US 11,742,504 B2
Vehicle fuel cell purging system
Zeng Qiu, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI (US); Rajit Johri, San Francisco, CA (US); Craig Winfield Peterson, West Bloomfield, MI (US); Alireza Goshtasbi, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Hao Wang, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Ming Cheng, Northville, MI (US); and William Frederick Sanderson, Jr., Commerce Township, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Jan. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/578,971.
Prior Publication US 2023/0231166 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04746 (2016.01); H01M 8/04089 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04753 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04089 (2013.01); H01M 8/04761 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell having a stack for generating power, the stack has an anode side configured to receive hydrogen and a cathode side configured to receive air;
an injection valve configured to open to deliver the hydrogen to the anode side;
a purge valve configured to open to purge water and nitrogen from the anode side; and
a controller programmed to,
operate the injection valve to deliver hydrogen to the anode side according to a pulse delivery method via opening the injection valve followed by closing the injection valve, wherein a single pulse of the pulse delivery method corresponds to a time between each opening of the injection valve,
in response to a concentration of the hydrogen in the anode side being less than a threshold during at least one pulse, open the purge valve to purge water and nitrogen from the anode side, wherein the concentration of the hydrogen in the anode side is based on a fraction having (i) a numerator that is based on a change in a pressure of the anode side while the injection valve is closed during each pulse and (ii) a denominator that is based on (a) a maximum pressure experienced by the anode side while the injection valve is closed during each pulse and (b) a change in a voltage of the stack while the injection valve is closed during each pulse, and
in response to the concentration of the hydrogen in the anode side not being less than the threshold during each pulse, maintain a closed condition of the purge valve.