Noise-comfort function for cooling systems with proportional variable speed fans
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- determining at least one fan request for a variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system;
employing a noise-comfort function to select a fan comfort request; and
adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the at least one fan request and the fan comfort request, wherein a noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against.
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Abstract
A method for operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle is provided. The method includes the steps of: determining a fan request for a variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system; employing a noise-comfort function to select a fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the fan request; wherein a noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against. A cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle that employs the noise-comfort function is also provided.
44 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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determining at least one fan request for a variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system; employing a noise-comfort function to select a fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the at least one fan request and the fan comfort request, wherein a noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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determining at least one fan request for a variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system; employing a noise-comfort function to select a fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the at least one fan request and the fan comfort request, wherein a noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against, wherein the employing of the noise-comfort function includes the step of measuring at least one variable including a power of the fuel cell stack and a vehicle speed, wherein the power of the fuel cell stack is determined by measuring by a current of the fuel cell stack and a voltage of the fuel cell stack, and wherein the step of measuring of the current and the voltage includes filtering a current measurement and a voltage measurement, wherein a signal noise is minimized.
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10. A method of operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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determining at least one fan request for a variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system; employing a noise-comfort function to select a fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the at least one fan request and the fan comfort request, wherein a noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against, wherein the employing of the noise-comfort function includes the step of measuring at least one variable including a power of the fuel cell stack and a vehicle speed, and wherein the employing of the noise-comfort function includes the steps of; correlating the power of the fuel cell stack to a first fan comfort request, and correlating the vehicle speed to a second fan comfort request, wherein the fan comfort request is the lesser of a value of the first fan comfort request and a value of the second fan comfort request.
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11. A method of operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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providing the cooling system for the fuel cell stack in the vehicle, the cooling system including a coolant source in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack, a variable speed fan adapted to reduce a temperature of a coolant, at least one power sensor adapted to measure a power output of the fuel cell stack and generate a power output signal, at least one velocity sensor adapted to measure a speed of the vehicle and generate a vehicle speed signal, and a controller having a noise comfort function that selects a fan comfort request based on the power output signal and the vehicle speed signal, the fan comfort request representing a compromise between the temperature of the coolant and a noise emission by the variable speed fan; determining at least one fan request for the variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system; employing the noise-comfort function to select the fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the at least one fan request and the fan comfort request, wherein the noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a Vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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providing the cooling system for the fuel cell stack in the vehicle, the cooling system including a coolant source in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack, a variable speed fan adapted to reduce a temperature of a coolant, at least one power sensor adapted to measure a power output of the fuel cell stack and generate a power output signal, at least one velocity sensor adapted to measure a speed of the vehicle and generate a vehicle speed signal, and a controller having a noise comfort function that selects a fan comfort request based on the power output signal and the vehicle speed signal, the fan comfort request representing a compromise between the temperature of the coolant and a noise emission by the variable speed fan, determining a plurality of desired fan requests for the variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system, wherein the step of determining the plurality of fan requests includes determining a fan request for a fuel cell stack, determining a fan request for a power electronics controller, and determining a fan request for a vehicle climate controller; selecting a maximum fan request from the plurality of desired fan requests; employing the noise-comfort function to select a fan comfort request; selecting a fan command from the maximum fan request and the fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the fan command, wherein the noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against.
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16. A method of operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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providing the cooling system for the fuel cell stack in the vehicle, the cooling system including a coolant source in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack, a variable speed fan adapted to reduce a temperature of a coolant, at least one power sensor adapted to measure a power output of the fuel cell stack and generate a power output signal, at least one velocity sensor adapted to measure a speed of the vehicle and generate a vehicle speed signal, and a controller having a noise comfort function that selects a fan comfort request based on the power output signal and the vehicle speed signal, the fan comfort request representing a compromise between the temperature of the coolant and a noise emission by the variable speed fan, wherein the controller is in communication with the at least one power sensor and the at least one velocity sensor, the controller adapted to receive the power output signal from the at least one power sensor and the vehicle speed signal from the at least one velocity sensor, wherein the controller is in communication with at least one of the fuel cell stack, a power electronics controller, and a vehicle climate controller, and receives at least one fan request signal from at least one of the fuel cell stack, the power electronics controller, and the vehicle climate controller, and wherein the controller compares the fan comfort request and the at least one fan request and limits the speed of the variable speed fan by generating a fan command to the variable speed fan in response to one of the fan request and the fan comfort request; determining the at least one fan request for the variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system; employing the noise-comfort function to select the fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the at least one fan request and the fan comfort request, wherein the noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against.
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Specification