The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 31, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 23, 2003
Steven J. Fredette, South Windsor, CT (US);
Steven J. Fredette, South Windsor, CT (US);
UTC Fuel Cells, LLC, South Windsor, CT (US);
Abstract
During startup or shutdown of a fuel cell power plant, the electric energy generated by consumption of reactants is extracted by a storage control () in response to a controller () as current applied to an energy storage system(a battery). In a boost embodiment, an inductor () and a diode () connect one terminal () of the stack () of the battery. An electronic switch connects the juncture of the inductor and the diode to both the other terminal () of the stack and the battery. The switch is alternately gated on and off by a signal () from a controller () until sufficient energy is transferred from the stack to the battery. In a buck environment, the switch and the inductor () connect one terminal () of the stack to the battery. A diode connects the juncture of the switch with the inductor to the other terminal () of the fuel cell stack and the battery.