Fuel cell unit for use in aggregating multiple fuel cells in parallel
AssigneeLG Fuel Cell Systems Inc.
InventorGerard D. Agnew
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to fuel cell unit for use in aggregating fuel cells, particularly useful for use when fuel cells are connected in parallel. Improving the management of fuel cell outputs across a plurality of aggregated fuel cells improves efficiency of the fuel cells. The invention relates to a fuel cell unit comprising a fuel cell and a regulating voltage converter, and further relates to a fuel cell module comprising a plurality of fuel cell units connected in parallel.
Claims18
A fuel cell unit configured to connect to a positive load rail and a negative load rail, suitable for being one of a number of fuel cells connected in parallel to the positive load rail and the negative load rail, the fuel cell unit comprising a fuel cell, having a fuel cell output voltage presented between a positive fuel cell output terminal and a negative fuel cell output terminal, and a regulating voltage converter having a DC converter output voltage presented across a positive converter output terminal and a negative converter output terminal and an input configured to be driven;
- the regulating voltage converter being arranged so that the input is driven by the fuel cell output voltage in series with the converter output voltage;
- and
- the converter output voltage combines with the fuel cell output voltage such that the voltage across the fuel cell and the regulating voltage converter is the same as the voltage across the positive load rail and negative load rail.
A fuel cell unit configured to connect to a first load rail and a second load rail, suitable for being one of a number of fuel cells connected in parallel to the positive load rail and the negative load rail, the fuel cell unit comprising a fuel cell, having a fuel cell output voltage presented between a first fuel cell output terminal and a second fuel cell output terminal, and a regulating voltage converter having a converter output voltage presented across a first converter output terminal and a second converter output terminal and an input configured to be driven comprising a first converter input terminal and a second converter input terminal;
- wherein the first load rail is configured to be connected to the second converter input terminal and the first converter output terminal, the second load rail is configured to be connected to the second fuel cell output terminal, the first converter input terminal is connected to the first fuel cell output terminal, and the second converter output terminal is configured to be connected to the second load rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.