US 12,255,365 B2
Device and computer-implemented method for determining a state of a fuel cell system
Christoph Zimmer, Korntal (DE); Jochen Braun, Heimsheim (DE); Sebastian Gerwinn, Leonberg (DE); Sriganesh Sriram, Stuttgart (DE); and Volker Imhof, Kornwestheim (DE)
Assigned to Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
Filed by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/489,209.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 212 654.2 (DE), filed on Oct. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0109170 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04298 (2016.01); H01M 8/04537 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04305 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04552 (2013.01); H01M 8/04559 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining a state of a fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack, the method being computer-implemented, the method comprising:
providing data that each map input variables of the fuel cell system and a position of a cell of the fuel cell stack to a voltage of the cell, the voltage of each cell of the fuel cell stack determined using a cell voltage monitoring sensor system operably connected to a processing unit;
training a model using the processing unit, depending on the provided data, to map the input variables of the fuel cell system and the position of the cell of the fuel cell stack to a probability distribution for a prediction of the voltage of the cell;
determining instantaneous input variables of the fuel cell system, using sensors operably connected to the fuel cell stack, the sensors including an impedance sensor, the instantaneous input variables determined without using the cell voltage monitoring sensor system;
determining, as an output of the trained model, at least one probability for at least one of (i) the voltage of at least one cell of the fuel cell stack, and (ii) a total voltage of the fuel cell stack, based on the instantaneous input variables, which are provided as an input to the trained model;
determining a state of the fuel cell system based on the determined at least one probability using the processing unit and without using the cell voltage monitoring sensor system, the determined state including a safe operating state of the fuel cell system and an unsafe operating state of the fuel cell system; and
operating the fuel cell system using the processing unit to supply an electrical system of a vehicle with electrical power from the fuel cell stack for operating the vehicle when the determined state is the operating state.