Power supply system

A technical system comprising:

• a power supply system, comprising:
• an electricity generating system comprising a single stack of fuel cells comprising a plurality of fuel cells and having a positive pole and a negative pole;
• a regulating device for regulating a voltage between said positive pole and said negative pole, said regulating device consisting of:
• a resistive load connected between said positive pole and negative pole to generate a voltage drop between said positive pole and negative pole;
• a controlled switch inserted in series with said resistive load between said positive pole and negative pole and which is actuatable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
• a control device in communication with the controlled switch and comprising a comparator for calculating a voltage error as a difference between a voltage value measured between said positive pole and said negative pole at terminals of the stack and a predetermined maximum voltage value, said control device being configured for actuating said controlled switch between said open configuration and said closed configuration and vice versa as a function of said voltage error;
• a battery pack comprising a plurality of individual elements powered by the stack of fuel cells,
• an electrical load also powered by the stack of fuel cells and/or by the battery pack,
• said electrical load and said battery pack being connected to said stack of fuel cells in parallel with a series comprising said resistive load and said controlled switch;
• wherein the positive and negative poles of the stack of fuels cells are directly connected to positive and negative poles of the battery pack, respectively, without further devices positioned in series therebetween.

A control method for controlling a technical system, comprising the steps of:

• providing a technical system comprising:
• a power supply system, comprising:
• an electricity generating system consisting of a single stack of fuel cells comprising a plurality of fuel cells and having a positive pole and a negative pole;
• a regulating device for regulating a voltage between said positive pole and said negative pole, said regulating device consisting of:
• a resistive load connected between said positive pole and negative pole to generate a voltage drop between said positive pole and negative pole;
• a controlled switch inserted in series with said resistive load between said positive pole and negative pole and which is actuatable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
• a control device in communication with the controlled switch and comprising a comparator for calculating a voltage error as a difference between a voltage value measured between said positive pole and said negative pole at terminals of the stack and a predetermined maximum voltage value, said control device being configured for actuating said controlled switch between said open configuration and said closed configuration and vice versa as a function of said voltage error;
• a battery pack comprising a plurality of individual elements powered by the stack of fuel cells,
• an electrical load also powered by the stack of fuel cells and/or by the battery pack,
• said electrical load and said battery pack being connected to said stack of fuel cells in parallel with a series comprising said resistive load and said controlled switch;
• measuring the voltage value between the positive pole and the negative pole of the stack of fuel cells;
• calculating the voltage error between the voltage value measured between the positive pole and the negative pole of the stack of fuel cells and the predetermined maximum voltage value corresponding to the maximum permissible voltage value of the battery pack;
• actuating said controlled switch to move to the closed configuration if said voltage error is positive.

A recharging method for recharging a battery pack from a stack of fuel cells, said recharging method comprising:

• a step of directly powering the battery pack from the stack of fuel cells and a step of regulating a voltage between a positive pole and a negative pole of the stack of fuel cells, said regulating step being performed exclusively via a regulating device consisting of a resistive load connected to said positive pole and negative pole for generating a voltage drop between said positive pole and negative pole and a controlled switch inserted in series with said resistive load between said positive pole and negative pole and which is actuatable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
• a step of controlling the controlled switch as a function of a voltage error calculated as a difference between a voltage value measured between said positive pole and said negative pole at terminals of the stack of fuel cells and a predetermined maximum voltage value permitted by the battery pack;
• setting up a system for generating electricity, comprising the stack of fuel cells and an electricity generating system, during a transient step until a working load is active and a consumption of a balance of plant is at a minimum value sufficient for activating the stack of fuel cells and an output voltage of the stack of fuel cells, measured using a comparator, is at a maximum and close to an open circuit voltage value of the stack of fuel cells and greater than the predetermined maximum voltage value;
• determining, using the comparator, a positive voltage error between the output voltage of the stack of fuel cells and the predetermined maximum voltage value;
• using the positive voltage error to close the controlled switch and divert a flow of current on the resistive load;
• thereby allowing an instantaneous absorption of a predetermined quantity of current which will have, as a result, an immediate reduction of the voltage between the terminals of the stack of fuels cells and at the terminals of the battery pack.