Apparatus, system, and method to manage the generation and use of hybrid electric power
First Claim
1. An apparatus to manage the generation and use of electric power, the apparatus comprising:
- a monitoring module configured to receive signals from a plurality of sensors, the signals comprising power level information of a plurality of energy converters, energy level information of an electric energy storage device, and power level information of an electric load, wherein the plurality of energy converters comprises at least one fuel-based energy converter and at least one non-fuel-based energy converter, the at least one fuel-based energy converter converts a secondary fuel to a primary fuel and generates electric power using the primary fuel, the secondary fuel comprises a mixture of a solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and a solid anhydrous activating agent, and the primary fuel comprises hydrogen;
a determination module configured to compare the signals to determine whether electric power from the plurality of energy converters satisfies the electric load and whether the energy level of the electric energy storage device satisfies a predefined threshold level, the predefined threshold level based on an energy conversion delay of the at least one fuel-based energy converter, the energy conversion delay comprising an amount of time for the at least one fuel-based energy converter to convert the secondary fuel to the primary fuel and to generate electric power using the primary fuel; and
a regulation module configured to increase the electric power from the at least one fuel-based energy converter in response to a determination by the determination module that the electric power from the plurality of energy converters does not satisfy the electric load threshold and that the energy level of the electric energy storage device does not satisfy the predefined threshold level, wherein the regulation module increases the electric power from the at least one fuel-based energy converter by increasing a rate that the at least one fuel-based energy converter introduces a liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent to produce hydrogen and generates electric power using the produced hydrogen, the hydrogen produced at the time the at least one fuel-based energy converter introduces the liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to manage the generation and use of hybrid electric power. A monitoring module receives signals from one or more sensors. The signals comprise power level information of an electric energy storage device, power level information of one or more energy converters, and power level information of an electric load. A determination module compares the signals to determine whether electric power from the energy converters satisfies the electric load. A regulation module adjusts the electric power from the energy converters in response to a determination by the determination module that the electric power from the energy converters does not satisfy an electric load threshold.
549 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus to manage the generation and use of electric power, the apparatus comprising:
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a monitoring module configured to receive signals from a plurality of sensors, the signals comprising power level information of a plurality of energy converters, energy level information of an electric energy storage device, and power level information of an electric load, wherein the plurality of energy converters comprises at least one fuel-based energy converter and at least one non-fuel-based energy converter, the at least one fuel-based energy converter converts a secondary fuel to a primary fuel and generates electric power using the primary fuel, the secondary fuel comprises a mixture of a solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and a solid anhydrous activating agent, and the primary fuel comprises hydrogen; a determination module configured to compare the signals to determine whether electric power from the plurality of energy converters satisfies the electric load and whether the energy level of the electric energy storage device satisfies a predefined threshold level, the predefined threshold level based on an energy conversion delay of the at least one fuel-based energy converter, the energy conversion delay comprising an amount of time for the at least one fuel-based energy converter to convert the secondary fuel to the primary fuel and to generate electric power using the primary fuel; and a regulation module configured to increase the electric power from the at least one fuel-based energy converter in response to a determination by the determination module that the electric power from the plurality of energy converters does not satisfy the electric load threshold and that the energy level of the electric energy storage device does not satisfy the predefined threshold level, wherein the regulation module increases the electric power from the at least one fuel-based energy converter by increasing a rate that the at least one fuel-based energy converter introduces a liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent to produce hydrogen and generates electric power using the produced hydrogen, the hydrogen produced at the time the at least one fuel-based energy converter introduces the liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system to manage the generation and use of electric power, the system comprising:
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a plurality of energy converters each configured to convert an energy source to electric power, the plurality of energy converters comprising at least one fuel-based energy converter and at least one non-fuel-based energy converter, the at least one fuel-based energy converter converting a secondary fuel to a primary fuel and generating electric power using the primary fuel, the secondary fuel comprising a mixture of a solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and a solid anhydrous activating agent, and the primary fuel comprising hydrogen; an electric energy storage device configured to store the electric power from the plurality of energy converters as energy and to supply the energy as electric power; a plurality of sensors that measure an energy level of the electric energy storage device, a power level of the plurality of energy converters, and a power level of an electric load coupled to the plurality of energy converters and to the electric energy storage device; a controller configured to determine whether the power level of the plurality of energy converters satisfies the electric load and whether the energy level of the electric energy storage device satisfies a predefined threshold level and to increase the power level of the at least one fuel-based energy converter in response to a determination that the power level of the plurality of energy converters does not satisfy the electric load and that the energy level of the electric energy storage device fails to satisfy the predefined threshold level, the predefined threshold level based on an energy conversion delay of the at least one fuel-based energy converter, the energy conversion delay comprising an amount of time for the at least one fuel-based energy converter to convert the secondary fuel to the primary fuel and to generate electric power using the primary fuel, wherein the controller increases the power level of the at least one fuel-based energy converter by increasing a rate that the at least one fuel-based energy converter introduces a liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent to produce hydrogen and generates electric power using the produced hydrogen, the hydrogen produced at the time the at least one fuel-based energy converter introduces the liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent; and a power interface configured to electrically couple the plurality of sensors, the electric energy storage device, and the controller. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code executable to perform operations for managing the generation and use of electric power/energy, the operations of the computer program product comprising:
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receiving signals from a plurality of sensors, the signals comprising energy level information of an electric energy storage device, power/energy level information of a plurality of energy converters, pressure level information of a hydrogen storage device, and power/energy level information of an electric load, wherein the plurality of energy converters comprises one or more hydrogen-based energy converters and one or more non-fuel-based energy converters, the one or more hydrogen-based energy converters converting a secondary fuel comprising a mixture of a solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and a solid anhydrous activating agent to hydrogen and generating electric power using the hydrogen; determining whether electric power/energy from the plurality of energy converters satisfies the electric load; determining whether an energy level of the electric energy storage device satisfies a predefined threshold level, the predefined threshold level based on an energy conversion delay of the one or more hydrogen-based energy converters, the energy conversion delay comprising an amount of time for the one or more hydrogen-based energy converters to convert the secondary fuel to hydrogen and to generate electric power using the hydrogen; increasing a rate that the one or more hydrogen-based energy converters introduce a liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent to produce hydrogen and generate electric power using the produced hydrogen in response to a determination that the electric power/energy from the plurality of energy converters does not satisfy the electric load and that the energy level of the electric energy storage device does not satisfy the predefined threshold level, the hydrogen produced at the time the one or more hydrogen-based energy converters introduce the liquid to the mixture of the solid anhydrous chemical hydride reactant and the solid anhydrous activating agent. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification