Portable Fuel Cell System Having a Fuel Cell System Controller

A portable fuel cell system, comprising;

• a fuel cell having a plurality of flow inputs and a power output;
• a temperature sensor configured to measure operating temperature of the fuel cell;
• a power output sensor coupled to the fuel cell and configured to measure a power parameter related to fuel cell power output;
• a controllable power converter, coupled to the power output of the fuel cell, that transfers power from the fuel cell to the fuel cell system;
• a flow control device coupled to a first flow input and configured to control a first one of the flow inputs into the fuel cell;
• and
• a fuel cell system controller, coupled to the fuel cell, the power output, the temperature sensor, the power output sensor, the controllable power converter, and the flow control device, the fuel cell system controller configured to operate:
• a power control loop, having the measured power parameter as an input, configured to set a temperature target value of the fuel cell temperature to cause the measured power parameter to match a power target value;
• a fuel cell temperature control loop, having the measured operating temperature of the fuel cell as an input, configured to adjust the first flow using the first flow control device to cause the measured operating temperature of the fuel cell to match the temperature target value;
• and
• a power converter control loop, having the measured power parameter as an input, configured to adjust the controllable power converter to maximize the measured power parameter.