Fuel cell power systems, direct current voltage converters, fuel cell power generation methods, power conditioning methods and direct current power conditioning methods

A fuel cell power system comprising:

• a plurality of terminals adapted to couple with a load;
• a plurality of fuel cells configured to convert chemical energy into direct current electrical energy, the fuel cells being configured to be individually selectively deactivated and remaining ones of the fuel cells being configured to provide electricity with others of the fuel cells deactivated;
• and
• an inverter coupled intermediate at least one of the fuel cells and the terminals, the inverter being configured to convert the direct current electricity into alternating current electrical energy.

A direct current voltage converter comprising:

• an input adapted to receive direct current electrical energy from a plurality of fuel cells having a variable voltage potential;
• converter circuitry coupled with the input and configured to convert the direct current electrical energy having the variable voltage potential into direct current electrical energy having a substantially constant voltage potential;
• and
• an output coupled with the converter circuitry and configured to receive the direct current electrical energy having the substantially constant voltage, wherein the plurality of fuel cells are configured to be individually selectively deactivated and remaining ones of the fuel cells being configured to provide electricity to the input with others of the fuel cells deactivated.

A fuel cell power system comprising:

• a housing;
• a plurality of output terminals;
• a plurality of cartridges configured to be selectively received within and removed from the housing and individually comprising:
• a fuel cell configured to convert chemical energy into electrical energy;
• and
• power conditioning circuitry configured to electrically condition the electrical energy;
• and
• an electrical connection configured to couple the power conditioning circuitry with the output terminals.

A fuel cell power system comprising:

• a housing;
• a plurality of terminals adapted to couple with a load;
• a plurality of cartridges, removeably supported by the housing, and wherein each cartridge includes at least one fuel cell which is configured to convert chemical energy into direct current energy having a variable voltage potential;
• and
• a plurality of power conditioning circuits coupled with the fuel cell and configured to increase the voltage of the electrical energy from the fuel cell, and wherein the fuel cell cartridges house the respective power conditioning circuits.

A fuel cell power system, comprising:

• a housing;
• a plurality of terminals adapted to couple with a load;
• a plurality of cartridges, removably supported by the housing, and wherein each of the cartridges include at least one fuel cell which is configured to convert chemical energy into direct current electrical energy having a variable voltage potential;
• and
• a plurality of power conditioning circuits which are individually configured to couple with the at least one fuel cell and to increase the voltage of the electrical energy from the at least one fuel cell.

A fuel cell power system comprising:

• a housing;
• a plurality of terminals adapted to couple to a load;
• a plurality of cartridges which are removably supported by the housing, and wherein each cartridge includes at least one fuel cell which is configured to convert chemical energy into direct current energy having a variable voltage potential;
• and
• a plurality of power conditioning circuits coupled in parallel with the terminals.

A fuel cell power system comprising:

• a plurality of terminals adapted to couple with a load;
• a plurality of fuel cells configured to convert chemical energy into electrical energy and to provide the electrical energy to the terminals, the fuel cells being further configured to be individually selectively deactivated and remaining ones of the fuel cells being configured to provide electricity to the terminals with others of the fuel cells deactivated;
• and
• a plurality of power conditioning circuits electrically coupled with respective fuel cells and configured to condition electrical energy from respective fuel cells.

A fuel cell power system comprising:

• a plurality of terminals adapted to couple with a load;
• a plurality of fuel cell cartridges individually comprising at least one fuel cell which is configured to convert chemical energy into electrical energy, and wherein the fuel cell cartridges are coupled in parallel with the terminals;
• and
• a plurality of power conditioning circuits configured to condition the electrical energy generated by the respective fuel cell cartridges.

A power conditioning method comprising:

• receiving direct current electrical energy having a variable voltage potential within a direct current converter from a plurality of fuel cells configured to convert chemical energy into electricity, the fuel cells being configured to be individually selectively deactivated and remaining ones of the fuel cells being configured to provide electricity with others of the fuel cells deactivated;
• converting the direct current electrical energy having the variable voltage potential into direct current electrical energy having a substantially constant voltage potential using the direct current converter;
• and
• outputting the direct current electrical energy having the substantially constant voltage potential.

A fuel cell power generation method comprising:

• providing a plurality of fuel cells, the fuel cells being configured to be individually selectively deactivated and remaining ones of the fuel cells being configured to provide electricity with others of the fuel cells deactivated;
• converting chemical energy into electrical energy using the fuel cells;
• conditioning the electrical energy;
• monitoring an operational parameter of the fuel cells;
• and
• controlling the conditioning responsive to the monitoring.

A fuel cell power generation method, comprising:

• providing a plurality of fuel cells;
• converting chemical energy to electrical energy using the fuel cells;
• increasing the voltage potential of the electrical energy from the plural fuel cells by using a plurality of power conditioning circuits coupled in parallel with the terminals;
• and
• after the increasing, supplying the electrical energy to a plurality of terminals which are adapted to be coupled to a load.

A fuel cell power generation method comprising:

• providing a plurality of fuel cells;
• converting chemical energy to electrical energy using the fuel cells;
• increasing the voltage potential of the electrical energy generated from the plural fuel cells using a plurality of power conditioning circuits corresponding to the respective fuel cells;
• and
• after the increasing, supplying the electrical energy to a plurality of terminals which are adapted to be coupled to a load.

A fuel cell power generation method comprising:

• providing a plurality of fuel cells;
• converting chemical energy to electrical energy using the fuel cells;
• conditioning the electrical energy using a plurality of power conditioning circuits corresponding to respective fuel cells;
• and
• supplying the electrical energy to a plurality of terminals adapted to be coupled to a load after the conditioning.

A fuel cell power generation method comprising:

• providing a plurality of fuel cell cartridges individually including at least one fuel cell;
• converting chemical energy into electrical energy utilizing the fuel cells;
• conditioning the electrical energy by utilizing a plurality of power conditioning circuits corresponding to the respective fuel cell cartridges;
• and
• supplying the electrical energy using the fuel cell cartridges and which are coupled in parallel to a plurality of terminals which are electrically coupled to a load.