Fault tolerant electrical architecture for fuel cell systems
AssigneeBloom Energy Corporation
InventorsPrasad Pmsvvsv, Craig Metcho, Beau Baker, Amit Bhattacharjee
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Abstract
During a steady-state mode of operating a fuel cell system, a system power is generated by fuel cells and is provided via a steady-state bus to a first BOP load, to a second BOP load, and to a power grid via a transformer and via at least one of a bi-directional first inverter or a bi-directional second inverter. During startup mode operation of the fuel cell system, external power from the power grid is provided via the transformer, via one of the first or second inverters and via a startup bus to the first BOP load and the second BOP load.
Claims20
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- an inverter module comprising:
- a transformer electrically connected to an external power source bus which is configured to be connected to an external power source;
- bidirectional first and second inverters electrically connected to the transformer;
- a fault diode electrically connected to the first inverter;
- and
- a first balance of plant (BOP) load;
- a power module comprising:
- fuel cells;
- and
- a second BOP load;
- a steady-state bus electrically connecting the first and second inverters to the first BOP load, the second BOP load, and the fuel cells;
- and
- a startup bus electrically connecting the first and second inverters to the first BOP load and the second BOP load, wherein:
- during steady-state mode operation of the system, system power is generated by the fuel cells and is provided to the first BOP load, the second BOP load, and at least one of the first inverter and the second inverter, via the steady-state bus, and
- during startup mode operation of the system, external power from the external power source bus is provided to the first BOP load and the second BOP load, via one of the first or second inverters and via the startup bus.
A method of operating a fuel cell system, comprising:
- during steady-state mode operation of the system, generating system power by fuel cells and providing the system power via a steady-state bus to a first balance of plant (BOP) load, to a second BOP load, and to a power grid via a transformer and via at least one of a bi-directional first inverter or a bi-directional second inverter;
- and
- during startup mode operation of the system, providing external power from the power grid via the transformer, via one of the first or second inverters and via a startup bus to the first BOP load and the second BOP load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.