Power control for hybrid fuel cell systems

• US 7,829,229 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• 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: Kallo, Josef, Maier, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan; Dah-Wei D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, PATRICIA A
• Application Number:
  US11/464,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20100266921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 429/22
• US Class Current: 429/432
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0488 of fuel cell stacks
• 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: H01M 8/04992 characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A hybrid fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell stack and a high voltage battery. The fuel cell system also includes a cell voltage controller that controls the average cell voltage of the cells in the fuel cell stack, a damped driver request module that damps a driver power request signal, and a power balancing module. The power balancing module maintains the cell voltage of the cells in the stack within a predetermined range, and uses excess power from the stack beyond what is requested to charge the battery. The power balancing module includes a base load limiter that prevents the cell voltage from going above a predetermined value, unless the battery is at is maximum state of charge.

Claims

1. A hybrid fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a power source; and

a controller sub-system including a cell voltage controller, a damped driver power request controller and a power balancing and limiting controller, said cell voltage controller including a first look-up table responsive to a power source state of charge signal and providing a cell voltage set-point signal based on the state of charge of the power source, said cell voltage controller further including a subtractor for subtracting the cell voltage set-point signal from an actual cell voltage signal, said cell voltage controller further including a proportional controller responsive to the subtracted signal and providing a proportional cell voltage gain signal, said damped driver power request controller receiving the state of charge signal and a driver power request signal, said damped driver power request controller including a filter that damps the driver power request signal based on the state of charge signal, said controller sub-system adding the damped power request signal and the gain signal, said power balancing and limiting controller being responsive to the added power request and gain signal and the driver power request signal, and setting a power demand signal for the stack and the power source.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the damped driver power request controller includes a second look-up table responsive to the state of charge signal, said second look-up table increasing the damping signal if the state of charge signal is near a predetermined upper limit.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the power source is a battery.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the filter is a first order filter.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the power balancing and limitation controller prevents the load on the stack from going above a predetermined volt per cell value.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the power balancing and limitation controller provides stack power to charge the battery for low power requests.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the power balancing limitation controller maintains the average cell voltage of the cells in the fuel cell stack in the predetermined range.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the predetermined range is 0.725-0.85 volts.

9. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a battery; and

a controller sub-system for controlling a power demand signal for the stack and the battery so as to maintain the average cell voltage of the stack within a predetermined range, said controller sub-system damping a driver power request, and using excess power to recharge the battery, wherein the controller sub-system includes a damped driver power request controller responsive to the battery state of charge signal and a driver power request signal, said damped driver power controller including a filter that damps the driver power request signal based on the state of charge signal.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the controller sub-system includes a cell-voltage controller having a look-up table responsive to a battery state of charge signal and providing a cell voltage set-point signal based on the state of charge of the battery.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein the filter is a first order filter.

12. The system according to claim 9 wherein the controller sub-system includes a power balancing and limiting controller responsive to a cell voltage set-point signal and a driver power request signal, said power balancing and limiting controller setting a power demand signal for the stack and the battery.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the power balancing and limiting controller prevents the load on the stack from going above a predetermined volt per cell value.

14. The system according to claim 9 wherein the predetermined range is 0.725-0.85 volts.