energy (Pload) consumed by electric accessories. A torque command determining unit 60 determines a torque command (TRQ_CMD) such that the electric energy consumed by the motor 10 and a motor driver 5 will not exceed the output limit electric energy (PLD).

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:

motor driving means for outputting electric energy depending on a given torque command to a propulsive motor;

a fuel cell for use as a power supply for said motor driving means;

an electric double layer capacitor connected parallel to said fuel cell, for being charged by said fuel cell and discharged to supplement a shortage of an amount of electric energy generated by said fuel cell;

upper limit electric energy recognizing means for detecting an operating state of said fuel cell and recognizing an upper limit amount of electric energy generated by said fuel cell depending on the detected operating state;

upper limit discharged electric energy recognizing means for recognizing an upper limit amount of discharged electric energy representing an electric energy discharged from said electric double layer capacitor when the amount of electric energy generated by said fuel cell reaches said upper limit amount of generated electric energy;

upper limit total electric energy recognizing means for recognizing an upper limit amount of total electric energy representing an upper limit amount of total electric energy which can be outputted from said fuel cell and said electric double layer capacitor, depending on said upper limit amount of discharged electric energy and said upper limit amount of generated electric energy; and

torque command limiting means for limiting said torque command to at most an upper limit of torque depending on said upper limit amount of total electric energy.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

open voltage recognizing means for recognizing an open voltage across said electric double layer capacitor; and

storage means for storing data of a characteristic map representing the correlation between the amount of electric energy generated by said fuel cell and the output voltage thereof and data of an internal resistance of said electric double layer capacitor;

said upper limit discharged electric energy recognizing means comprising means for calculating said upper limit amount of discharged electric energy based on the output voltage of said fuel cell which is obtained by applying said upper limit amount of generated electric energy to said characteristic map, the open voltage across said electric double layer capacitor which is recognized by said open voltage recognizing means, and the internal resistance of said electric double layer capacitor.