Process for dynamically adjusting the power for a vehicle having a fuel cell

• US 5,780,981 A
• Filed: 11/04/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NuCellSys GmbH (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Lorenz, Helmut, Sonntag, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US08/741,764
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 429/12, 429/13, 429/22, 429/23, 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/31 for starting of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

The invention provides a process for dynamically adjusting the power of an electric driving unit of a vehicle which is supplied with electric energy by a fuel cell, the power of the fuel cell or the provided fuel cell current being controlled by means of the supplied air volume flow. The air volume flow is adjusted by the rotational speed of a compressor, a desired rotational speed value being predetermined for the compressor based on an accelerator pedal demand. Simultaneously, based on the measured air flow volume, the actually available fuel cell current is determined and therefrom a corrected accelerator pedal demand is determined. During the starting operation, the accelerator pedal demand is supplied directly to the driving unit, whereas, at higher rotational speeds, it is limited by the corrected accelerator pedal demand.

Claims

1. Process for controlling power generated by a driving unit of an electric vehicle which is supplied with electric energy by a fuel cell, said process comprising the steps of:

determining a desired value for fuel cell power based on an actual accelerator pedal demand value;

continuously controlling power of said fuel cell based on said actual accelerator pedal demand value;

measuring actual fuel cell power;

determining a corrected accelerator pedal demand value based on said actual fuel cell power, which corrected accelerator pedal demand value corresponds to maximum fuel cell power provided for the driving unit;

measuring rotational speed of said driving unit;

when said rotational speed of the driving unit is below a predetermined threshold value, adjusting power consumption of the driving unit based on said actual accelerator pedal demand value; and

when said rotational speed exceeds said predetermined threshold value, adjusting power consumption of the driving unit based on whichever is lower of the corrected accelerator pedal demand value and the actual accelerator pedal demand value.

2. Process according to claim 1 wherein said step of determining a desired value for fuel cell power comprises the steps of:

reading an actual fuel cell voltage of said fuel cell;

when said actual fuel cell voltage is less than a predetermined limit value, determining a desired current value for said fuel cell by means of a characteristic current diagram for the driving unit, based on said rotational speed of said driving unit and on said actual accelerator pedal demand value; and

when said actual fuel cell voltage exceeds said predetermined limit value, determining a desired power value for said fuel cell by means of a characteristic power diagram for the driving unit based on said rotational speed of said driving unit and on said actual accelerator pedal demand, and thereafter determining said desired current value for said fuel cell based on said desired power value and on an instantaneous value of said actual fuel cell voltage.

3. Process according to claim 1, comprising the further step of compensating for a required current demand of the additional electric accessories, by increasing a desired current value by a predetermined amount and decreasing a measured actual current value by a corresponding amount.

4. Process according to claim 1, comprising the further step of compensating for an increased air requirement of the fuel cell during a cold start by means of a cold-start factor which is predetermined as a function of the actual operating temperature.

5. Process according to claim 1, comprising the further step of, when a cell voltage alarm is present, a desired air volume flow value is increased by a predetermined amount and a measured actual air volume flow value is reduced by the corresponding amount.

6. Process according to claim 1, wherein determining the corrected accelerator pedal demand value, efficiency of the driving unit is taken into account.

7. Process according to claim 1, wherein at least non-linear relationships of the fuel cell and of the driving unit are determined in experiments and are stored as non-linear characteristic diagrams.

8. Process according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of measuring actual air volume value flowing to said fuel cell, and modifying the actual accelerator pedal demand value based thereon.

9. Process according to claim 1, wherein air supply to the fuel cell is maintained within a predetermined λ

-range as a function of the fuel cell current.