State detection device and method for fuel cell

• US 10,115,987 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kotaka, Toshikazu, Aoki, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Usyatinsky, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US15/554,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04492 Humidity; Ambient humidity; Water content
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04529 of the electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04634 Other electric variables, e.g. resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04641 of the individual fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04664 Failure or abnormal function
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0485 of the electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04949 other electric variables, e.g. resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1039 halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A state detection device for fuel cell includes a supposed high-frequency impedance value setting unit configured to set a supposed high-frequency impedance value on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to an arc region of an impedance curve of the fuel cell, an actually measured high-frequency impedance value calculation unit configured to obtain an actually measured high-frequency impedance value on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to a non-arc region of the impedance curve of the fuel cell, and an ionomer resistance estimation unit configured to estimate a value obtained by subtracting the actually measured high-frequency impedance value from the supposed high-frequency impedance value as an ionomer resistance value. The supposed high-frequency impedance value setting unit sets a value of an intersection of an equivalent circuit impedance curve set on the basis of the impedance measurement value belonging to the arc region and a real ads as the supposed high-frequency impedance value.

Claims

1. A state detection device for fuel cell, comprising

a controller programmed to:

set a predetermined high-frequency impedance value on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to an arc region of an impedance curve of the fuel cell;

obtain an actually measured high-frequency impedance value on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to a non-arc region of the impedance curve of the fuel cell;

estimate a value obtained by subtracting the actually measured high-frequency impedance value from the predetermined high-frequency impedance value as an ionomer resistance value; and

set a value of an intersection of an equivalent circuit impedance curve set on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to the arc region and a real axis as the predetermined high-frequency impedance value.

2. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein:

the equivalent circuit impedance curve is set by applying the impedance measurement value belonging to the arc region to an equation for impedance obtained from an equivalent circuit of the fuel cell.

3. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein:

the equivalent circuit impedance curve is set by applying real parts and imaginary parts of impedance measurement values at two or more frequencies in the arc region to an equation for impedance real part;

4. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to:

obtain an increase of an ionomer resistance value by comparing a reference value of the ionomer resistance value estimated under a reference operating condition and a post-deterioration ionomer resistance value estimated after the fuel cell is operated for a predetermined time from an estimated value under the reference operating condition; and

make a correction by subtracting the increase from a current estimated value of the ionomer resistance value.

5. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 4, wherein:

the state detection device detects a deteriorated state of a catalyst layer of the fuel cell on the basis of the current estimated value of the ionomer resistance value, which has been corrected.

6. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

estimate an electrolyte membrane resistance value;

compare a reference electrolyte membrane resistance value set on the basis of a relationship between the estimated ionomer resistance value and a wet/dry state of the fuel cell and a post-deterioration actually measured high-frequency impedance value estimated after the fuel cell is operated for a predetermined time from the set to obtain a difference between these; and

make a correction by subtracting the difference from a current measurement value of the actually measured high-frequency impedance value.

7. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

obtain two or more candidates for the predetermined high-frequency impedance value on the basis of two or more impedance measurement values belonging to the arc region; and

set an average value of the two or more candidates for the predetermined high-frequency impedance value as the predetermined high-frequency impedance value.

8. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

obtain two or more candidates for the actually measured high-frequency impedance value on the basis of two or more impedance measurement values belonging to the non-arc region; and

set an average value of the two or more candidates for the actually measured high-frequency impedance value as the actually measured high-frequency impedance value.

9. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

obtain two or more candidates for the predetermined high-frequency impedance value on the basis of two or more impedance measurement values belonging to the arc region; and

set a higher value out of the two or more candidates for the predetermined high-frequency impedance value as the predetermined high-frequency impedance value.

10. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

obtain two or more candidates for the actually measured high-frequency impedance value on the basis of two or more impedance measurement values belonging to the non-arc region; and

set a lower value out of the two or more candidates for the actually measured high-frequency impedance value as the actually measured high-frequency impedance value.

11. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

obtain two or more candidates for the predetermined high-frequency impedance value on the basis of two or more impedance measurement values belonging to the arc region; and

set a lower value out of the two or more candidates for the predetermined high-frequency impedance value as the predetermined high-frequency impedance value.

12. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

obtain two or more candidates for the actually measured high-frequency impedance value on the basis of two or more impedance measurement values belonging to the non-arc region; and

set a higher value out of the two or more candidates for the actually measured high-frequency impedance value as the actually measured high-frequency impedance value.

13. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to compare a value of an intersection of a straight line connecting impedance measurement values measured at two or more frequencies and a real axis and the actually measured high-frequency impedance value to determine whether each of the two or more frequencies belongs to the non-arc region or to the arc region.

14. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine that all of the two or more frequencies belong to the non-arc region if the value of the intersection of the straight line and the real axis and the actually measured high-frequency impedance value substantially match.

15. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine that at least one frequency having a relatively small value out of the two or more frequencies belongs to the arc region if the value of the intersection of the straight line and the real axis and the actually measured high-frequency impedance value do not substantially match.

16. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 15, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine that all of the two or more frequencies belong to the arc region if the value of the intersection is smaller than the actually measured high-frequency impedance value.

17. The state detection device for fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein:

the fuel cell is configured as a laminated battery;

the state detection device further comprises an alternating current power supply connected to the laminated battery, the alternating current power supply outputting an alternating current to the laminated battery; and

the controller is further programmed to

adjust the alternating current on the basis of a positive-electrode side alternating current potential difference and a negative-electrode side alternating current potential difference, the positive-electrode side alternating current potential difference being a potential difference obtained by subtracting a potential of an intermediate part of the laminated battery from a potential on a positive-electrode side of the laminated battery, the negative-electrode side alternating current potential difference being a potential difference obtained by subtracting the potential of the intermediate part from a potential on a negative-electrode side of the fuel cell; and

compute the impedance measurement value of the fuel cell on the basis of the adjusted alternating current and the positive-electrode side alternating current potential difference and the negative-electrode side alternating current potential difference.

18. A state detection method for fuel cell, comprising:

a predetermined high-frequency impedance value setting step of setting a predetermined high-frequency impedance value on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to an arc region of an impedance curve of the fuel cell;

an actually measured high-frequency impedance value calculation step of obtaining an actually measured high-frequency impedance value on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to a non-arc region of the impedance curve of the fuel cell; and

an ionomer resistance estimation step of estimating a value obtained by subtracting the actually measured high-frequency impedance value from the predetermined high-frequency impedance value as an ionomer resistance value;

a value of an intersection of an equivalent circuit impedance curve set on the basis of an impedance measurement value belonging to the arc region and a real axis being set as the predetermined high-frequency impedance value in the predetermined high-frequency impedance value setting step.