Variable fuel cell power system for generating electrical power

Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C429S006000, C429S010000, C429S010000, C702S022000, C702S060000, C702S065000

Reexamination Certificate

active

10247067

ABSTRACT:
The present invention provides an apparatus and methods for variably supplying power from a stand-alone fuel cell power supply system including a power conversion unit, a power switching unit and a load control unit. Preferably, a controller manages system configuration to switch the loads, the power conversion and the delivery between the two without reducing capacity by redundantly backing up each individual portion with a bank of at least two modules for each unit. Preferably, controller actuated devices are triggered automatically in response to monitors that sense performance operating parameters and detect values operating outside a threshold range. Preferably, each of the units and the components in each unit are banked in a plurality of modular units so that individual converters may be interchanged, individual fuel cells may be interchanged, individual controllers may be interchanged, and individual storage units such as batteries may be interchanged to ensure proper operation of each bank despite changes or failures in individual components of the bank. The power system may include couplers for connecting the system to dedicated outlets such as an NEC standard 120/240 volt building circuitry. The invention monitors multiple elements from fuel supply, fuel cells, converters, storage units, and controls as well as the loads for balanced, reliably robust, high power quality, and independent power supply.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3621365 (1971-11-01), Beck et al.
patent: 3653969 (1972-04-01), Titterington et al.
patent: 4104539 (1978-08-01), Hase
patent: 4384213 (1983-05-01), Bogel
patent: 4441032 (1984-04-01), Sakurai et al.
patent: 4472641 (1984-09-01), Dickey et al.
patent: 4670702 (1987-06-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 4677037 (1987-06-01), Takabayashi
patent: 4839574 (1989-06-01), Takabayashi
patent: 5156928 (1992-10-01), Takabayashi
patent: 5290641 (1994-03-01), Harashima
patent: 5360679 (1994-11-01), Buswell et al.
patent: 5462815 (1995-10-01), Horiuchi
patent: 5625546 (1997-04-01), Schaal
patent: 5637414 (1997-06-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 5642275 (1997-06-01), Peng et al.
patent: 5646459 (1997-07-01), Hatate et al.
patent: 5712052 (1998-01-01), Kawatsu
patent: 5725964 (1998-03-01), Huppmann
patent: 5853910 (1998-12-01), Tomioka et al.
patent: 5858568 (1999-01-01), Hsu et al.
patent: 5885727 (1999-03-01), Kawatsu
patent: 5945232 (1999-08-01), Ernst et al.
patent: 6030718 (2000-02-01), Fuglevand et al.
patent: 6218035 (2001-04-01), Fuglevand et al.
patent: 6219623 (2001-04-01), Wills
patent: 10228919 (1998-08-01), None
“Innovative Design, Low-Cost Materials are Key to Avista's 720 Residential Fuel Cell,” Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter, Dec. 1998.
Blomen & Mugerwa, Characteristics Of Fuel Cell Systems, Chapter by AJ Appleby, pp. 184-193, 1993.
SFCCG, Inc., Market Opportunity Notice (MON) For Market-Derived Residential Fuel Cell Systems, Apr. 1997.
PC Catalog Ad, 1 pg.
V. Biancomano, “N+1 UPS Offers Redundancy,” EE Times, 1998.
J. Berger, “Charging Ahead,” 1998.
F. Barbir, “Technical Challenges In PEM Fuel Cell Development,” Energy Partners, Inc., pp. 1-6.
D. Swan and M. Miller, “California's Statewide Fuel Cell Research, Design and Development Collaboration Plan,” Table 3, 1996.
“Fuel Cell Directory,” Spring 1999.
Sure Power Corp. Website, Sure Power High Availability Power Systems: What We Do, 3 pgs.
PK Electronics Web Site, 10 pgs., Jun. 24, 1999.
“PK Electronics Introduces The US9001 Modular Parallel Redundant UPS,” 3 pgs., Dec. 5, 1998.
Power Corp., Sure Power—When Failure Is Not An Option, 1 pg.
Pure Power, Electrical Systems For The 21stCentury, “Banking On Fuel Cells To Supply Critical Loads,” Fall 1998, pp. 18-21.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Variable fuel cell power system for generating electrical power does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Variable fuel cell power system for generating electrical power, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Variable fuel cell power system for generating electrical power will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3870954

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.