CONTROL OF PARALLELED FUEL CELL ASSEMBLIES
First Claim
1. A fuel cell power plant (13) comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies (15, 16) connected in parallel and configured to supply power to a common load (22, 58) in response to at least one reactant supplied thereto;
a source of fuel (27);
characterized by;
a single fuel control supply (28, 31) configured to provide, from said source to each fuel cell stack in said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies, all of the fuel required by said fuel cell stacks;
a system power converter (41) electrically coupled to said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies, said system power converter configured to apportion electric power output among said fuel cell stack assemblies to maintain a predetermined electric current level of the fuel cell power plant and an electric output level of the fuel cell power plant selected from (a) power output level and (b) voltage output level; and
means (31, 55;
41;
42, 43;
52, 53) configured to respond to one of said fuel cell stack assemblies having failed (a) to disconnect said failed one of said fuel cell stack assemblies from said common load, and (b) to provide a power command signal to one of said fuel cell stack assemblies which has not failed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Fuel cell stack assemblies (15, 16) connected in parallel through related power control portions (39, 40; 60, 61) of a system power converter (41) supply power to a common grid (22) or non-grid load (58) on an equal or near-equal current basis. Power command to one portion is one-half the total power (P*) minus a function (46) of the difference (45) in current from the stack assemblies. The other portion power command (P1*) for a utility grid (22) is the difference between the total power and the power command (P2*) to the first stack assembly. For a non-grid load, one portion (61) controls the load voltage, the other portion command (P2*) causes substantially equal currents. Altering (33b) actual current signals results in the cell stack assemblies providing different currents. A failed stack assembly is disconnected from the load and reactant; the non-failed assembly having an appropriate power command.
-
Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A fuel cell power plant (13) comprising:
-
a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies (15, 16) connected in parallel and configured to supply power to a common load (22, 58) in response to at least one reactant supplied thereto; a source of fuel (27); characterized by; a single fuel control supply (28, 31) configured to provide, from said source to each fuel cell stack in said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies, all of the fuel required by said fuel cell stacks; a system power converter (41) electrically coupled to said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies, said system power converter configured to apportion electric power output among said fuel cell stack assemblies to maintain a predetermined electric current level of the fuel cell power plant and an electric output level of the fuel cell power plant selected from (a) power output level and (b) voltage output level; and means (31, 55;
41;
42, 43;
52, 53) configured to respond to one of said fuel cell stack assemblies having failed (a) to disconnect said failed one of said fuel cell stack assemblies from said common load, and (b) to provide a power command signal to one of said fuel cell stack assemblies which has not failed.
-
-
2. A fuel cell power plant (13) comprising:
-
a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies (15, 16); a source of fuel (27); characterized by; a single fuel control supply (28, 31) configured to provide, from said source to each fuel cell stack in said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies, all of the fuel required by said fuel cell stacks; and a system power converter (41) electrically coupled to said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies, said system power converter configured to apportion electric power output among said fuel cell stack assemblies to maintain a predetermined electric current level of the fuel cell power plant and an electric output level of the fuel cell power plant selected from (a) power output level and (b) voltage output level. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22-23. -23. (canceled)
-
24. A method of connecting (39, 40;
-
60, 61) a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies (15, 16) in parallel to supply power to a common load (22, 58) in response to at least one reactant supplied thereto;
characterized by; providing fuel from a source (27) through a single fuel control supply (28, 31) to each fuel cell stack in said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies in a fuel cell power plant (13), all of the fuel required by said fuel cell stacks; and apportioning (41) electric power output among said fuel cell stack assemblies to maintain a predetermined electric current level of the fuel cell power plant and an electric output level of the fuel cell power plant selected from (a) power output level and (b) voltage output level; and in response to one of said fuel cell stack assemblies having failed (a) disconnecting said failed one of said fuel cell stack assemblies from said common load, and (b) providing a power command signal to one of said fuel cell stack assemblies which has not failed.
-
60, 61) a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies (15, 16) in parallel to supply power to a common load (22, 58) in response to at least one reactant supplied thereto;
- 25. (canceled)
-
43-44. -44. (canceled)
Specification