Fuel cell system power control method and system
First Claim
1. A power generation system for supplying power to an external load, comprising:
- (a) a fuel cell characterized by operating parameters that are controllable to control output power provided by the fuel cell;
(b) a switch coupled to an output of the fuel cell;
(c) an energy storage device coupled to the output of the switch;
(d) a controller coupled to the fuel cell and switch, wherein the operating parameters and switch are controllable to control the output power provided from the fuel cell to the energy storage device; and
(e) an internal auxiliary load, wherein the energy storage device is configured to provide power to the internal auxiliary load without said power being provided through a power conditioner that is also providing external load power.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fuel cell is placed in parallel with a battery via a mechanical switch. The voltage is held nearly constant by the battery and the power flow is controlled by adjusting the fuel cell operating parameters (such as temperature or air flow) and by opening and closing the mechanical switch. The result is a system that operates at nearly constant voltage without the need for an expensive power conditioning system. The output of the system can then be processed via a traditional power conditioning system such as an inverter or dc-to-dc converter without the need for a wide range of input operating voltages. This reduces the cost and size of the fuel cell power conditioning system.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A power generation system for supplying power to an external load, comprising:
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(a) a fuel cell characterized by operating parameters that are controllable to control output power provided by the fuel cell;
(b) a switch coupled to an output of the fuel cell;
(c) an energy storage device coupled to the output of the switch;
(d) a controller coupled to the fuel cell and switch, wherein the operating parameters and switch are controllable to control the output power provided from the fuel cell to the energy storage device; and
(e) an internal auxiliary load, wherein the energy storage device is configured to provide power to the internal auxiliary load without said power being provided through a power conditioner that is also providing external load power. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A power conversion system for supplying power to an external load, comprising:
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(a) a fuel cell characterized by operating parameters that are controllable to control output power provided by the fuel cell;
(b) a switch directly coupled to an output of the fuel cell;
(c) an energy storage device coupled to an output of the switch; and
(d) a controller coupled to the fuel cell and switch, wherein in response to changes in the external load, the fuel cell'"'"'s operating parameters are controlled to control the output power provided from the fuel cell to the external load, and wherein the switch is controlled to control the power provided from the fuel cell to the energy storage device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification