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US 11,689,049 B2Granted
DC transfer switch for fuel cell systems with auxiliary storage module
AssigneeBloom Energy Corporation
InventorsPrasad Pmsvvsv, Vignan Reddy Bommireddy, Mehdi Ebad, Beau Baker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power generation method includes providing power from a first DC power source to a load, while a second DC power source is electrically disconnected from the load, electrically connecting the second DC power source to the load and providing power from the second DC power source to the load if an output voltage from the first DC power source drops below a threshold voltage and an output voltage from the second DC power source is not below the threshold voltage, and electrically disconnecting the first DC power source from the load if an output current of the first DC power source is below a threshold current.
Claims18
A power generation method, comprising:
- providing power from a first DC power source to a load via a combination of a first electromechanical connection device electrically connected in series with a first diode, while a second DC power source is electrically disconnected from the load;
- monitoring a level of electric energy of a first source bus that is provided to the first source bus by the first DC power source, comparing the level of electric energy of the source bus to a load threshold, which represents a level of electric energy that is at least equal to a load demand of the load, and determining if the first DC power source does not satisfy a load power demand of the load based on the comparing the level of electric energy of the source bus to the load threshold;
- determining if an output voltage from the second DC power source is not below the load threshold;
- determining if an output current of the first DC power source is below a threshold current;
- electrically connecting the second DC power source to the load via a combination of a second electromechanical connection device electrically connected in series with a second diode and providing power from the second DC power source to the load in response to determining that the level of electric energy of the source bus is below the load threshold, that the first DC power source does not satisfy the load power demand of the load, and that the output voltage from the second DC power source is not below the load threshold;
- and
- electrically disconnecting the first DC power source from the load in response to determining that the output current of the first DC power source is below the threshold current.
4 more elements
A power generation system, comprising:
- a first DC power source electrically connected to a first DC transfer switch comprising a combination of a first electromechanical connection device electrically connected in series with a first diode;
- a second DC power source electrically connected to a second DC transfer switch comprising a combination of a second electromechanical connection device electrically connected in series with a second diode;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- turn on the first DC transfer switch via the combination of the first electromechanical connection device electrically connected in series with the first diode to provide power from the first DC power source to a load, while the second DC transfer switch is turned off such that the second DC power source is electrically disconnected from the load;
- monitor a level of electric energy of a first source bus that is provided to the first source bus by the first DC power source, compare the level of electric energy of the source bus to a load threshold, which represents a level of electric energy that is at least equal to a load demand of the load, and determine if the first DC power source does not satisfy a load power demand of the load based on the comparing the level of electric energy of the source bus to the load threshold;
- determine if an output voltage from the second DC power source is not below the load threshold;
- determine an output current of the first DC power source is below a threshold current;
- turn on the second DC transfer switch to electrically connect the second DC power source to the load via the combination of the second electromechanical connection device electrically connected in series with the second diode and provide power from the second DC power source to the load in response to determining that the level of electric energy of the source bus is below the load threshold, that the first DC power source does not satisfy the load power demand of the load, and that the output voltage from the second DC power source is not below the load threshold;
- and
- turn off the first DC transfer switch to electrically disconnect the first DC power source from the load in response to determining that the output current of the first DC power source is below the threshold current.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.