Hybrid fuel cell system with battery capacitor energy storage system

• US 7,427,450 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Raiser, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Alejandro; Raymond
• Application Number:
  US11/009,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20060127704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 429/22, 429/23, 429/34, 429/9, 429/7, 429/122, 320/101, 320/104, 320/116, 320/166, 320/138, 363/15, 363/63, 318/139, 318/798, 180/65.3
• US Class Current: 429/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• 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

A fuel cell system that employs a super capacitor and battery electrically coupled in series with each other and in parallel with a fuel cell stack on a power bus line. As the voltage on the power bus line changes over the operating requirements of the system, the super capacitor is charged and discharged over a relatively large voltage swing, such as an 85% SOC swing. The super capacitor equalizes or voltage matches the voltage variation on the power bus line as set by the stack voltage to the voltage of the battery. Therefore, the battery, while providing the majority of the energy and power during charge and discharge, has a relatively small defined SOC swing, which acts to maintain the battery life. The system can also include a diode electrically coupled in parallel with the super capacitor that provides reverse voltage protection and electrical power by-pass.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

an electrical power bus line;

a fuel cell stack electrically coupled to the power bus line;

a battery electrically coupled to the power bus line; and

a capacitor electrically coupled to the power bus line in series with the battery, said capacitor providing voltage matching for voltage swings on the power bus line.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 further comprising a diode electrically coupled in parallel with the capacitor, said diode providing reverse voltage protection for the capacitor.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 wherein the battery is selected from the group consisting of lithium batteries, nickel-metal-hydride batteries and lead-acid batteries.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 wherein the capacitor is selected from the group consisting of super capacitors, double layer capacitors and ultra-capacitors.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 wherein the battery provides about ⅔

of a predetermined supplemental power in addition to a fuel cell stack power and the capacitor provides about ⅓

of the predetermined supplemental power.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 wherein the fuel cell stack provides about 70 kW of power, the battery provides about 20 kW of power and the capacitor provides about 10 kW of power.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 wherein the capacitor has a state of charge swing of about 85% and the battery has a state of charge swing of about 20%.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 further comprising a switched resistor electrical coupled in parallel with the capacitor or the battery to provide long-term state-of-charge equalization of the system.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 further comprising an AC or DC traction motor system electrically coupled to the power bus line, said motor system providing a voltage on the power bus line during regenerative braking for recharging the battery and the capacitor.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 wherein the fuel cell system is on a fuel cell hybrid vehicle.

11. A fuel cell system comprising:

an electrical power bus line;

a fuel cell stack electrically coupled to the power bus line;

a battery electrically coupled to the power bus line in parallel with the fuel cell stack; and

a super capacitor electrically coupled to the power bus line in series with the battery and in parallel with the fuel cell stack, said capacitor having a state of charge swing of about 85% so as to provide voltage matching to the power bus line determined by changes of stack voltage, wherein the battery provides about ⅔

of a predetermined supplemental power in addition to a fuel cell stack power and the super capacitor provides about ⅓

of the predetermined supplemental power.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 further comprising a diode electrically coupled in parallel with the super capacitor, said diode providing reverse voltage protection for the capacitor.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 wherein the battery is selected from the group consisting of lithium batteries, nickel-metal-hydride batteries and lead-acid batteries.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 further comprising a switched resistor electrical coupled in parallel with the capacitor or the battery to provide long-term state-of-charge equalization of the system.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 further comprising an AC or DC traction motor system electrically coupled to the power bus line, said motor system providing a voltage on the power bus line during regenerative braking for recharging the battery and the super capacitor.

16. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 wherein the fuel cell system is on a fuel cell hybrid vehicle.

17. A fuel cell system for a fuel cell hybrid vehicle, said system comprising:

an electrical power bus line;

a fuel cell stack electrically coupled to the power bus line;

a battery electrically coupled to the power bus line; and

a super capacitor electrically coupled to the power bus line in series with the battery, said super capacitor providing voltage matching for voltage swings on the power bus line; and

an AC or DC traction motor system electrically coupled to the power bus line for driving the vehicle, said motor system providing a voltage on the power bus line during regenerative braking for recharging the battery and the super capacitor.

18. The fuel cell system according to claim 17 further comprising a diode electrically coupled in parallel with the capacitor, said diode providing reverse voltage protection for the capacitor.

19. The fuel cell system according to claim 17 wherein the battery is selected from the group consisting of lithium batteries, nickel-metal-hydride batteries and lead-acid batteries.

20. The fuel cell system according to claim 17 wherein the battery provides about ⅔

of a predetermined supplemental power in addition to the fuel cell stack power and the super capacitor provides about ⅓

of the predetermined supplemental power.

21. The fuel cell system according to claim 20 wherein the fuel cell stack provides about 70 kW of power, the battery provides about 20 kW of power and the super capacitor provides about 10 kW of power.

22. The fuel cell system according to claim 17 wherein the super capacitor has a state of charge swing of about 85% and the battery has a state of charge swing of about 20%.

23. The fuel cell system according to claim 17 further comprising a switched resistor electrical coupled in parallel with the capacitor or the battery to provide long-term state-of-charge equalization of the system.