Fuelcell Energy, Inc.

Mtu Cfc Solutions Gmbh

Fuel Energy, Inc.

George P Berntsen

Fred C Jahnke

Ramakrishnan Venkataraman

Mohammad Farooque

Glenn L Carlson

Pinakin S Patel

Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh

Ludwig Lipp

Joel D Doyon

Nicholas Pasquale

Manfred Bischoff

Anthony John Leo

Kirk Arneson

Ramakirshnan Venkataraman

Lincoln Vitalis

Ramki Venkataraman

Dan Beachy

Stefan Peterhans

Anthony J Leo

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell unit configured to generate an amount of electrical power for supply to a varying electrical load and a fuel cell controller configured to receive a first indication that the varying electrical load is at a local maximum within a predetermined period, and, in response, operate the fuel cell unit with an operational parameter having a first value such that the fuel cell unit produces a limited maximum amount of electrical power that is a predetermined percentage of a maximum rated power output of the fuel cell unit. The fuel cell controller is also configured to receive an indication that the varying electrical load has reduced, and, in response, operate the fuel cell unit with the operational parameter having a second value such that the fuel cell unit produces an amount of electrical power below the limited maximum amount of electrical power.

Fuel cell load cycling to support the electric grid

A load leveling system includes a fuel cell inverter, a direct current (DC) load bank, and a controller. The fuel cell inverter is configured to receive DC power generated by a fuel cell assembly. The DC load bank is connected to the fuel cell assembly in parallel with the fuel cell inverter. The controller is in communication with the fuel cell inverter and the DC load bank. The controller is configured to identify a reduction in a load being drawn by the fuel cell inverter. Responsive to the identification of the reduction of the load, the controller is also configured to divert the DC power generated by the fuel cell assembly from the fuel cell inverter to the DC load bank to prevent load cycling of the fuel cell assembly.

Direct current (DC) load levelers

A method for addressing electrical grid frequency changes by a fuel cell system includes measuring, by a frequency sensor, a frequency of an electrical grid, determining that the frequency of the electrical grid differs from a normal frequency of the electrical grid by a threshold, determining, based at least in part on the measured frequency, an AC power setpoint bias, applying a magnitude limit, a rate-of-change limit, and a duration limit to the determined AC power setpoint bias to generate a limited power setpoint bias, generating a frequency adjusted power setpoint based on the limited power setpoint bias, and providing the frequency adjusted power setpoint to one or more control modules of the fuel cell system such that the fuel cell system adjusts a power output based on a difference between the measured frequency and the normal frequency.

Fuel cell response to electrical grid frequency events

A load-following fuel cell system for a grid system operating with a high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources includes a baseload power generation module and a load-following power generation module. The baseload power generation module provides a baseload power to the grid system and includes a high-efficiency fuel cell system. The high-efficiency fuel cell system includes a topping module and a bottoming module. The topping module and the bottoming module are connected in series and the topping module provides an exhaust stream to the bottoming module. The load-following power generation module provides a load-following power to the grid system and includes an energy storage system that separates and stores hydrogen contained in the exhaust stream and a power generation system having one or more fuel cells. The power generation system receives the hydrogen from the energy storage system to provide the load-following power.

Load-following fuel cell system with energy storage

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell assembly configured to generate a direct current (DC) signal. The fuel cell system also includes one or more inverters coupled to the fuel cell assembly by way of one or more first bus lines. The fuel cell system also includes a variable frequency drive (VFD) coupled to an output of the one or more inverters and configured to receive AC power from the one or more inverters. The VFD is configured to convert the AC power to DC power and to provide the DC power to at least one auxiliary component during a normal operating condition. The fuel cell system further includes one or more second bus lines configured to receive the DC signal via the one or more first bus lines and to provide the DC signal to the VFD to power the at least one auxiliary component during a low voltage ride through condition.

Fuel cell system ride-through of electric grid disturbances

A hybrid fuel cell system comprising a high temperature fuel cell having an anode section and a cathode section, a gas turbine comprising a compressor cycle for compressing a supply gas and an expansion cycle for expanding one of heated compressed supply gas and a second gas derived from the compressed supply gas to provide mechanical energy to an induction machine, and an induction machine for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy and adapted to output an electrical output.

Electrical generation system and method for a hybrid fuel cell power plant

A gas flow control assembly for use in a fuel cell system comprising an airflow control assembly for adjusting flow of air to a cathode side of the fuel cell system based on content variations in an exhaust gas leaving an anode side of the system and a fuel flow control assembly for controlling flow of fuel to the anode side based on adjustment to the airflow by the airflow control assembly.

Gas flow control assembly for use with fuel cell systems operating on fuels with varying fuel composition

A fuel cell system with a fuel cell having an anode adapted to receive fuel and a cathode adapted to receive oxidant, an anode oxidizing assembly adapted to receive output of said anode and input oxidant and to output oxidant gas for said cathode, a fuel supply assembly including a first fuel flow control part, said fuel supply assembly being adapted to supply fuel to said anode at a flow rate that is equal to or less than a first flow rate, and a low flow bypass assembly which, upon the occurrence of a first condition of said fuel cell system, causes fuel supplied by said fuel supply part to bypass said first fuel flow control part and flow through said low flow bypass assembly so as to limit the flow rate of fuel being supplied to a second flow rate smaller than said first flow rate.

Fuel cell system with fuel flow control assembly including a low flow bypass

A multi-stack assembly receiving fuel from a fuel supply and producing power output for consumption by a load, the assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cell stacks for producing DC power and forming a plurality of fuel cell stack groups, wherein each of the stack groups includes at least one fuel cell stack, a plurality of inverters corresponding to the plurality of fuel cell stack groups, wherein each of the inverters draws a predetermined amount of DC power from a corresponding fuel cell stack group and converts the DC power to AC power; and a controller for controlling each of the inverters to draw the predetermined amount of DC power from the corresponding fuel cell stack group so as to satisfy power requirements of the load.

Fuel cell assembly using multiple fuel cell stacks and control method therefor

A fuel cell system and method in which the fuel cell system receives and an input oxidant gas and an input fuel gas, and in which a fuel processing assembly is provided and is adapted to at least humidify the input fuel gas which is to be supplied to the anode of the fuel cell of the system whose cathode receives the oxidant input gas via an anode oxidizing assembly which is adapted to couple the output of the anode of the fuel cell to the inlet of the cathode of the fuel cell during normal operation, shutdown and restart of the fuel cell system, and in which a control assembly is further provided and is adapted to respond to shutdown of the fuel cell system during which input fuel gas and input oxidant gas cease to be received by the fuel cell system, the control assembly being further adapted to, when the fuel cell system is shut down: control the fuel cell system so as to enable a purging gas to be able to flow through the fuel processing assembly to remove humidified fuel gas from the processing assembly and to enable a purging gas to be able to flow through the anode of the fuel cell.

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Shelton, CT, United States of America

George P Berntsen