Fuel cell power system and method of controlling a fuel cell power system
AssigneeRelion, Inc.
InventorWilliam A. Fuglevand
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell power system includes a fuel cell which has an optimal voltage; an energy storage device having a nominal voltage substantially similar to the optimal voltage of the fuel cell; and an electrical switch that, in operation, selectively electrically couples the fuel cell and the energy storage device to charge the energy storage device. A method includes providing a fuel cell having a nominal voltage; providing an energy storage device having a nominal voltage which is substantially similar to the nominal voltage of the fuel cell and electrically coupling the energy storage device to a load; and selectively electrically coupling the fuel cell to the energy storage device to substantially maintain the energy storage device above a predetermined voltage threshold.
Claims20
A fuel cell power system comprising:
- a fuel cell which has an optimal voltage;
- an energy storage device having a nominal voltage substantially similar to the optimal voltage of the fuel cell;
- and
- an electrical switch that, in operation, selectively electrically couples the fuel cell to the energy storage device to charge the energy storage device.
A fuel cell power system comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cells, the fuel cells respectively having substantially similar nominal voltages;
- an energy storage device having a nominal voltage substantially similar to that of each of the fuel cells;
- and
- electrical switching circuitry electrically coupled to the fuel cells and the energy storage device, and wherein the electrical switching circuitry is configured to electrically couple a selectable number of the fuel cells to the charge storage device to maintain the voltage of the charge storage device above a predetermined voltage.
A fuel cell power system comprising:
- a fuel cell which has a nominal operating voltage;
- an energy storage device having a nominal voltage substantially similar to the nominal operating voltage of the fuel cell;
- an electrical switch selectively coupling the fuel cell to the energy storage device;
- and
- a controller coupled in voltage sensing relation relative to the fuel cell and the energy storage device, and further coupled in controlling relation relative to the electrical switch, the controller selectively controlling the switch to selectively electrically couple the fuel cell to the energy storage device to maintain the voltage of the energy storage device above a predetermined threshold.
A method comprising:
- providing a fuel cell having a nominal voltage;
- providing an energy storage device having a nominal voltage which is substantially similar to the nominal voltage of the fuel cell and electrically coupling the energy storage device to a load;
- and
- selectively electrically coupling the fuel cell to the energy storage device to substantially maintain the energy storage device above a predetermined voltage threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.