Patent · US Active

Advanced control for an electrical heatable wax thermostat in the thermal coolant loop of fuel cell systems

US7588845B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
3References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 15, 2005
Grant dateSep 15, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 17, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A control algorithm for a by-pass valve in a thermal sub-system of a fuel cell system, where the by-pass valve includes a wax element that is heated by a heating element. A stack power loss is applied to a PDT1 controller that associates a PDT dynamic function to the loss. The difference between the desired temperature of the stack and the actual temperature of the stack is applied to a PI controller that provides an error value of the difference. The actual temperature of the stack is applied to a look-up table that provides a value based on how close the actual temperature is to the opening temperature of the wax element. The values from the PDT1 controller, the PI controller and the look-up table are added to provide an output signal to control the current applied to the heater element, and thus, the heat applied to the wax element.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.