System for monitoring and controlling fuel cell-based power generation units

• US 7,222,001 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plug Power Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plug Power Inc.
• Inventors: Parks, John W., DiPasquale, Michael T., Frost, Gordon Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US10/145,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 700/19, 700/22, 700/286, 700/287, 429/13, 429/22, 429/23
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04029 Heat exchange using liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04126 Humidifying
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04679 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• 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 8/0612 from carbon-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A system includes fuel cell units and an on-site computer that is located near the units. The on-site computer is coupled to the fuel cell subsystems to communicate indications of operating conditions of the fuel cell subsystems over a remote communication link to a remote computer.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

fuel cell-based power generation units, each unit comprising a fuel cell stack and the fuel cell stacks being physically separate from each other; and

an on-site computer located near the units and being coupled to the units to communicate indications of operating conditions of the units over a remote communication link to a remote computer, the on-site computer being adapted to execute a command to control the units.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-site computer is adapted to log information indicative of operating parameters of the units.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the information is stored in mass storage local to the on-site computer.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the parameters comprise at least one of the following:

a voltage, a current, a flow rate, an efficiency and a temperature.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operating conditions comprise:

a power production state of at least one of the units.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operating conditions comprise:

an output power of at least one of the units.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operating conditions comprise:

an error status of at least one of the units.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote communication link comprises, a satellite link.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote communication link comprises a wide area network link.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote communication link comprises a wireless radio-based link.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote communication link comprises an Ethernet link.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-site computer is adapted to:

in response to an error occurring in the operation of one of the units, capture a waveform associated with the error.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the command changes a power state of at least one of the units.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the units comprises a complete fuel cell system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the command comprises a command originating at the remote computer.

16. A method comprising:

providing fuel cell-based power generation units, each unit comprising a fuel cell stack and the fuel cell stacks being physically separate from each other;

coupling an on-site computer to the units, the on-site computer being located near the units;

communicating operating conditions of the units over a remote communication link to a remote computer; and

executing a command at the on-site computer to control the fuel cell units, the command being communicated by the remote computer to the on-site computer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

using the on-site computer to log information indicative of operating parameters of the units.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing the information in mass storage local to the on-site computer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the parameters comprise at least one of the following:

a voltage, a current, a flow rate, an efficiency and a temperature.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating conditions comprise:

a power production state of at least one of the units.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating conditions comprise:

an output power of at least one of the units.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating conditions comprise:

an error status of at least one of the units.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote communication link comprises a satellite link.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote communication link comprises a wide area network link.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote communication link comprises a radio link.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote conimunication link comprises an Ethernet link.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to an error occurring in the operation of one of the fuel cell units, capturing a waveform associated with the error.

28. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

changing a power state of at least one of the fuel cell units in response to the execution of the command.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the units comprises a complete fuel cell system.