Energy-recovery method and device used on board a vehicle comprising a reformer fuel cell
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Abstract
A method and device for recovering electrical energy in a motor vehicle driven by at least one electric motor. A fuel cell powers the electric motor, which is supplied with fuel by a reformer, the fuel flow being controlled according to power consumption of the electric motor, and which temporarily produces an excess of fuel when the consumption of the electric motor falls. Moreover, the device includes an energy storage. The method calculates excess electric power that can be produced by the fuel cell and stores and distributes the excess fuel, during which the excess electric power is stored in a storage.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1-9. -9. (canceled)
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10. An electric energy recovery system in a motor vehicle driven by at least one electric motor, containing a fuel cell that feeds the electric motor and electrical equipment supplied with fuel of hydrogen, by a reformer, a fuel flow of which is controlled in accordance with electricity consumption of the electric motor, and which temporarily produces excess fuel when consumption of the electric motor diminishes, and containing an energy storage,
the method comprising: -
a) a balancing during which a potential electric power that the fuel cell is capable of instantaneously supplying is calculated in accordance with the fuel flow produced by the reformer and during which electric powers instantaneously consumed by the electric motor and by the equipment are estimated;
b) calculating excess electric power which is the result of a difference between the potential electric power and a sum of the estimated electric powers consumed;
c) determining instantaneous electric power storage capacity of the energy storage which is released when the excess electric power is strictly positive;
d) a storing activated when the instantaneous storage capacity is higher than or equal to the excess electric power, during which the fuel cell is supplied by all of the excess fuel and during which the excess electric power is stored in the energy storage;
e) distributing the excess fuel, which is activated when the storage capacity is less than the excess electric power, during which the fuel cell is supplied with a portion of the excess fuel sufficient to reconstitute energy stocks of the energy storage. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An electric energy recovery system in a motor vehicle driven by at least one electric motor, comprising:
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a fuel cell that feeds the electric motor and electrical equipment and is supplied with fuel hydrogen, by a reformer, a fuel flow of which is controlled in accordance with electricity consumption of the electric motor, and which temporarily produces excess fuel when the consumption of the electric motor diminishes, and containing an energy storage, the system regulating excess recovered energy produced by the motor and energy supplied by the fuel cell with aid of surplus reformate produced by the reformer.
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Specification