Apparatus and method for hybrid power module systems
First Claim
1. A hybrid power module configured to modularly couple to and decouple from a power system housing having a system power bus for providing electrical power to at least two terminals electrically couplable to an external load, comprising:
- a module power bus comprising at least a first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal being configured to releasably and electrically couple to and electrically decouple from a system power bus of a power system;
a plurality of fuel cells electrically coupled to one another as a fuel cell stack, the fuel cell stack comprising a first pole electrically couplable to and electrically decouplable from the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second pole electrically coupled to the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the fuel cell stack configured to selectively produce electrical power, and electrically couplable to provide the electrical power on the module power bus;
an energy storage device comprising a first pole electrically couplable to and electrically decouplable from the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second pole electrically couplable to and electrically decouplable from the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, wherein the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the first pole of the fuel cell stack and the first pole of the energy storage device have a common first electrical polarity, and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the second pole of the fuel cell stack and the second pole of the energy storage device have a common second electrical polarity that is opposite the common first electrical polarity, and the energy storage device configured to store electrical power and configured to release electrical power to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal;
a first linear regulator electrically coupled between the first pole of the fuel cell stack and the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal of the module power bus, and configured to regulate a flow of current from the first pole of the fuel cell stack to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal;
at least two input terminals releasably and electrically couplable to an external power connector that is distinct from the hybrid power module to receive power from an external power source that is distinct from the hybrid power module via the external power connector; and
a charger circuit comprising a first pole and a second pole, the charger circuit electrically coupled across the energy storage device such that the respective first poles of the charger circuit and the energy storage device are electrically coupled and have the first electrical polarity and such that the respective second poles of the charger circuit and the energy storage device are electrically coupled and have the second electrical polarity, and the charger circuit configured to supply electrical power to the energy storage device at approximately a defined voltage and charging regime, the charger circuit comprising a second linear regulator electrically coupled between the first pole of the energy storage device and a node electrically located between the first pole of the fuel cell stack and at least one of the at least two input terminals, the second linear regulator configured to regulate a flow of a first current from the first pole of the fuel cell stack to the energy storage device when the second pole of the fuel cell stack is electrically coupled to the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and configured to regulate a flow of a second current from at least one of the at least two input terminals releasably and electrically couplable to the external power connector when the second pole of the fuel cell stack is electrically decoupled from the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hybrid power module suitable for use in an array of hybrid power modules comprises a fuel cell stack, an energy storage device, charger circuit operable to charge the energy storage device from the fuel cell stack and/or an external power source at approximately a defined voltage; a stack disconnect switch operable to provide and remove an electrical path between the fuel cell stack and a terminal of the power module, and a unidirectional current flow device electrically coupled to provide a unidirectional current path from the charger circuit to the terminal of the power module when forward biased.
124 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A hybrid power module configured to modularly couple to and decouple from a power system housing having a system power bus for providing electrical power to at least two terminals electrically couplable to an external load, comprising:
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a module power bus comprising at least a first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal being configured to releasably and electrically couple to and electrically decouple from a system power bus of a power system; a plurality of fuel cells electrically coupled to one another as a fuel cell stack, the fuel cell stack comprising a first pole electrically couplable to and electrically decouplable from the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second pole electrically coupled to the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the fuel cell stack configured to selectively produce electrical power, and electrically couplable to provide the electrical power on the module power bus; an energy storage device comprising a first pole electrically couplable to and electrically decouplable from the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second pole electrically couplable to and electrically decouplable from the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, wherein the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the first pole of the fuel cell stack and the first pole of the energy storage device have a common first electrical polarity, and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the second pole of the fuel cell stack and the second pole of the energy storage device have a common second electrical polarity that is opposite the common first electrical polarity, and the energy storage device configured to store electrical power and configured to release electrical power to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal; a first linear regulator electrically coupled between the first pole of the fuel cell stack and the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal of the module power bus, and configured to regulate a flow of current from the first pole of the fuel cell stack to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal; at least two input terminals releasably and electrically couplable to an external power connector that is distinct from the hybrid power module to receive power from an external power source that is distinct from the hybrid power module via the external power connector; and a charger circuit comprising a first pole and a second pole, the charger circuit electrically coupled across the energy storage device such that the respective first poles of the charger circuit and the energy storage device are electrically coupled and have the first electrical polarity and such that the respective second poles of the charger circuit and the energy storage device are electrically coupled and have the second electrical polarity, and the charger circuit configured to supply electrical power to the energy storage device at approximately a defined voltage and charging regime, the charger circuit comprising a second linear regulator electrically coupled between the first pole of the energy storage device and a node electrically located between the first pole of the fuel cell stack and at least one of the at least two input terminals, the second linear regulator configured to regulate a flow of a first current from the first pole of the fuel cell stack to the energy storage device when the second pole of the fuel cell stack is electrically coupled to the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and configured to regulate a flow of a second current from at least one of the at least two input terminals releasably and electrically couplable to the external power connector when the second pole of the fuel cell stack is electrically decoupled from the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A hybrid power module in an array of multiple hybrid power modules, each respective hybrid power module received by a respective hybrid power module position of multiple respective hybrid power module positions of a housing of a hybrid power system having a system power bus coupling the array of power modules to a first and a second terminal of the system power bus, the hybrid power module comprising:
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a module power bus comprising a first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal being configured to releasably and electrically couple to the system power bus of the power system; a plurality of fuel cells electrically coupled to one another as a fuel cell stack, the fuel cell stack comprising a first pole electrically couplable to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second pole electrically couplable to the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, the fuel cell stack selectively configured to produce electrical power, and electrically couplable to provide the electrical power on the module power bus; an energy storage device comprising a first pole electrically coupled to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second pole electrically couplable to the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, and the energy storage device configured to store and configured to release electrical power to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal, wherein the first pole of the fuel cell stack and the first pole of the energy storage device have a common first electrical polarity, and wherein the second pole of the fuel cell stack and the second pole of the energy storage device have a common second electrical polarity that is opposite the first electrical polarity; a linear regulator electrically coupled between the first pole of the fuel cell stack and the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal of the module power bus, and configured to regulate a flow of current from the first pole of the fuel cell stack to the first releasably couplable electrical bus terminal; at least two input terminals releasably and electrically couplable to an external power connector that is distinct for the hybrid power module to receive power from an external power source that is distinct from the hybrid power module via the external power connector; a charger circuit electrically coupled across the energy storage device and configured to supply electrical power to the energy storage device at approximately a defined voltage and charging regime, the charger circuit electrically coupled between the first pole of the energy storage device and a node electrically located between the first pole of the fuel cell stack and at least one of the at least two input terminals, the charger circuit configured to receive from the node input currents and configured to regulate a flow of an output current to the energy storage device, the input currents including a first current from the first pole of the fuel cell stack when the second pole of the fuel cell stack is electrically coupled to the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal and a second current from at least one of the at least two input terminals releasably and electrically couplable to the external power connector when the second pole of the fuel cell stack is electrically decoupled from the second releasably couplable electrical bus terminal; and a module housing configured complimentary to a respective one of the multiple hybrid power module positions of the housing of the hybrid power system such that the module housing is releasably received therein, the module housing carrying at least the charger circuit and energy storage device and configured to provide access external from the module housing to the first and the second releasably couplable electrical terminals. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification