Fuel Cell Fleet Optimization

• US 20140089055A1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: VENKATARAMAN, Swaminathan, SMITH, James, WEINGAERTNER, David, VACHHANI, Pramod, MILLER, Brent, RAMANAN, Ram, BALLANTINE, Arne, SHUKLA, Deepak
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/10 Fuel cells in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04619 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04649 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04992 characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/249 comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/40 Fuel cell technologies in production processes

Abstract

A fuel cell fleet has a plurality of fuel cell systems each connected to a data server. The data server may be configured to obtain operational data from of the plurality of fuel cell systems. An efficiency controller operably connected to the data server and is configured to predict an efficiency and a power output of the fleet from the operational data and optimize the efficiency of the fleet to minimize the fleet fuel consumption while maintaining a desired fleet output power. The efficiency may be determined by a ratio of the fleet output current or output power to the fleet fuel consumption.

Claims

1. A power generator, comprising:

a fuel cell fleet comprising a plurality of fuel cell systems;

a data server operably connected to each of the plurality of fuel cell systems, wherein the data server is configured to obtain operational data from of the plurality of fuel cell systems; and

an efficiency controller operably connected to the data server and configured to;

predict an efficiency and a power output of the fleet from the operational data, wherein the efficiency is determined by a ratio of fleet output current or output power to the fleet fuel consumption; and

optimize the efficiency of the fleet to minimize the fleet fuel consumption while maintaining a desired fleet output power.

2. The power generator of claim 1, wherein each fuel cell system comprises:

a plurality of fuel cell modules, each containing a plurality of fuel cell stacks;

a fuel processing module adapted in operation to deliver fuel to the plurality of fuel cell modules; and

an electronics module adapted in operation to receive power from the fuel cell modules and modify the received power into a usable form.

3. The power generator of claim 2, wherein the efficiency controller is configured to control the operation of each individual system in the fleet.

4. The power generator of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell systems are operably connected to the data server via a gateway.

5. A power generator, comprising:

a fuel cell fleet comprising a plurality of fuel cell systems, wherein at least one or more of the plurality of fuel cell systems is operational;

a data server operably connected to each of the plurality of fuel cell systems, wherein the data server is configured to obtain operational data from each of the plurality of fuel cell systems; and

a total maintained output (TMO) controller operably connected to the data server and configured to;

determine a TMO power for the fleet integrated over a time period from the operational data;

compare the TMO power over the time period to a TMO power set point established for the fleet; and

increase the power output of the operational fuel cell systems of the fleet when the TMO power over the time period is less than the TMO power set point.

6. The power generator of claim 5, further comprising an efficiency controller operably connected to the TMO controller and configured to:

predict an efficiency and the power output of the fleet from the operational data, wherein the efficiency is determined by a ratio of fleet output current or output power to the fleet fuel consumption; and

optimize the efficiency of the fleet to minimize the fleet fuel consumption while maintaining a desired fleet output power.

7. The power generator of claim 6, wherein each fuel cell system comprises:

a plurality of fuel cell modules, each containing a plurality of fuel cell stacks;

a fuel processing module adapted in operation to deliver fuel to the plurality of fuel cell modules; and

an electronics module adapted in operation to receive power from the fuel cell modules and modify the received power into a usable form.

8. The power generator of claim 7, wherein the efficiency controller is configured to control the operation of each individual system in the fleet.

9. The power generator of claim 6, wherein the fuel cell systems are operably connected to the data server via a gateway.

10. A method for optimizing the efficiency of a fuel cell fleet having a plurality of fuel cell systems each containing a plurality of fuel cell modules, comprising:

setting by a power controller a desired output power for the fleet; and

controlling by an efficiency controller an efficiency for the fleet to optimize the fleet efficiency for the output power set the power controller, wherein the efficiency is determined by a ratio of fleet output current or fleet output power to fleet fuel consumption.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each fuel cell system comprises:

the plurality of fuel cell modules, each containing a plurality of fuel cell stacks;

a fuel processing module which delivers fuel to the plurality of fuel cell modules; and

an electronics module which receives power from the fuel cell modules and modifies the received power into a usable form.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the efficiency controller is configured to control the operation of each individual system in the fleet.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the fuel cell systems are operably connected to the data server via a gateway.

14. A method for optimizing an efficiency of a fuel cell system, comprising:

identifying a fuel cell segment within at least one module of the fuel cell system having a lowest fuel utilization;

increasing output current of the identified fuel cell segment by an increment of current; and

evaluating the module and taking an action selected from a group of;

maintaining operating conditions, removing the increment of current from the identified segment, increasing the output current of the identified segment by a second increment of current, and selecting a different segment for the application of a third increment of current.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an output current of the identified fuel segment prior to increasing the output current.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the fuel cell system comprises:

a plurality of fuel cell modules, each containing a plurality of fuel cell stacks;

a fuel processing module which delivers fuel to the plurality of fuel cell modules; and

an electronics module which receives power from the fuel cell modules and modifies the received power into a usable form.

17. A method for optimizing a profit of a fuel cell fleet having a plurality of fuel cell systems each containing a plurality of fuel cell modules, comprising:

accessing process data regarding the fleet such that the fleet is modeled;

using a model-based cost function to calculate optimized control variables for the fleet;

verifying the optimized control variables;

deploying the optimized control variables to the fleet; and

repeating the steps of accessing, using, verifying and deploying after the fleet reaches steady state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of defining the fleet prior to the step of accessing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of defining comprises identifying fuel cell systems that make up the fleet, a power to be generated by the fleet and any constraints on operation of the fleet or components of the fleet components.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the constraints are expressed as set points or ranges for particular operating parameters that are used to regulate the operation of the fleet or the fleet components.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising excluding non-steady-state fuel cell systems and operator selected fuel cell systems in the fleet from the method for optimizing.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising performing a feasibility study to determine whether the fleet is a candidate for the optimizing of the profit.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the process data comprises near real-time process data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the process data comprises a margin table of electricity and fuel prices for each fuel cell system in the fleet, wherein the electricity and fuel prices comprise variable or static prices as a function of time.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of repeating comprises plural iterations.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating a final output of the cost function which includes fleet efficiency, fleet power output, fleet system life and fleet profit.