METHOD OF CONTROLLING FUEL CELL VEHICLE

• US 20120292990A1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yuji, Watanabe, Kazunori, Shirasaka, Takuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04597 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 of fuel cell stacks
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

In a case where a load amount of a load is a predetermined value or less, a control device of an FC vehicle implements extremely low current control for performing power generation at an extremely low current below a lower limit current of an FC for normal operation. At the time of implementing the extremely low current control, upper and lower limit values of a target output voltage of the converter are set in correspondence with the extremely low current, and the output voltage of the FC is controlled to be within a range between the upper and lower limit values.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a fuel cell vehicle comprising:

a fuel cell;

a converter for controlling an output voltage of the fuel cell;

a load to which electric power is supplied from the fuel cell; and

a control device for setting a target output of the fuel cell based on a load amount of the load, and instructing the converter of a target voltage of the fuel cell depending on the target output, the method comprising;

by use of the control device,

in a case where the load amount is a predetermined value or less, implementing extremely low current control for performing power generation at an extremely low current below a lower limit current of the fuel cell for normal operation; and

at the time of implementing the extremely low current control, setting upper and lower limit values of a target output voltage of the converter in correspondence with the extremely low current, and controlling the output voltage of the fuel cell to be within a range between the upper and lower limit values.

2. The method of controlling the fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting a target current of the fuel cell in correspondence with the extremely low current, and correcting the target output voltage of the converter depending on a difference between the target current and an output current of the fuel cell.

3. The method of controlling the fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in a current-voltage characteristic of the fuel cell, and changing the upper and lower limit values based on the change in the current-voltage characteristic.

4. The method of controlling the fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell vehicle further comprises an energy storage device;

the load includes a traction motor;

the fuel cell is capable of supplying electric power to the traction motor and the energy storage device; and

the energy storage device is capable of supplying electric power to the traction motor, and being charged with regenerative electric power from the traction motor.