POWER CONVERSION CONTROLLING METHOD OF FUEL CELL-BATTERY HYBRID-ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20100332060A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CT&T Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: CT&T Co., Ltd., Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Lee, Dong Ryul, Bae, Joong Myeon
• Application Number:
  US12/595,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332060A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and 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 relates to a method and apparatus for controlling power allocation of a fuel cell-battery hybrid system. A mode switching output value, which is a reference for switching of power supply status and power allocation, is set within a range below a maximum power value of a motor supplied with a constant voltage from the fuel cell and/or the battery. A requested output value is extracted in real time. The mode switching output value is compared with the requested output value. When the requested output value is less than the mode switching output value, a fuel cell converter is operated, and an operation of a battery converter is stopped. When the requested output value is equal to or greater than the mode switching output value, both the fuel cell converter and the battery converter are simultaneously operated in a predetermined output ratio.

Claims

1. A method of controlling power allocation of a fuel cell-battery hybrid system, comprising:

a reference value setting step of setting a mode switching output value, which is a reference for switching of power supply status and power allocation between a fuel cell and a battery, within a range below a maximum power value of a motor supplied with a constant voltage from the fuel cell and/or the battery;

a requested value extraction step of extracting an output value, requested by the motor, in real time during traveling;

an output value comparison step of comparing the mode switching output value with the requested output value extracted from the motor in real time;

a low-output switching step of, when the requested output value is less than the mode switching output value, operating a fuel cell converter, which supplies a constant voltage from the fuel cell to the motor, and stopping operation of a battery converter, which supplies a constant voltage from the battery to the motor; and

a high-output switching step of, when the requested output value is equal to or greater than the mode switching output value, simultaneously operating both the fuel cell converter and the battery converter in a predetermined output ratio.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output ratio setting step of setting an output allocation ratio of the fuel cell to the battery, which can be applied to a case where the fuel cell and the battery are simultaneously operated; and

an output ratio adjustment step of adjusting a resistor on a voltage supply path from the fuel cell converter to the motor, thus adjusting a voltage in a preset output allocation ratio of the fuel cell to the battery.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mode switching output value is a current value set in such a way that an average of power values requested by the motor under preset travel conditions, in which maintenance or variation of velocity, braking and an inclination angle is performed, is derived, an average current value is derived by dividing the average power by the constant voltage supplied from the fuel cell and the fuel cell converter, and the current value is set to a value exceeding the derived average current value.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requested output value is a current value derived by dividing a power value requested in real time under travel conditions in which maintenance or variation of velocity, braking and an inclination angle is performed, by the constant voltage supplied from the fuel cell and the fuel cell converter.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output allocation ratio of the fuel cell to the battery is a ratio of maximum available powers of the fuel cell (and the fuel cell converter) to the battery (and the battery converter).

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a battery charging step of supplying the voltage from the fuel cell to the battery and charging the battery.

9. The method according to claim 2, further comprising a battery charging step of supplying the voltage from the fuel cell to the battery and charging the battery.

7. An apparatus for controlling power allocation of a fuel cell-battery hybrid system, comprising:

a fuel cell electrically connected to a motor to supply power to the motor;

a battery electrically connected to the motor to allow the motor to be selectively supplied with power from the fuel cell or from both the fuel cell and the battery;

a fuel cell converter installed on a connection path between the fuel cell and the motor so as to adjust to a certain level power supplied from the fuel cell to the motor;

a variable resistor disposed on a connection path between the fuel cell converter and the motor so as to adjust power supplied from an outside of the fuel cell converter to the motor;

a battery converter installed on a connection path between the battery and the motor so that power supplied from the battery to the motor is adjusted to a certain level, and electrically connected to a connection path between the variable resistor and the motor so that the fuel cell and the battery can supply power to the motor in a predetermined output ratio; and

a control unit for performing adjustment by disconnecting a connection path between the battery and the motor in the connection path between the fuel cell and the motor when the output value requested by the motor is less than a preset reference output value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the fuel cell and the battery have an output ratio of 1:

1.3˜

1.5 under travel conditions in which the motor has a maximum power of 4 kw, the fuel cell has a maximum rated power of 1.7 kw, and the battery has a maximum power of 2.4 kw.