Power system of hybrid fuel cell bus and control method thereof

• US 20080087479A1
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kang, Ho Sung
• Application Number:
  US11/650,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20080087479A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• 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 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04619 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04888 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 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 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention provides a power system of a hybrid fuel cell bus, comprising: a first auxiliary battery supplying electric power to first electric parts designed for operation of a fuel cell vehicle; a second auxiliary battery supplying electric power to second electric parts designed for operation of an internal combustion engine vehicle; and a stack starting part electrically connected to one of the first and the second auxiliary batteries for operating the fuel cell stack.

Claims

1. A power system of a hybrid fuel cell bus, comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a super capacitor connected to the fuel cell stack;

a traction motor supplied with electric power from the fuel cell stack or from both the fuel cell stack and the super capacitor so as to drive a vehicle, and supplying electric power generated by regenerative braking to the supper capacitor;

a motor control unit controlling an electric power input to the traction motor and an electric power output from the traction motor;

a first auxiliary battery supplying electric power to first electric parts designed for operation of a fuel cell vehicle;

a second auxiliary battery supplying electric power to second electric parts designed for operation of an internal combustion engine vehicle; and

a stack starting part electrically connected to one of the first and the second auxiliary batteries for operating the fuel cell stack.

2. The power system of claim 1, wherein the first auxiliary battery is a 12V auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery is a 24V auxiliary battery.

3. The power system of claim 2, wherein the stack starting part is designed to be supplied with electric power from the first auxiliary battery before starting of the fuel cell stack and is designed to be supplied with electric power from the fuel cell stack after starting of the fuel cell stack.

4. The power system of claim 3, further comprising:

a first DC/DC converter between the first auxiliary battery and the stack starting part for converting voltage of the first auxiliary battery to voltage of the stack starting part; and

a high voltage DC/DC converter between the fuel cell stack and the stack starting part for converting voltage of the fuel cell stack to voltage of the stack starting part, wherein the high voltage DC/DC converter is electrically connected to the first DC/DC converter such that the voltage converted by the high voltage DC/DC converter is supplied to the first DC/DC converter.

5. The power system of claim 4, wherein the fuel cell stack generates DC voltage of 900V.

6. The power system of claim 4, wherein the driving voltage of the stack starting part is 350V.

7. The power system of claim 4, wherein a second DC/DC converter is provided between the fuel cell stack and the second auxiliary battery so as to charge the second auxiliary battery using electric power of the fuel cell stack.

8. The power system of claim 2, wherein an inverter is electrically connected to the fuel cell stack for being supplied with electric power of the fuel cell stack to drive an auxiliary component.

9. The power system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary component comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a water pump, a power steering pump, and an air conditioner compressor.

10. The power system of claim 2, further comprising a power line electrically connecting the fuel cell stack and the traction motor and a power line passing through a chopper and a braking resistance provided in a power line connecting the super capacitor.

11. The power system of claim 10, wherein the power lines are configured such that electrical energy supplied to the super capacitor is exhausted when the super capacitor is over-charged and electric power regenerated by the traction motor is charged to the super capacitor when the super capacitor is not over-charged.

12. A control method of a power system of a hybrid fuel cell bus including a first auxiliary battery and a second auxiliary battery, comprising the steps of:

(a) converting a low voltage of a first auxiliary battery to a driving voltage of a stack starting part;

(b) driving the stack staring part by the driving voltage of the stack starting part;

(c) operating a fuel cell stack by operation of the stack starting part;

(d) generating a high voltage power by operation of the fuel cell stack;

(e) switching an electric power supply passage to the stack starting part so as to convert the high voltage power to the voltage of the stack starting part, and supplying the converted voltage to the stack starting part;

(f) supplying the high voltage power to a traction motor;

(g) converting the high voltage power to the voltage of the first auxiliary battery; and

(h) charging a super capacitor with the high voltage power.

13. The control method of claim 12, wherein the step (a) further comprises a step where the first auxiliary battery supplies electric power to first electric parts designed for operation of a fuel cell vehicle and the second auxiliary battery supplies electric power to second electric parts designed for operation of an internal combustion engine vehicle.

14. The control method of claim 13, wherein the first auxiliary battery is a 12V auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery is a 24V auxiliary battery.

15. The control method of claim 13, wherein the step (a) and the step (g) comprise a DC/DC converter.

16. The control method of claim 13, wherein the step (e) converts 900V to 350V.

17. The control method of claim 13, wherein the step (e) or (f) further comprises a step of converting the high voltage power generated by the fuel cell stack to a low voltage so as to charge the second auxiliary battery.

18. The control method of claim 13, wherein the step (g) further comprises a step of supplying the high voltage power to an inverter of an auxiliary component.

19. The control method of claim 13, further comprising a step of performing a driving mode after the step (h), wherein the driving mode is one selected from the group consisting of:

a normal driving mode which comprises the steps of;

converting high voltage of the fuel cell stack to driving voltage of the stack starting part; and

supplying the high voltage to the traction motor and the inverter;

an acceleration or hill climbing mode which comprises the steps of;

converting high voltage of the fuel cell stack to driving voltage of the stack starting part;

supplying the high voltage to the traction motor and the inverter; and

supplying charged electric power of the super capacitor to the traction motor; and

a regenerative braking mode which comprises the steps of;

generating regenerative electric power by regenerative braking of the traction motor;

converting the regenerative electric power to the driving voltage of the stack starting part;

supplying the regenerative electric power to an inverter;

determining whether the super capacitor has been over charged;

exhausting electrical energy supplied to the super capacitor when the super capacitor is over-charged; and

charging the super capacitor by the regenerative electric power when the super capacitor is not over-charged.