Hydrogen concentration control device and method for fuel cell system

摘要

Disclosed is a device and method for controlling hydrogen concentration of a fuel cell system to maintain the concentration of hydrogen of an anode at a proper level in accordance with the concentration supplied to a fuel cell. More specifically, a hydrogen concentration measuring sensor is directly provided in a hydrogen storage device, the hydrogen concentration and the impurity concentration in an anode channel of the fuel cell system are estimated based on a measured hydrogen concentration, and when it is determined that the hydrogen concentration in the anode channel falls under a reference value at which the fuel cell system can be stably operated, purge control for discharging the gases (hydrogen and impurities) in the anode channel to the outside is performed, so that the hydrogen concentration in the anode channel of the fuel cell system can be maintained equal to or higher than the reference value.

主权项

1. A hydrogen concentration control device for a fuel cell system having a hydrogen supply system for supplying hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell, the device comprising:
a hydrogen concentration measuring sensor directly disposed in a hydrogen tank of the hydrogen supply system or in a hydrogen supply tube connected between the hydrogen tank and the anode to measure a hydrogen concentration in the hydrogen tank; and a controller configured to estimate the hydrogen concentration in the anode channel based on the hydrogen concentration in the hydrogen tank measured by the hydrogen concentration measuring sensor and a crossover quantity of impurities, and perform purge control of gases in the anode channel by opening a hydrogen purge valve when the controller determines that the estimated hydrogen concentration in the anode channel has fallen below a reference value, wherein the crossover quantity of the impurities comprises quantities of oxygen and nitrogen that are transmitted to the anode from the cathode.