Hydrogen powered vehicle refueling strategy

• US 7,671,482 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Tighe, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US11/670,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 141/206, 141/207, 141/94, 141/348
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A method for refueling hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles is disclosed, that is capable of automatically disabling the vehicle systems, resetting the vehicle systems to allow for normal vehicle operation after the refueling event is complete, and determining if a faulty refueling event has been detected and allows normal vehicle operation.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle during a refueling operation, the method comprising the steps of:

(a). providing a vehicle system, a control system in electrical communication with the vehicle system, and at least one refueling sensor in electrical communication with the control system;

(b). determining whether the vehicle is refueling with hydrogen using the refueling sensors;

(c). generating and transmitting a vehicle refueling signal from the refueling sensors to the control system; and

(d). disabling the vehicle system using the control system when a vehicle refueling signal is received.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the refueling sensor is at least one of a fuel door switch, a fuel nozzle sensor, a fuel tank temperature sensor, and a fuel tank pressure sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, including performing said step (a) by providing a first refueling sensor and a second refueling sensor.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of determining a faulty refueling signal when at least one of the first refueling signal and the second refueling signal fail to communicate a refueling is occurring to the control system within a predetermined time period.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of enabling the vehicle system using the control system when a faulty refueling signal is determined.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using the control system to enable the vehicle system when the refueling is complete.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of implementing a time delay before re-enabling the vehicle system when the refueling is complete.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of disabling the fuel cell power system using the control system when the vehicle is refueling.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is a traction drive system.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of disabling the fuel cell power system using the control system when the vehicle is refueling.

10. A method of controlling a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle during a refueling operation, the method comprising the steps of:

(a). providing a vehicle system, a control system in electrical communication with the vehicle system, at least one fuel inlet sensor in electrical communication with the control system, and at least one fuel tank sensor in electrical communication with the control system;

(b). determining vehicle refueling with hydrogen using the fuel inlet refueling sensor;

(c). determining vehicle refueling with hydrogen using the fuel tank refueling sensor;

(d). generating and transmitting a first vehicle refueling signal from the fuel inlet sensor and a second refueling signal from the fuel tank sensor to the control system;

(e). disabling the vehicle system using the control system when a vehicle refueling signal is received; and

(f). re-enabling the vehicle system using the control system when the refueling is complete.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the fuel inlet sensor is at least one of a fuel door switch, and a fuel nozzle sensor.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the fuel tank sensor is at least one of a fuel tank temperature sensor, and a fuel tank pressure sensor.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of determining a faulty refueling signal when the fuel inlet sensor and the fuel tank sensor do not both communicate a vehicle refueling is occurring to the control system within a predetermined time period.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of enabling the traction drive system using the control system when a faulty refueling signal is determined.

16. A method of controlling a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle during a refueling operation, the method comprising the steps of:

(a). providing a traction drive system, a control system in electrical communication with the traction drive system, at least one fuel inlet sensor in electrical communication with the control system, and at least one fuel tank sensor in electrical communication with the control system;

(b). detecting vehicle refueling with hydrogen using the fuel inlet sensor;

(c). detecting vehicle refueling with hydrogen using the fuel tank sensor;

(d). generating and transmitting a first vehicle refueling signal from the fuel inlet sensor and a second refueling signal from the fuel tank sensor to the control system;

(e). determining a faulty refueling signal when the first refueling signal and the second refueling signal do not both communicate a refueling is occurring to the control system within a predetermined time period;

(f). disabling the vehicle system using the control system when the vehicle refueling signal received is not faulty; and

(g). re-enabling the vehicle system using the control system when the refueling is complete.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the fuel inlet sensor is at least one of a fuel door switch, a fuel nozzle sensor.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the fuel tank sensor is at least one of a fuel tank temperature sensor, and a fuel tank pressure sensor.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of disabling the fuel cell power system using the control system when the vehicle is refueling.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of implementing a time delay before re-enabling the vehicle system when the refueling is complete.