POWER CONVERTING APPARATUS FOR FUEL CELL AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20070075587A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation), LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation), LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Tae-Won, CHOI, Hong
• Application Number:
  US11/534,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04888 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04953 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53871 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A power converting apparatus for a fuel cell, and a method thereof. The power converting apparatus for a fuel cell comprises: a converting unit for converting a DC voltage outputted from a stack of a fuel cell into a boosted or dropped AC voltage by being switched by a switching control signal; and a controlling unit for comparing the detected AC voltage level with a preset AC voltage level, and outputting a switching control signal for controlling a switching of the converting unit on the basis of the comparison result

Claims

1. A power converting apparatus for a fuel cell, comprising:

a converting unit for converting a DC voltage outputted from a fuel cell into a boosted or dropped AC voltage by being switched by a switching control signal; and

a controlling unit for comparing the detected AC voltage with a preset AC voltage, and outputting a switching control signal for controlling a switching of the converting unit on the basis of the comparison result

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an impedance matching unit for matching an impedance of a power line of the fuel cell to an impedance of a substantial commercial power line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter for filtering the AC voltage outputted from the converting unit and thereby outputting an AC voltage of a sine wave.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the impedance matching unit comprises:

a first coil having a front end connected to an output port of the fuel cell;

a first capacitor having a front end connected to the output port of the fuel cell;

a second coil having a front end connected to a rear end of the first coil and a rear end connected to a rear end of the first capacitor; and

a second capacitor connected between the rear end of the first coil and the front end of the second coil.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converting unit comprises:

a second PNP transistor having a collector connected to an emitter of a first PNP transistor;

a third PNP transistor having a collector connected to a collector of the first PNP transistor; and

a fourth PNP transistor having a collector connected to an emitter of the third PNP transistor and having an emitter connected to an emitter of the second PNP transistor, wherein the converting unit outputs a difference value between a voltage generated at a connection point between the first PNP transistor and the second PNP transistor and a voltage generated at a connection point between the third PNP transistor and the fourth PNP transistor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a diode is respectively connected to the first to fourth PNP transistors in parallel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storing unit for storing each RMS value corresponding to a plurality of AC voltage levels.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling unit compares an AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell with an AC voltage set by a user, drops the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell when the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell is larger than the AC voltage set by a user, and boosts the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell when the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell is smaller than the AC voltage set by a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein in a voltage dropping mode, the controlling unit converts a level of the AC voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit into an RMS value, and increases dead time of a switching control signal for simultaneously turning off the first PNP transistor, the second PNP transistor, the third PNP transistor, and the fourth PNP transistor if the converted RMS value is larger than an RMS value corresponding to the preset AC voltage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controlling unit decreases dead time of a switching control signal for simultaneously turning off the first PNP transistor, the second PNP transistor, the third PNP transistor, and the fourth PNP transistor if the converted RMS value is smaller than the RMS value corresponding to the preset AC voltage.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein in a voltage boosting mode, the controlling unit converts a level of the AC voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit into an RMS value, and increases overlap tim The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controlling unit decreases dead time of a switching control signal for simultaneously turning off the first PNP transistor, the second PNP transistor, the third PNP transistor, and the fourth PNP transistor if the converted RMS value is smaller than the RMS value corresponding to the preset AC voltage.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controlling unit decreases overlap time of a switching control signal for simultaneously turning on the first PNP transistor, the second PNP transistor, the third PNP transistor, and the fourth PNP transistor if the converted RMS value is smaller than the RMS value corresponding to the preset AC voltage.

13. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the filter comprises a capacitor for discharging a charged voltage when the converting unit performs a voltage dropping operation.

14. A power converting apparatus for a fuel cell that comprises a stack unit having an anode and a cathode and generating electric power by electrochemically reacting hydrogen and air, the apparatus comprising:

an impedance matching unit for matching an impedance of a power line of the fuel cell to an impedance of a substantial commercial power line;

a converting unit for converting a DC voltage inputted from the impedance matching unit into a boosted or dropped AC voltage by being switched by a switching control signal;

a filter for filtering an AC voltage outputted from the converting unit and thereby outputting an AC voltage of a sine wave;

a power detecting unit for detecting a level of an AC voltage outputted from the filter; and

a controlling unit for comparing the detected AC voltage level with a preset AC voltage level, and controlling a conversion of the DC voltage outputted from the fuel cell into an AC voltage on the basis of the comparison result.

15. A power converting method for a fuel cell, comprising:

detecting a level of an AC voltage outputted from a fuel cell; and

comparing the detected AC voltage level with a preset AC voltage level, and controlling a conversion of the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of controlling a conversion comprises:

comparing the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell with an AC voltage preset by a user, and dropping the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell when the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell is larger than the preset AC voltage; and

boosting the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell when the AC voltage outputted from the fuel cell is smaller than the preset AC voltage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of dropping the AC voltage comprises:

converting the detected AC voltage into an RMS value; and

increasing dead time of a switching control signal applied to a converting unit when the converted RMS value is larger than an RAM value corresponding to the preset AC voltage.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein if the converted RMS value is smaller than the RAM value corresponding to the preset AC voltage, dead time of a switching control signal applied to the converting unit is decreased.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of boosting the AC voltage comprises:

converting the detected AC voltage into an RMS value; and

increasing overlap time of a switching control signal applied to the converting unit when the converted RMS value is larger than an RAM value corresponding to the preset AC voltage.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein if the converted RMS value is smaller than the RAM value corresponding to the preset AC voltage, overlap time of a switching control signal applied to the converting unit is decreased.