Method and Control Unit for Automatic Selection of an Operating Mode for a Vehicle With Fuel Cells

• US 20110196554A1
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Schmalzriedt, Sven, Limbeck, Uwe
• Application Number:
  US12/678,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196554A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/31 for starting of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04253 Means for solving freezing problems
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0432 Temperature; Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0438 Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04701 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04828 Humidity; Water content
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for automatic selection of an operating mode (S, W) for a vehicle with a fuel cell system (1), in which at least one first operating mode (S) and one second operating mode (W) are provided, wherein the operating mode (S, W) is defined taking into account a current calendar date (D) and/or taking into account a weather forecast (V) obtained from a data network, and/or taking account of a current environmental air pressure (p).

Claims

1. A method for automatic selection of an operating mode (S, W) for a vehicle with a fuel cell system (1), in which at least one first operating mode (S) and one second operating mode (W) are provided, characterized in that the operating mode (S, W) is defined taking into account a current calendar date (D) and/or taking into account a weather forecast (V) obtained from a data network, and/or taking account of a current environmental air pressure (p).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, when the operating mode (S, W) is selected, a current position (POS) of the vehicle is taken into account.

3. The method as claimed in one of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second operating mode (W) is selected when the current calendar date (D) is between November 15 and March 15 and the current environmental air pressure (p) is greater than 900 mbar.

4. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second operating mode (W) is selected when the current calendar date (D) is between October 15 and April 15 and the current environmental air pressure (p) is between 800 mbar and 900 mbar.

5. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second operating mode (W) is selected when the current calendar date (D) is between September 15 and May 15 and the current environmental air pressure (p) is between 700 mbar and 800 mbar.

6. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the second operating mode (W) is selected when the current environmental air pressure (p) is below 700 mbar.

7. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the Internet is used as the data network.

8. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a cordless connection is used to the data network.

9. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that an indication of a time (t) of a next planned start of the vehicle is taken into account in order to evaluate the weather forecast (V).

10. A control unit (2) for a fuel cell system (1) for a vehicle, by means of which an operating mode (S, W) can be defined for the fuel cell system (2) with at least one first operating mode (S) and one second operating mode (W) being provided, characterized in that the control unit (2) can be supplied with a current calendar date (D) from a system clock (3) and/or with a weather forecast (V) from a data network and/or a current environmental air pressure (p) from a pressure sensor (4) and can thus influence the definition of the operating mode (S, W).

11. The control unit (2) as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the control unit (2) can be supplied with a current position (POS) for the vehicle from a position finding system (6), and can thus influence the definition of the operating mode (S, W).

12. The control unit (2) as claimed in one of claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the control unit (2) can be supplied with the time (t) of the next planned start of the vehicle from an input device (7), and can thus influence the definition of the operating mode (S, W).