Apparatus for compensating for torque of fuel cell electric vehicle and method thereof

• US 9,469,197 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Ok, Sung Suk, Ryu, Seong Pil, Kim, Ji Tae, Lee, Kyu Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mazzara, Anne
• Application Number:
  US14/701,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20160144719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/42 by adaptive correction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An apparatus for compensating for torque of a fuel cell electric vehicle includes: a storage configured to store a first look-up table in which pedal amount correction coefficients corresponding to degradation rates of a fuel cell stack are recorded and a second look-up table in which torques corresponding to pedal amounts are recorded; a degradation rate calculator configured to calculate a degradation rate based on a maximum voltage and an output voltage of the fuel cell stack; a correction coefficient searcher configured to search for a correction coefficient corresponding to the calculated degradation rate using the first look-up table; a pedal amount detector configured to detect a pedal amount indicating a degree to which an acceleration pedal is pressed; and a torque compensator configured to compensate for torque by compensating for the detected pedal amount based on the searched correction coefficient using the second look-up table.

Claims

1. An apparatus for compensating for torque of a fuel cell electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a storage configured to store a first look-up table in which pedal amount correction coefficients corresponding to degradation rates of a fuel cell stack are recorded and a second look-up table in which torques corresponding to pedal amounts are recorded;

a degradation rate calculator configured to calculate a degradation rate (α

) based on a maximum voltage (V_P) and an output voltage (V_O) of the fuel cell stack;

a correction coefficient searcher configured to search for a correction coefficient (β

) corresponding to the calculated degradation rate using the first look-up table;

a pedal amount detector configured to detect a pedal amount (P_b) indicating a degree to which an acceleration pedal is pressed; and

a torque compensator configured to compensate for torque by compensating for the detected pedal amount based on the searched correction coefficient using the second look-up table.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degradation rate calculator is further configured to calculate the degradation rate using Equation A, as follows:

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degradation rate calculator includes a voltage measurement instrument configured to measure the output voltage of the fuel cell stack.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degradation rate calculator is further configured to calculate a moving average of a plurality of degradation rates calculated during a threshold period of time, as a final degradation rate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the torque compensator is further configured to compensate for the pedal amount using Equation B, as follows:

P_s=(1+β

)×

P_b,

wherein P_s is a post-compensation pedal amount, and P_b is a prior-compensation pedal amount.

6. A method for compensating for torque of a fuel cell electric vehicle, the method comprising:

storing, in a storage, a first look-up table in which pedal amount correction coefficients corresponding to degradation rates of a fuel cell stack are recorded and a second look-up table in which torques corresponding to pedal amounts are recorded;

calculating, by a degradation rate calculator, a degradation rate (α

) based on a maximum voltage (V_P) and an output voltage (V_O) of the fuel cell stack;

searching, by a correction coefficient searcher, for a correction coefficient (β

) corresponding to the calculated degradation rate using the first look-up table;

detecting, by a pedal amount detector, a pedal amount (P_b) indicating a degree to which an acceleration pedal is pressed; and

compensating, by a torque compensator, for torque by compensating for the detected pedal amount based on the searched correction coefficient using the second look-up table.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising calculating, by the degradation rate calculator, the degradation rate using Equation A, as follows:

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the calculating of the degradation rate comprises measuring, by a voltage measurement instrument, the output voltage of the fuel cell stack.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising calculating, by the degradation rate calculator, a moving average of a plurality of degradation rates calculated during a threshold period of time, as a final degradation rate.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising compensating, by the torque compensator, for the pedal amount using Equation B, as follows:

P_s=(1+β

)×

P_b,

wherein P_s is a post-compensation pedal amount, and P_b is a prior-compensation pedal amount.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for compensating for torque of a fuel cell electric vehicle, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that calculate a degradation rate (α

) using a maximum voltage (V_P) and an output voltage (V_O) of a fuel cell stack;

program instructions that search for a correction coefficient (β

) corresponding to the calculated degradation rate using a stored first look-up table, in which pedal amount correction coefficients corresponding to degradation rates of the fuel cell stack are recorded;

program instructions that detect a pedal amount (P_b) indicating a degree to which an acceleration pedal is pressed; and

program instructions that compensate for torque by compensating for the detected pedal amount based on the searched correction coefficient using a stored second look-up table, in which torques corresponding to pedal amounts are recorded.