Control device and method for fuel cell powered vehicle

• US 20050197751A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Koike, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0438 Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04388 of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04395 of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04597 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04619 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04947 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

a system controller 100 controlling an electric power generation system of a fuel cell powered vehicle realizes functions as a fuel-cell power-generation response time estimation section 101, by which power-generation response time of a fuel cell 1 is estimated, an optimum motor-output response time estimation section 102, by which an optimum output response time of a drive motor 22 is estimated, and a motor-output response time control section 103 for controlling an output response time of the drive motor 22. The power-generation response time of the fuel cell is estimated based on an atmospheric pressure detected by an atmospheric sensor 35 and depending on this power-generation response time, the output response time of the drive motor is controlled so as to limit a rate of change in a torque command value for the drive motor such that the output response time of the drive motor is not shorter than power-generation response time of the fuel cell.

Claims

1. A control device for an electric power supply system of a fuel cell powered vehicle, driven by a drive motor, which is installed with a fuel cell as a main power supply, comprising:

a fuel-cell power-generation response time estimating section by which a power-generation response time of the fuel cell is estimated; and

a drive-motor output response-time control section by which an output response time of the drive motor is controlled depending on an estimated result of the fuel-cell power-generating response-time estimating section.

2. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the power-generation response time of the fuel cell is estimated to be longer than that obtained in normal time and a drive torque command value for the drive motor is predicted to be restricted by an electric power, the drive-motor output response-time control section controls an output response time of the drive motor.

3. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the fuel-cell power-generation response time estimating section estimates a power-generation response time based on an atmospheric pressure detected by an atmospheric sensor.

4. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive-motor output response-time control section comprises:

a drive-motor upper-limit torque calculation device that calculates an upper limit based on a rotational speed of the drive motor,

a drive-motor power-loss estimation device that estimates a power loss based on the rotational speed and the upper limit torque of the drive motor,

a drive-motor maximum power consumption calculation device that, in a case where it is predicted that an output of the drive motor exceeds an electric power available to be supplied to the drive motor, calculates a maximum power consumption of the drive motor based on the rotational speed and the upper limit torque of the drive motor, and

a drive-motor output response estimation device that estimates an output response of the drive motor based on a calculated result of the drive-motor maximum power consumption calculation device,

wherein in a case where the output of the drive motor is estimated to exceed the electric power available to be supplied to the drive motor, an output response time of the drive motor is corrected in a way to increase.

5. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the drive-motor output response-time control section corrects an output response time of the drive motor such that the output response time of the drive motor is substantially aligned with an output response time of the fuel cell.

6. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the drive-motor output response-time control section corrects an output response time of the drive motor by decreasing a rate of change in a torque command value for the drive motor.

7. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the fuel cell powered vehicle is installed with a battery as an auxiliary power supply, and

the drive-motor output response-time control section further comprises:

a battery maximum-discharging-power calculation section that calculates a maximum discharging power of the battery based on information from a battery controller that manages a charging status of the battery and an output current and an output voltage of the battery; and

a vehicle-accessory power-consumption estimation device that estimates electric power consumed by vehicle accessories;

wherein an estimated result of the vehicle-accessory power consumption estimation device is subtracted from a value of a sum of a maximum electric power available to be supplied from the fuel cell and an estimated result of the battery maximum-discharging-power estimation section for calculating the maximum electric power to be supplied to the drive motor.

8. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle-accessory power consumption estimation device calculates an upper limit of a power consumption of the vehicle accessories based on an estimated result of the fuel-cell power-generation response time estimating section for estimating that the power consumption of the vehicle accessories lies at a value below the upper limit value.

9. The control device for a fuel cell powered vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a request-power change-rate restriction device;

wherein the request-power change-rate restriction device alleviates a restriction in a rate of change in a request power for the fuel cell when a torque of the drive motor is less than a given value.

10. A control device for an electric power supply system of a fuel cell powered vehicle, driven by a drive motor, which is installed with a fuel cell as a main power supply, comprising:

means for estimating a fuel-cell power-generation response time of the fuel cell; and

means for controlling an output response time of the drive motor depending on an estimated result of the means for estimating the fuel-cell power-generating response-time.

11. A method of controlling an electric power supply system of a fuel cell powered vehicle, driven by a drive motor, which is installed with a fuel cell as a main power supply, comprising:

estimating a power-generation response time of the fuel cell; and

controlling an output response time of the drive motor depending on an estimated result of the estimating.