Fuel cell system with variable auxiliary bus voltage and method of operating thereof

• US 10,367,215 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Pmsvvsv, Prasad, Ballantine, Arne, Roy, Rakesh, Gurunathan, Ranganathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Laios, Maria
• Application Number:
  US15/161,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20170338502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04014 Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04365 of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04425 at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04888 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/24 Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

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.

Claims

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.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining whether the parameter still violates the threshold in response to varying the auxiliary bus voltage by the first amount and the second amount; and

scheduling a maintenance visit for the fuel cell system in response to determining the parameter still violates the threshold in response to varying the auxiliary bus voltage by the first amount and the second amount.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

initiating an alarm for immediate maintenance in response to determining that the auxiliary bus voltage has reached the voltage limit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is a temperature in the at least one cabinet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is an air flow to a first auxiliary component of the plurality of auxiliary components.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

varying the auxiliary bus voltage to the plurality of auxiliary components comprises varying the auxiliary bus voltage to the fan.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the auxiliary bus voltage comprises increasing the auxiliary bus voltage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the auxiliary bus voltage comprises decreasing the auxiliary bus voltage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the auxiliary bus voltage comprises instructing an input/output module or a converter in the fuel cell system to vary the auxiliary bus voltage provided to the plurality of auxiliary components.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the monitored parameter comprises measured temperature in the at least one cabinet;

when the measured temperature violates the threshold it indicates that an air inlet filter in the at least one cabinet is clogged; and

varying the auxiliary bus voltage provided to the plurality of auxiliary components by a first amount comprises increasing the auxiliary bus voltage to increase speed of a cabinet fan.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control unit monitors the temperature using a temperature sensor located in the at least one cabinet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one cabinet containing the temperature sensor and the fan comprises a power module cabinet which further contains a hot box containing the plurality of fuel cells.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one cabinet containing the temperature sensor and the fan comprises an input/output module cabinet which further contains a DC/AC converter electrically connected to the plurality of fuel cells.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the control unit monitors the temperature using a temperature sensor located in a converter in the fuel cell system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the monitored parameter comprises fluid pressure, pressure difference or flow rate in a conduit;

when the fluid pressure, pressure difference or flow rate violates the threshold it indicates that a valve in the conduit is stuck or frozen; and

varying the auxiliary bus voltage provided to the plurality of auxiliary components by a first amount comprises increasing the auxiliary bus voltage to the valve to open or close the valve.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the fan is a non-adjustable fan, wherein a speed of the non-adjustable fan is not adjustable via dials or controls; and

varying the auxiliary bus voltage provided to the plurality of auxiliary components by a first amount comprises increasing the auxiliary bus voltage to increase the speed of the non-adjustable fan.

17. A fuel cell system, comprising:

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.

18. The fuel cell system of claim 17, wherein the control unit is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine whether the parameter still violates the threshold in response to varying the auxiliary bus voltage by the first amount;

schedule a maintenance visit for the fuel cell system in response to determining the parameter does not violate the threshold in response to varying the auxiliary bus voltage by the first amount; and

initiate an alarm for immediate maintenance in response to determining that the auxiliary bus voltage has reached the voltage limit.