System and Method for Initiating Operation of a Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle
First Claim
1. A method for starting up a fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle, the fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle having a battery, an air delivery compressor, an ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage, at least one DC-to-DC converter, and at least one electric propulsion motor, the method comprising:
- electrically connecting the battery to the propulsion energy storage;
charging the propulsion energy storage with the battery to a predetermined level associated with powering an air delivery compressor;
disconnecting the battery from the propulsion energy storage;
electrically connecting the propulsion energy storage to the air delivery compressor;
operating the air delivery compressor using charge from the propulsion energy storage to provide a predetermined quantity of air to the fuel cell; and
causing the fuel cell to generate electricity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a method and system for powering a hybrid electric vehicle with a fuel cell, and in particular, efficiently initiating power generation in the fuel cell, the method and system comprising electrically connecting a battery to an ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage; using the battery to charge the propulsion energy storage to a predetermined voltage level for powering an air delivery compressor for a predetermined amount of time; disconnecting the battery from the propulsion energy storage; electrically connecting the propulsion energy storage to the air delivery compressor; operating the air delivery compressor using the charge on the propulsion energy storage to provide a predetermined quantity of air to the fuel cell; and causing the fuel cell to generate electricity.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for starting up a fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle, the fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle having a battery, an air delivery compressor, an ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage, at least one DC-to-DC converter, and at least one electric propulsion motor, the method comprising:
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electrically connecting the battery to the propulsion energy storage; charging the propulsion energy storage with the battery to a predetermined level associated with powering an air delivery compressor; disconnecting the battery from the propulsion energy storage; electrically connecting the propulsion energy storage to the air delivery compressor; operating the air delivery compressor using charge from the propulsion energy storage to provide a predetermined quantity of air to the fuel cell; and causing the fuel cell to generate electricity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system controller installable in a fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle and comprising a computer readable medium having computer executable program code embodied thereon, the computer executable program code configured to cause the system controller to initiate power generation of a fuel cell when installed in the fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle by performing the steps of:
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electrically connecting a start up battery to an ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage; charging the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage with the start up battery to a predetermined voltage level associated with powering an air delivery for a predetermined amount of time; disconnecting the start up battery from the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage; electrically connecting the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage to the air delivery compressor; operating the air delivery compressor using the charge on the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage to provide a predetermined quantity of air to the fuel cell; and causing the fuel cell to generate electricity. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. (canceled)
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14. A fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle comprising:
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a high-voltage DC bus; an ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus; an air delivery compressor electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus; a battery selectably electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus; a fuel cell selectably electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus; at least one electric propulsion motor selectably electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus; and
,a system controller configured to perform the steps of;
electrically connecting the battery to the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage, charging the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage with the battery to a predetermined voltage level associated with powering an air delivery for a predetermined amount of time, disconnecting the battery from the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage, electrically connecting the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage to the air delivery compressor, operating the air delivery compressor using the charge on the ultracapacitor-based propulsion energy storage to provide a predetermined quantity of air to the fuel cell, and causing the fuel cell to generate electricity. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23)
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20. (canceled)
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21. (canceled)
Specification