Apparatus and method for managing power of fuel cell

1. An apparatus for managing power of a fuel cell, the apparatus comprising:

a power conversion device configured to convert a high voltage into a low voltage, which is lower than the high voltage, and to supply the converted low voltage to a low voltage battery;

a cooling device configured to flow a coolant to cool the power conversion device; and

a controller configured to determine whether or not to drive the cooling device based on a remaining state of charge (SOC) of the low voltage battery, and to control the cooling device to be driven to cool the power conversion device based on a determination result of whether to drive the cooling device,

wherein the power conversion device includes:

a bidirectional high voltage DC-DC converter (BHDC) configured to drop a regenerative power to charge a high voltage battery, an operating voltage of which is higher than that of the low voltage battery, or to boost a power of the high voltage battery to supply the boosted power to an electrical load; and

a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC) configured to convert an output power of the BHDC into a low voltage to charge the low voltage battery, and

wherein the controller drives the BHDC, and then drives the LDC to charge the low voltage battery when 1) a voltage at an input terminal of the LDC is higher than a certain voltage and 2) a remaining SOC of the high voltage battery is greater than or equal to a second SOC.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls to drive a low voltage electrical balance of plant (E-BOP) of a vehicle when an amount of charging of a hydrogen tank is greater than a certain remaining amount when the vehicle is started.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller drives the BHDC, and then drives the LDC to charge the low voltage battery when 1) a voltage at an input terminal of the LDC is higher than a certain voltage, 2) a remaining SOC of the high voltage battery is less than a second SOC, and 3) the remaining SOC of the low voltage battery is less than or equal to a first SOC.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller first drives the cooling device before driving the LDC.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller first drives the cooling device before driving the LDC.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller drives the BHDC, and then drives a fuel cell stack when 1) a voltage at an input terminal of the LDC is higher than a certain voltage, 2) a remaining SOC of the high voltage battery is less than a second SOC, and 3) the remaining SOC of the low voltage battery is greater than a first SOC.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller drives the fuel cell stack, and then drives the LDC such that an SOC of the low voltage battery is greater than the first SOC.

8. A method for managing power of a fuel cell, the method comprising:

controlling driving of a power conversion device configured to convert a high voltage into a low voltage, which is lower than the high voltage, and supplying the converted low voltage to a low voltage battery;

determine whether or not to drive a cooling device configured to flow a coolant to cool the power conversion device, based on a remaining state of charge (SOC) of the low voltage battery;

controlling the cooling device to be driven to cool the power conversion device based on a determination result of whether or not to drive the cooling device;

dropping, by a bidirectional high voltage DC-DC converter (BHDC), a regenerative power to charge a high voltage battery, an operating voltage of which is higher than that of the low voltage battery, or boosting, by the BHDC, a power of the high voltage battery to supply the boosted power to an electrical load;

converting, by a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC), an output power of the BHDC into a low voltage to charge the low voltage battery; and

driving the BHDC, and then driving the LDC to charge the low voltage battery when 1) a voltage at an input terminal of the LDC is higher than a certain voltage and 2) a remaining SOC of the high voltage battery is greater than or equal to a second SOC.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

controlling to drive a low voltage E-BOP of a vehicle, when an amount of charging of a hydrogen tank is greater than a certain remaining amount when the vehicle is started.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

driving the BHDC, and then driving the LDC to charge the low voltage battery when 1) a voltage at an input terminal of the LDC is higher than a certain voltage, 2) a remaining SOC of the high voltage battery is less than a second SOC, and 3) the remaining SOC of the low voltage battery is less than or equal to a first SOC.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

first driving the cooling device before driving the LDC.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

first driving the cooling device before driving the LDC.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

driving the BHDC, and then driving a fuel cell stack when 1) a voltage at an input terminal of the LDC is higher than a certain voltage, 2) a remaining SOC of the high voltage battery is less than a second SOC, and 3) the remaining SOC of the low voltage battery is greater than a first SOC.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

driving the fuel cell stack, and then driving the LDC such that an SOC of the low voltage battery is greater than the first SOC.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the cooling device to not be driven when the remaining SOC of the low voltage battery is greater than a first SOC.

16. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

controlling the cooling device to not be driven when the remaining SOC of the low voltage battery is greater than a first SOC.