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US 8,043,758 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for controlling a fuel cell system
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn G. Noetzel, Karl J. Haltiner, Jr., Kaushik Rajashekara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating a fuel cell includes the step of selectively connecting and disconnecting the fuel cell to at least one electrical load dependent at least in part upon at least one of a fuel cell voltage, a fuel cell current and a fuel cell temperature.
Claims14
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell unit having a fuel cell stack, said fuel cell stack producing a fuel cell voltage and a fuel cell current;
- a power conditioner electrically connected to said fuel cell unit and producing an output voltage, said power conditioner including a power switching device, said power switching device selectively connecting and disconnecting said output voltage to a plurality of loads dependent at least in part upon an operating temperature of said fuel cell stack to thereby produce said output voltage to be different in voltage than said fuel cell voltage, wherein when said fuel cell stack is producing said fuel cell voltage in a start-up mode said power switching device is configured for disallowing substantially all of said fuel cell current from said fuel cell stack to said plurality of loads when said fuel cell stack is below said operating temperature.
A power conditioner producing an output voltage for use with a fuel cell, said fuel cell generating a fuel cell voltage and a fuel cell current, said power conditioner comprising:
- at least one power switching device, said power switching device configured for selectively connecting and disconnecting said output voltage to a plurality of loads dependent at least in part upon an operating temperature of said fuel cell to thereby produce said output voltage to be different in voltage than said fuel cell voltage, wherein when said fuel cell is producing said fuel cell voltage in a start-up mode said power switching device is configured for disallowing substantially all of said fuel cell current from said fuel cell to said plurality of loads when said fuel cell is below said operating temperature.
A fuel cell system having a fuel cell temperature and an operating temperature, the fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell unit having a fuel cell stack, said fuel cell stack producing a fuel cell voltage and a fuel cell current;
- and
- a power conditioner electrically connected to said fuel cell unit and producing an output voltage, said power conditioner including a power switching device, said power switching device selectively connecting and disconnecting said output voltage to a plurality of loads dependent at least in part upon said fuel cell temperature to thereby produce an output voltage to be different than said fuel cell voltage,
- wherein said power switching device is in a linear mode of operation when said fuel cell temperature has reached said operating temperature and when the difference between said output voltage and said fuel cell voltage is less than 3.0 volts,
- wherein said power switching device is in a pulse-width modulated mode of operation when said fuel cell temperature has reached said operating temperature and when the difference between said output voltage and said fuel cell voltage is at least 3.0 volts, and wherein when said fuel cell stack is producing said fuel cell voltage in a start-up mode said power switching device is configured for disallowing substantially all of said fuel cell stack current from said fuel cell stack to said plurality of loads when said fuel cell temperature of said fuel cell is below said operating temperature.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.