Fuel cell system with grid independent operation and DC microgrid capability

• US 9,106,098 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Ramesh, Swaminathan, Rajaram, Ballantine, Arne, McElroy, James, Gurunathan, Ranganathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/295,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/138, 320/109, 307/43, 307/64, 307/18, 307/66
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04619 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04925 Power, energy, capacity or load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04947 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/108 using diodes blocking reverse current flow H02J1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 : Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes grid independent operation with DC microgrid capability. This fuel cell system has a capability of operation with and without the grid, and with DC micro-grid capability.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:

a power module comprising at least one fuel cell segment;

an input output module comprising at least one first inverter;

an uninterruptible power module comprising at least one second inverter; and

a control logic unit comprising a selective connection mechanism;

wherein;

the at least one fuel cell segment is electrically connected in parallel to the at least one first inverter and the at least one second inverter;

the at least one first inverter is electrically connected to a load through an electrical grid, wherein the at least one first inverter is selectively electrically connected to the electrical grid through a switch;

the at least one second inverter is electrically connected to the load without using the electrical grid;

the control logic unit is configured to selectively electrically connect the electrical grid to the load via configuring the selective connection mechanism into a first position and to selectively electrically connect the at least one second inverter to the load via configuring the selective connection mechanism into a second position; and

the first inverter or the second inverter is configured to receive DC power from an electric vehicle battery located in an electric vehicle at an electric vehicle charging station which is located separately from the electric vehicle, wherein the DC power is received by bypassing an electric vehicle charging module (ECM) of the electric vehicle charging station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power module comprises a first housing, the input output module comprises a second housing which is separate from the first housing, and the uninterruptible power module comprises a third housing which is separate from the first and the second housings.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the third housing is located adjacent to the load and the first and the second housings are located further from the load than the third housing.

4. A fuel cell system, comprising:

a power module comprising at least one fuel cell segment;

an input output module comprising at least one first inverter and configured for selective connection to an electrical grid through a switch;

an uninterruptible power module comprising at least one second inverter; and

a control logic unit comprising a selective connection mechanism, wherein the control logic unit is configured to selectively electrically connect the electrical grid to a load via configuring the selective connection mechanism into a first position and to selectively electrically connect the at least one second inverter to the load via configuring the selective connection mechanism into a second position;

wherein the first inverter or the second inverter is configured to receive DC power from an electric vehicle battery located in an electric vehicle at an electric vehicle charging station which is located separately from the electric vehicle, wherein the DC power is received by bypassing an electric vehicle charging module (ECM) of the electric vehicle charging station;

wherein the power module comprises a first housing, the input output module comprises a second housing which is separate from the first housing, and the uninterruptible power module comprises a third housing which is separate from the first and the second housings.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the third housing is located adjacent to the load and the first and the second housings are located further from the load than the third housing.

6. A method of providing electrical power to a load comprising:

receiving DC power at an electric vehicle charging station from an electric vehicle battery located in an electric vehicle at an electric vehicle charging station which is located separately from the electric vehicle, wherein the DC power is received by bypassing an electric vehicle charging module (ECM) in the electric vehicle charging station;

providing the received power to at least one of a first inverter and a second inverter;

converting the received DC power to AC power;

providing the AC power to a load located separately from the electric vehicle;

selectively electrically connecting the first inverter to the load through an electrical grid using a switch;

electrically connecting the second inverter to the load without using the electrical grid;

selectively electrically connecting the electrical grid to the load via configuring a selective connection mechanism into a first position via a control logic unit; and

selectively electrically connecting the second inverter to the load via configuring the selective connection mechanism into a second position via the control logic unit.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing DC power from the at least one fuel cell power module to the ECM; and

providing the DC power from the ECM to the electric vehicle battery prior to the step of receiving DC power.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the electric vehicle battery is charged at a location other than the ECM prior to the step of receiving DC power.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the load comprises at least one of a building and the electrical grid.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the load comprises the building.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the electric vehicle is parked at the electric vehicle charging station;

the electric vehicle charging station provides the DC power from the electric vehicle battery located in the parked electric vehicle to the at least one of the first inverter and the second inverter; and

the at least one of the first inverter and the second inverter provides the AC power to the building.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the building which comprises an office building;

the electric vehicle is parked at the office building; and

the step of providing the DC power from the electric vehicle battery comprises providing the DC power from the electric vehicle battery which was charged at home during night time to the electric vehicle charging station during day time.