Method for using fuel cell system air throttle to control hybrid power system

A method for operating a hybrid power system, comprising the steps of:

• providing a fuel cell power plant operably connected to an electric load, the fuel cell power plant comprising an energy storage system connected in parallel with a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising a fuel flow system, an air flow system including a cathode recycle loop, a water management system, and a controller operable to manage a power demand of the electric load;
• sensing parameters and providing sensed data to the controller;
• calculating an operational set point responsive to the sensed data to proportion a current split between the fuel cell system and the energy storage system;
• throttling the air flow system conjoined with the cathode recycle loop to operate at the operational set point;
• actively proportioning the current split between the fuel cell system and the energy storage system in response to throttling the air flow system;
• and
• decoupling operation and control of the air flow system from the operation and control of the water management system.