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US 10,854,901 B2Granted
Regulation of a fuel cell assembly
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorJonathan Daniel O'Neill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first fuel cell stack in series with a variable resistor and a second fuel cell stack in parallel with the first fuel cell stack and in series with a contactor. A resistance level of the variable resistor is adjusted in response to deactivating the contactor. A method of regulating a fuel cell assembly is also disclosed.
Claims20
A method of regulating a fuel cell assembly, comprising:
- generating a high power in a high power range using a first fuel cell stack and a second fuel cell stack in parallel with each other;
- generating a low power in a low power range using said first fuel cell stack, said second fuel cell stack being deactivated in said low power range;
- wherein a resistance within a path defined by said first fuel cell stack changes in response to transitioning between said low and high power ranges, thereby maintaining said low power and said high power within a single voltage range;
- wherein said path includes said first fuel cell stack in series with a variable resistor, said variable resistor in parallel with said second fuel cell stack;
- wherein said second fuel cell stack is arranged in series with a contractor;
- and
- adjusting a resistance level of said variable resistor in response to deactivating said contractor.
4 more elements
A methond of regulating a fuel cell assembly, comprising:
- generating a high power in a high power range using a first fuel cell stack and a second fuel cell stack in parallel with each other;
- generating a low power in a low power range using said first fuel cell stack, said second fuel cell stack being deactivated in said low power range;
- wherein a resistance within a path defined by said first fuel cell stack changes in response to transitioning between said low and high power ranges, thereby maintaining said low power and said high power within a single voltage range;
- wherein said path includes said first fuel cell stack in series with a variable resistor, said variable resistor in parallel with said second fuel cell stack;
- adjusting a present resistance of said variable resistor based upon a present current of said first fuel cell stack;
- wherein said first and second fuel cell stacks are configured to provide current to a load at a predetermined ratio of a current of said first fuel cell stack to a current of said second fuel cell stack;
- and
- wherein the load includes a first load and a second load, the first load is an electric motor configured to rotate a propeller, and the second load includes an electronics payload, the electronics payload including communications equipment and one or more sensors.
5 more elements
A method of regulating a fuel cell assembly, comprising:
- generating a high power in a high power range using a first fuel cell stack and a second fuel cell stack in parallel with each other;
- generating a low power in a low power range using said first fuel cell stack, said second fuel cell stack being deactivated in said low power range;
- and p1 wherein a resistance within a path defined by said first fuel cell stack changes in response to transitioning between said low and high power ranges, thereby maintaining said low power and said high power within a single voltage range;
- minimizing flow of at least one of reactant and oxidant to said second fuel cell stack by generating power in said low power range;
- wherein said second fuel cell stack is arranged in series with a contractor;
- and
- wherein said path includes said first fuel cell stack in series with a variable resistor, and further comprising adjusting a resistance level of said variable resistor in response to deactivating said contactor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.