Fuel cell system with variable auxiliary bus voltage and method of operating thereof
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a plurality of fuel cells and a plurality of auxiliary components located in at least one cabinet, comprising:
- monitoring, by a control unit, a parameter of the fuel cell system;
determining whether the parameter has violated a threshold;
in response to determining that the parameter has violated the threshold, varying an auxiliary bus voltage by a first amount, a common auxiliary bus connected to each of the auxiliary components such that each of the auxiliary components experiences the variation in auxiliary bus voltage, the auxiliary components including a fan and at least one of an electronic circuit, a glow plug, a blower, a thawing heater, a pump or a valve;
determining whether the auxiliary bus voltage has reached a voltage limit, the voltage limit preventing overloading of one of the auxiliary components; and
varying the auxiliary bus voltage to the plurality of auxiliary components by a second amount in response to determining that the auxiliary bus voltage has not reached the voltage limit.
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Abstract
A method of operating a fuel cell system which includes a plurality of fuel cells and a plurality of auxiliary components located in at least one cabinet, includes monitoring, by a control unit, a parameter of the fuel cell system, determining whether the parameter has violated a threshold, and varying an auxiliary bus voltage provided to the plurality of auxiliary components connected to a common auxiliary bus by a first amount in response to determining that the parameter has violated the threshold.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a plurality of fuel cells and a plurality of auxiliary components located in at least one cabinet, comprising:
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monitoring, by a control unit, a parameter of the fuel cell system; determining whether the parameter has violated a threshold; in response to determining that the parameter has violated the threshold, varying an auxiliary bus voltage by a first amount, a common auxiliary bus connected to each of the auxiliary components such that each of the auxiliary components experiences the variation in auxiliary bus voltage, the auxiliary components including a fan and at least one of an electronic circuit, a glow plug, a blower, a thawing heater, a pump or a valve; determining whether the auxiliary bus voltage has reached a voltage limit, the voltage limit preventing overloading of one of the auxiliary components; and varying the auxiliary bus voltage to the plurality of auxiliary components by a second amount in response to determining that the auxiliary bus voltage has not reached the voltage limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A fuel cell system, comprising:
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a plurality of auxiliary components connected to a common auxiliary voltage bus, the plurality of auxiliary components including a fan and at least one of an electronic circuit, a glow plug, a blower, a thawing heater, a pump or a valve; an input/output module configured to provide an auxiliary bus voltage to the plurality of auxiliary components via the common auxiliary voltage bus, wherein the common auxiliary bus is configured to deliver the auxiliary bus voltage from the input/output module to each of the plurality of auxiliary components; and a control unit configured with processor-executable instructions to; monitor a parameter of the fuel cell system; determine whether the parameter has violated a threshold; and vary the auxiliary bus voltage provided to each of the plurality of auxiliary components by a first amount in response to determining that the parameter has violated the threshold; determine whether the auxiliary bus voltage has reached a voltage limit, the voltage limit preventing overloading of one of the auxiliary components; and vary the auxiliary bus voltage to the plurality of auxiliary components by a second amount in response to determining that the auxiliary bus voltage has not reached the voltage limit. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification