Emergency start device of fuel cell vehicle for DC/DC converter failure

• US 9,637,021 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Suh, Kyung Won, Yoon, Sung Gone, Lee, Kyuil
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warmflash, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/097,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20140183940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 307 91, 307 66
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/31 for starting of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An emergency start device of a fuel cell vehicle having a motor as a driving source is provided and includes a fuel cell that supplies power to a motor and an air blower that supplies air to the fuel cell. A high voltage battery supplies power to the air blower and a direct current (DC) converter increases an output of the high voltage battery to transfer the output to the air blower. In addition, a first switch transfers or intercepts an output of the high voltage battery to the air blower. By directly transferring a voltage of the high voltage battery to the air blower, the fuel cell is driven, when the DC converter fails while driving by the high voltage battery.

Claims

1. An emergency start device of a fuel cell vehicle having a motor as a driving source, the emergency start device comprising:

a fuel cell configured to supply power to the motor;

an air blower configured to supply air to the fuel cell;

a high voltage battery configured to supply power to the air blower;

a direct current (DC) converter configured to increase an output of the high voltage battery to transfer the output to the air blower; and

a first switch configured to transfer or intercept an output of the high voltage battery to the air blower,

wherein by directly transferring a voltage of the high voltage battery to the air blower, the fuel cell is driven, when the DC converter fails while driven by the high voltage battery,

wherein a controller is configured to turn on the first switch and sense a failure of the DC converter,

wherein when the fuel cell is stopped and the vehicle is driven by the high voltage battery, the controller is configured to periodically sense the failure of the DC converter in an electric vehicle (EV) mode, and

wherein when air is supplied to start the fuel cell, the controller is configured to turn off the first switch to intercept the output of the high voltage battery.

2. The emergency start device of claim 1, wherein the DC converter comprises

a first transistor and a second transistor connected in series between the first node and the ground;

and

a charge capacitor formed between a first node and ground.

3. The emergency start device of claim 2, wherein the first switch is turned on to transfer an output of the high voltage battery to a second node between the first transistor and the second transistor.

4. The emergency start device of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to turn the first and second transistors on and off.

5. The emergency start device of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to convert the EV mode to an emergency start mode by turning on the first switch and the first transistor, when the DC converter fails in the EV mode.

6. The emergency start device of claim 5, wherein the air blower is turned on by a voltage of the high voltage battery in the emergency start mode.

7. An emergency start method of a fuel cell vehicle having a motor as a driving source, the method comprising:

determining, by a controller, whether a direct-current (DC) converter operates normally;

in response to determining that the DC/DC converter is operating normally, alternately turning on and off, by the controller, first and second transistors and charging a charge to a second capacitor;

turning on, by the controller, an air blower using a voltage battery when a voltage of the second capacitor has reached a predetermined voltage;

periodically sensing, by the controller, a failure of the DC converter in an electric vehicle (EV) mode that is driven by the high voltage battery; and

turning off, by the controller, voltage supply to the air blower when the fuel cell is started.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined voltage is about 400V.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the DC converter comprises

a first transistor and a second transistor connected in series between the first node and the ground;

and

a charge capacitor formed between a first node and ground.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first switch is turned on to transfer an output of the high voltage battery to a second node between the first transistor and the second transistor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

converting, by the controller, the EV mode to an emergency start mode by turning on the first switch and the first transistor, when the DC converter fails in the EV mode.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that determine whether a direct-current (DC) converter operates normally;

program instructions that alternately turn on and off first and second transistors and charging a charge to a second capacitor in response to determining that the DC/DC converter is operating normally;

program instructions that turn on an air blower using a voltage battery when a voltage of the second capacitor has reached a predetermined voltage;

program instructions that periodically sense a failure of the DC converter in an electric vehicle (EV) mode that is driven by the high voltage battery; and

program instructions that turn off voltage supply to the air blower when the fuel cell is started.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the predetermined voltage is about 400V.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the DC converter comprises

a first transistor and a second transistor connected in series between the first node and the ground;

and

a charge capacitor formed between a first node and ground.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first switch is turned on to transfer an output of the high voltage battery to a second node between the first transistor and the second transistor.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions that convert the EV mode to an emergency start mode by turning on the first switch and the first transistor, when the DC converter fails in the EV mode.