A METHOD FOR VEHICLE THERMAL MANAGEMENT

• US 20060035748A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gabriel, David Crist, McCarthy, James Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,309,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/98
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/72 dependent on oil characteristics, e.g. temperature, viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0432 Temperature; Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04701 Temperature
• 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 method is provided which uses, or which calculates, a temperature gradient of a portion of a vehicle to determine a value equal to, or representative of, a time before a maximum allowable operating temperature is reached by the portion. If the value is less than a certain threshold, the apparatus reduces the operating speed of the portion and, in one embodiment, provides a warning signal to an operator of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle having a component to be regulated, the method comprising:

determining a temperature difference between a current component temperature and a predetermined temperature;

calculating a time for the component temperature to reach the predetermined temperature, the time calculation being based on a predetermined component temperature gradient and the determined temperature difference; and

regulating operation of the component based on the calculated time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component to be regulated includes a fuel cell.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating when the operation of the component is regulated based on the calculated time, the regulation being perceivable by a vehicle operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is a maximum operating temperature of the component.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining the maximum operating temperature by operating the component at increasing temperatures until the component ceases to function as desired.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current value of an operating characteristic of the component; and

determining when the component reaches a threshold temperature lower than the predetermined temperature, and

wherein the predetermined component temperature gradient is chosen based on the current value of the operating characteristic, and the time calculation is performed after the component reaches the threshold temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current value of an operating characteristic of the component; and

determining a time that the component has operated at the current value of the operating characteristic, and

wherein the predetermined component temperature gradient is chosen based on the current value of the operating characteristic, and the time calculation is performed after the component has operated at the current value of the operating characteristic for a predetermined time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined component temperature gradient is a stored function based on previous operation of the component.