System and method for feedback-based reduction of system overdraw in a fuel cell system

A system for reducing overdraw of power from a vehicular power source, the system comprising:

• a power source including:
• a battery configured to store energy and having a state of charge (SOC), and
• a fuel cell circuit configured to generate electricity at least one of to be utilized by a motor or to be stored in the battery;
• and
• a power source electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the power source and configured to:
• transmit a power limit signal to a vehicle ECU, the power limit signal indicating an instantaneous maximum amount of power that can be drawn from the power source;
• determine an internal maximum allowed consumption corresponding to the instantaneous maximum amount of power that can be drawn from the power source;
• determine a current power consumption corresponding to a total amount of power being drawn from the power source;
• and
• reduce the instantaneous maximum amount of power in the power limit signal in response to the current power consumption being greater than the internal maximum allowed consumption to reduce an amount of power requested by the vehicle ECU.

A method for reducing overdraw of power from a vehicular power source, the method comprising:

• storing, in a battery, energy;
• generating, by a fuel cell circuit, electricity to be at least one of utilized by a motor or stored in the battery;
• transmitting, by a power source electronic control unit (ECU), a power limit signal to a vehicle ECU, the power limit signal corresponding to an instantaneous maximum amount of power that can be provided by a power source that includes the battery and the fuel cell circuit;
• determining, by the power source ECU, a battery allowed power corresponding to an amount of power available to be drawn from the battery to cause the SOC of the battery to remain above a lower SOC threshold;
• determining, by the power source ECU, a current battery power draw from the battery corresponding to an instantaneous amount of power being drawn from the battery;
• and
• reducing, by the power source ECU, the instantaneous maximum amount of power in the power limit signal in response to the current battery power draw being greater than the battery allowed power in order to reduce an amount of power requested by the vehicle ECU, in turn reducing the current battery power draw.