FUEL CELL SYSTEM

• US 20120095637A1
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Katano, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a converter for boosting the output voltage of a fuel cell stack and supplies the boosted voltage to a first inverter for a drive motor and a second inverter for an air compressor motor, voltage acquisition means, and converter control means. The voltage acquisition means acquires a required voltage of the air compressor motor according to a target air compressor motor torque based on acceleration demand of the air compressor motor. The converter control means sets the voltage boost ratio of the converter and controls the converter by comparing the required voltage of the air compressor motor and a required voltage of the drive motor.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell that generates electricity using a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas;

a vehicle-driving motor inverter that is supplied with direct-current electric power and supplies alternating-current electric power to a vehicle-driving motor;

an accessory motor inverter that is supplied with direct-current electric power and supplies alternating-current electric power to an accessory motor;

a converter that is provided between the fuel cell and both the vehicle-driving motor and accessory motor, and that boosts output voltage of the fuel cell and supplies the output voltage boosted to the vehicle-driving motor inverter and the accessory motor inverter;

a voltage acquisition device that acquires a required voltage of the accessory motor according to a target accessory motor torque based on an acceleration demand of the accessory motor; and

a converter control device that sets a voltage boost ratio of the converter and controlling the converter by comparing the acquired required voltage of the accessory motor and a required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage acquisition device acquires the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor according to a target drive motor torque.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the converter control device sets the voltage boost ratio of the converter and controls the converter so that, of the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor and the required voltage of the accessory motor acquired, a higher required voltage is output from the converter.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising

a command device capable of commanding either one of an economy mode in which fuel economy of a vehicle is given priority and a power mode in which acceleration performance of the vehicle is given priority,

wherein:

if the economy mode is commanded, the converter control device sets the voltage boost ratio of the converter and controls the converter so that, of the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor and the required voltage of the accessory motor, the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor is output from the converter; and

if the power mode is commanded, the converter control device sets the voltage boost ratio of the converter and controls the converter so that, of the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor and the required voltage of the accessory motor, a higher required voltage is output from the converter.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising

a command device capable of commanding either one of an economy mode in which fuel economy of a vehicle is given priority and a power mode in which acceleration performance of the vehicle is given priority,

wherein:

if the economy mode is commanded and an amount of rise of the target accessory motor torque from a steady state is greater than a predetermined amount of rise that is set beforehand, the converter control device sets the voltage boost ratio of the converter and controls the converter so that, of the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor and the required voltage of the accessory motor, the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor is output from the converter; and

if the power mode is commanded, or if the economy mode is commanded and the amount of rise of the target accessory motor torque from the steady state is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of rise that is set beforehand, the converter control device sets the voltage boost ratio of the converter and controls the converter so that, of the required voltage of the vehicle-driving motor and the required voltage of the accessory motor, a higher required voltage is output from the converter.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage acquisition device calculates the required voltage of the accessory motor from the target accessory motor torque based on the acceleration demand of the accessory motor and an expected-to-be-reached rotation speed of the accessory motor that is expected to be reached at a start of a next computation step according to the acceleration demand.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising

a map storage device that stores a map that represents a relation between the target accessory motor torque based on the acceleration demand of the accessory motor and change in the required voltage of the accessory motor,

wherein the voltage acquisition device acquires the required voltage of the accessory motor from the target accessory motor torque based on the acceleration demand of the accessory motor, with reference to the map.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising

a determination device that determines which of slow acceleration and fast acceleration a present state demands,

wherein a set value of torque that corresponds to rotation speed for accelerating the accessory motor is switched according to a result of the determination by the determination device.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, further comprising

a command device capable of commanding an economy mode in which fuel economy of a vehicle is given priority and a power mode in which acceleration performance of the vehicle is given priority,

wherein the determination device determines which of slow acceleration and fast acceleration is demanded, based on one of the economy mode and the power mode that is commanded by the command device, and

wherein the voltage acquisition device switches the set value of torque that corresponds to the rotation speed for accelerating the accessory motor according to a result of determination by the determination device.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, further comprising

an operation amount detection device that detects an amount of operation of an acceleration command portion for commanding acceleration of a vehicle,

wherein the determination device determines which of slow acceleration and fast acceleration is demanded, based on the detected amount of operation, and

wherein the voltage acquisition device switches the set value of torque that corresponds to the rotation speed for accelerating the accessory motor according to a result of determination by the determination device.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, further comprising

an operation amount change rate detection device that detects rate of change in amount of operation of an acceleration command portion for commanding acceleration of a vehicle,

wherein the determination device determines which of slow acceleration and fast acceleration is demanded, based on the detected rate of change, and

wherein the voltage acquisition device switches the set value of torque that corresponds to the rotation speed for accelerating the accessory motor according to a result of determination by the determination device.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, further comprising

a vehicle speed detection device that detects speed of a vehicle,

wherein the determination device determines which of slow acceleration and fast acceleration is demanded, based on the detected vehicle speed, and

wherein the voltage acquisition device switches the set value of torque that corresponds to the rotation speed for accelerating the accessory motor according to a result of determination by the determination device.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising

a temperature detection device that detects temperature of the accessory motor,

wherein the voltage acquisition device corrects the required voltage of the accessory motor according to the detected temperature.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, wherein

the voltage acquisition device corrects the required voltage of the accessory motor so that the required voltage of the accessory motor is higher as the detected temperature is higher.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein

the accessory motor is an air compressor motor that drives a fuel cell air compressor.