Method of determining voltage condition of fuel cell vehicle
First Claim
1. A method of determining voltage conditions of a fuel cell vehicle, wherein:
- the fuel cell vehicle includes;
a motor as a driving force source of the vehicle, a motor control device for controlling operation of the motor, a fuel cell, to which a reaction gas is supplied, for generating electric power by an electrochemical reaction, and a battery device which is charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell and sends and receives electrical energy to and from the motor by control of the motor control device;
a voltage conversion device, which comprises a chopper DC-DC converter, for increasing or decreasing a terminal voltage of the battery device and outputting the converted voltage, wherein the battery device and the DC-DC converter are connected to the fuel cell in parallel; and
a control device for outputting a control pulse to the DC-DC converter, wherein the fuel cell and the battery device are directly connected to each other via the DC-DC converter when the duty ratio of the control pulse is set to 100%; and
the method includes setting an average of an output voltage of the fuel cell within a range from a minimum value to a maximum value of an open circuit voltage of the battery device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of determining voltage conditions of a fuel cell vehicle which includes a motor as a driving force source of the vehicle, a motor control device for controlling operation of the motor, a fuel cell, to which a reaction gas is supplied, for generating electric power by an electrochemical reaction, and a battery device which is charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell and sends and receives electrical energy to and from the motor by control of the motor control device. The method includes setting a voltage value, typically an average value, of an output voltage of the fuel cell within a range from a minimum value to a maximum value of an open circuit voltage of the battery device. Even when the fuel cell and the battery device are directly connected, overcharge or overdischarge can be prevented, thereby reducing frequency of voltage conversion.
26 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of determining voltage conditions of a fuel cell vehicle, wherein:
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the fuel cell vehicle includes; a motor as a driving force source of the vehicle, a motor control device for controlling operation of the motor, a fuel cell, to which a reaction gas is supplied, for generating electric power by an electrochemical reaction, and a battery device which is charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell and sends and receives electrical energy to and from the motor by control of the motor control device; a voltage conversion device, which comprises a chopper DC-DC converter, for increasing or decreasing a terminal voltage of the battery device and outputting the converted voltage, wherein the battery device and the DC-DC converter are connected to the fuel cell in parallel; and a control device for outputting a control pulse to the DC-DC converter, wherein the fuel cell and the battery device are directly connected to each other via the DC-DC converter when the duty ratio of the control pulse is set to 100%; and the method includes setting an average of an output voltage of the fuel cell within a range from a minimum value to a maximum value of an open circuit voltage of the battery device. - View Dependent Claims (4, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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2. A method of determining voltage conditions of a fuel cell vehicle, wherein:
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the fuel cell vehicle includes; a motor as a driving force source of the vehicle, a motor control device for controlling operation of the motor, a fuel cell, to which a reaction gas is supplied, for generating electric power by an electrochemical reaction, and a battery device which is charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell and sends and receives electrical energy to and from the motor via the motor control device; a voltage conversion device, which comprises a chopper DC-DC converter, for increasing or decreasing a terminal voltage of the battery device and outputting the converted voltage, wherein the battery device and the DC-DC converter are connected to the fuel cell in parallel; and a control device for outputting a control pulse to the DC-DC converter, wherein the fuel cell and the battery device are directly connected to each other via the DC-DC converter when the duty ratio of the control pulse is set to 100%; and the method includes setting a maximum value of a terminal voltage of the battery device to be greater than a sum of an average of an open circuit voltage of the battery device and a terminal voltage of the battery device which corresponds to a maximum value of a charging current for charging the battery device. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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3. A method of determining voltage conditions of a fuel cell vehicle, wherein:
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the fuel cell vehicle includes; a motor as a driving force source of the vehicle, a motor control device for controlling operation of the motor, a fuel cell, to which a reaction gas is supplied, for generating electric power by an electrochemical reaction, and a battery device which is charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell and sends and receives electrical energy to and from the motor by control of the motor control device; a voltage conversion device, which comprises a chopper DC-DC converter, for increasing or decreasing a terminal voltage of the battery device and outputting the converted voltage, wherein the battery device and the DC-DC converter are connected to the fuel cell in parallel; and a control device for outputting a control pulse to the DC-DC converter, wherein the fuel cell and the battery device are directly connected to each other via the DC-DC converter when the duty ratio of the control pulse is set to 100%; and the method includes; setting a voltage value of an output voltage of the fuel cell within a range from a minimum value to a maximum value of an open circuit voltage of the battery device, and setting a maximum value of a terminal voltage of the battery device to be greater than a sum of an average of an open circuit voltage of the battery device and a terminal voltage of the battery device which corresponds to a maximum value of a charging current for charging the battery device. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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11. A fuel cell vehicle comprising:
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a fuel cell; a motor driven by electric power which is generated by the fuel cell; a battery device connected to the fuel cell in parallel, wherein the battery device is charged by the electric power generated by the fuel cell, and supplies electric power to the motor; and a DC-DC converter for controlling the electric power supplied by the battery device, in accordance with an ON/OFF operation of a switching device, wherein; when an output voltage of the fuel cell is set within a range from a minimum value to a maximum value of an open circuit voltage of the battery device, the switching device is set to an on state so as to directly connect the fuel cell and the battery device to each other.
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Specification