Fuel cell control system

• US 7,795,753 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kubo, Kenji, Ichinose, Masaya, Komachiya, Masahiro, Futami, Motoo, Takeda, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Fritz M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parries; Dru M
• Application Number:
  US10/729,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20040115487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,471 Days
• Field of Search: 307/45
• US Class Current: 307/45
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04597 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04604 Power, energy, capacity or load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04917 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04947 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/466 Scheduling the operation of the generators, e.g. connecting or disconnecting generators to meet a given demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

To control the receiving power, this invention uses a secondary battery to cut peaks of the receiving power. Further, this invention calculates the load power from the detected receiving power value and command values of the secondary battery in the controller and the power generating facility, and filters the load power to create command values of the fuel cells.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system control unit comprising:

a first power converter electrically connected to an electric power system;

an electric load connected to an electric line which ties the electric power system and the first power converter;

a set of fuel cells connected to a DC circuit of said first power converter through a second power converter;

a secondary battery connected to said DC circuit through a third power converter;

a system voltage detecting means which detects an AC voltage on the power system and outputs its detected value;

a receiving current detector for detecting the receiving current which is total of a current flowing through said first power converter and a current flowing through the electric load;

means for calculating a receiving electric power based on the receiving current detected by said receiving current detector and the system voltage detected by said system voltage detecting means;

means for controlling said third power converter so that said receiving power does not exceed a receiving power threshold value;

means for calculating the output power of the secondary battery;

means for calculating the output power of the set of fuel cells;

means for calculating the load power which the load consumes based on the receiving power, the output power of the secondary battery, and the output power of the set of fuel cells;

means for calculating an average value of the load power by filtering the load power calculated;

means for controlling the second power converter so that the output power of the set of fuel cells approaches the average value of load power; and

means for controlling the first electric power converter so that a DC side voltage of the first electric power converter approaches a predetermined DC voltage instruction value.

2. The fuel cell system control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage regulating means which feeds back a DC voltage value detected by said first converter and outputs a current command value so that the product of the fed-back DC voltage value by the current command value may be equal to a power command value;

an automatic current regulator which feeds back said detected AC current value and outputs an output voltage command value to make the current equal to said current command value;

a pulse width modulation (PWM) means which receives said output voltage command value and outputs pulses to drive the converter; and

a control unit which controls charging and discharging of the power system and power according to said voltage command value.

3. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, wherein said means for controlling said first-third converters further comprises:

a first current control means to make the current command value equal to the current of the fuel cell; and

a second current control means to make the current command value equal to the current of the secondary battery.

4. The fuel cell control system according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a means for calculating average values from said detected load power values.