HYDROGEN-PRODUCING FUEL CELL SYSTEMS WITH LOAD-RESPONSIVE FEEDSTOCK DELIVERY SYSTEMS
First Claim
1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a hydrogen generation assembly with a hydrogen-producing region that produces hydrogen gas from at least one feedstock;
a feedstock delivery system that delivers a feed stream containing the at least one feedstock to the hydrogen-generation assembly;
a fuel cell stack that receives hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen-generation assembly and produces an electrical output therefrom to satisfy at least a portion of an applied load; and
a control system that is adapted to regulate the feed rate at which the feed stream is delivered to the hydrogen-producing region, wherein the control system includes a feed-forward control portion and a feedback control portion that cooperatively regulate the rate at which the feed stream is delivered to the hydrogen-producing region responsive at least in part to a demand for hydrogen gas by the fuel cell stack to satisfy the portion of the applied load;
wherein the feed-forward control portion estimates the flow rate of hydrogen gas required by the fuel cell stack to satisfy the portion of the applied load applied thereto by determining the portion of the applied load that is not being satisfied by the fuel cell stack using hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen generation assembly, and further wherein the feedback control portion is adapted to adjust the flow rate of hydrogen gas estimated by the feed-forward control portion responsive to the rate at which the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen generation assembly is consumed by the fuel cell stack.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Hydrogen-producing fuel cell systems with load-responsive feedstock delivery systems, and methods for regulating the delivery of feedstock to the hydrogen-producing region of a fuel cell system. The fuel cell systems include a control system that is adapted to monitor and selectively regulate the rate at which the feedstock is delivered to a hydrogen-producing region of a hydrogen generation assembly. The control systems, and corresponding methods, include feed-forward and feedback control portions that cooperatively regulate the rate at which the feed stream is delivered to the hydrogen generation assembly responsive at least in part, if not completely, to the fuel cell stack'"'"'s demand for hydrogen gas and the rate at which the produced hydrogen gas is consumed by the fuel cell stack.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
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a hydrogen generation assembly with a hydrogen-producing region that produces hydrogen gas from at least one feedstock; a feedstock delivery system that delivers a feed stream containing the at least one feedstock to the hydrogen-generation assembly; a fuel cell stack that receives hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen-generation assembly and produces an electrical output therefrom to satisfy at least a portion of an applied load; and a control system that is adapted to regulate the feed rate at which the feed stream is delivered to the hydrogen-producing region, wherein the control system includes a feed-forward control portion and a feedback control portion that cooperatively regulate the rate at which the feed stream is delivered to the hydrogen-producing region responsive at least in part to a demand for hydrogen gas by the fuel cell stack to satisfy the portion of the applied load;
wherein the feed-forward control portion estimates the flow rate of hydrogen gas required by the fuel cell stack to satisfy the portion of the applied load applied thereto by determining the portion of the applied load that is not being satisfied by the fuel cell stack using hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen generation assembly, and further wherein the feedback control portion is adapted to adjust the flow rate of hydrogen gas estimated by the feed-forward control portion responsive to the rate at which the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen generation assembly is consumed by the fuel cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for controlling the flow rate of feedstock delivered to a hydrogen-producing region of a hydrogen-producing fuel cell system containing a fuel cell stack, the method comprising:
regulating the flow rate of feedstock to the hydrogen-producing region of a hydrogen generation assembly by cooperatively; estimating the flow rate of feedstock required to produce sufficient hydrogen gas for the fuel cell stack to produce an electrical output to satisfy an applied load that is applied to the fuel cell stack, wherein the estimating is based at least in part upon determining a portion of the applied load that is not being satisfied by the fuel cell stack using hydrogen gas generated by the hydrogen generation assembly; and adjusting the estimated flow rate of feedstock responsive to the rate at which the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen generation assembly is consumed by the fuel cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A fuel cell system, comprising:
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a hydrogen generation assembly with a hydrogen-producing region that produces hydrogen gas from at least one feedstock; a feedstock delivery system that delivers a feed stream containing the at least one feedstock to the hydrogen-generation assembly; a fuel cell stack that receives hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen-generation assembly and produces an electrical output therefrom to satisfy at least a portion of an applied load; and control means for regulating the feed rate at which the feed stream is delivered to the hydrogen-producing region, wherein the control means includes feed-forward control means and feedback control means that cooperatively regulate the rate at which the feed stream is delivered to the hydrogen-producing region responsive at least in part to a demand for hydrogen gas by the fuel cell stack to satisfy the portion of the applied load; wherein the feed-forward control means estimates the flow rate of hydrogen gas required by the fuel cell stack to satisfy the portion of the applied load applied thereto, and further wherein the feedback control means adjusts the flow rate of hydrogen gas estimated by the feed-forward control portion responsive to the rate at which the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen generation assembly is consumed by the fuel cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification