A heater is described. The heater includes a fuel cell to produce heated air, electricity and water vapor. The heater further includes a heating element operatively coupled to the fuel cell to convert the electricity to heat and a control system operatively coupled to the fuel cell and the heating element, the control system being configured to monitor and control the fuel cell and heating element.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a power management system (e.g., a power management for a fuel cell or a fuel cell system) includes a fuel cell to generate an electrical power output; a metastable hydrogen carrier to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell; a heater coupled with the metastable hydrogen carrier; and a controller coupled to the heater to control a rate of hydrogen release from the metastable hydrogen carrier. A method of operating a fuel cell system includes controlling an electrical power input to a heater utilizing a controller; heating a metastable hydrogen carrier to a temperature by the heater and to generate hydrogen to feed a fuel cell. The heater is coupled to the controller, and the controller controls the electrical power input to the heater according to a relationship between a rate of hydrogen release and the temperature and a composition of the metastable hydrogen carrier.

A fuel cell based power generator includes a fuel cell element, an ambient air path configured to receive ambient air and provide the ambient air across a cathode side of the fuel cell element, receive water from the fuel cell element and provide wet air to the water exchanger element, and a fuel cell cooling mechanism associated with the fuel cell element, separate from the ambient air path and configured to cool the fuel cell element.

An air supply system, comprising at least two air blowers and at least two communication valves; wherein one air blower is connected to a main air passage through the corresponding communication valve; and at least one other is connected to a reformer air passage and a stack air passage through at least one other communication valve, respectively. At least two air blowers are provided to connect the at least two communication valves.

A fuel reformer module (8005) for initiating catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) to reform a hydrocarbon fuel oxidant mixture (2025, 3025) to output a syngas reformate (2027) to solid oxide fuel cell stack (2080, 5040). A solid non-porous ceramic catalyzing body (3030) includes a plurality of catalyst coated fuel passages (3085). A thermally conductive element (9005, 10005, 11005, 13005), with a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 50 W/m° K or greater is thermally conductively coupled with the catalyzing body. A first thermal sensor (8030) is thermally conductively coupled with the thermally conductive element. A second thermal sensor is thermally conductively coupled with a surface of the fuel cell stack. A control method independently modulates an oxidant input flow rate, based on first thermal sensor signal values, a hydrocarbon fuel input flow rate, based on second thermal sensor signal values.

The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell system and a method of controlling a heater thereof. A fuel cell system according to the present disclosure includes a cathode oxygen depletion (COD) heater that is disposed on a line through which cooling water flowing into a fuel cell stack circulates and heats the cooling water or consumes residual power of the fuel cell stack, and a controller that determines power consumption according to a target heating amount of the COD heater and controls an operation of the COD heater based on the determined power consumption.

A steam vaporizer assembly includes an internal steam generator having a vessel configured to hold water, a vaporizer unit having a heating element configured to heat the water to generate saturated steam; and a controller configured to: cause the heating element to heat the water to a stand-by temperature; and while maintaining a water level of the water in the vessel between two control points: maintain the water in the vessel at the stand-by temperature until steam generation is required, and when steam generation is required, heating the water in the vessel from the stand-by temperature to a temperature at or above a vaporization temperature of the water using a heating element, to generate the steam.

In a fuel cell vehicle and a method of controlling the fuel cell vehicle, when a gas pressure in a high pressure tank becomes less than a first threshold pressure, the SOC of an energy storage device is increased to a margin SOC. When the gas pressure becomes a second threshold pressure which is lower than the first threshold pressure, the amount of fuel released from the high pressure tank is limited to prevent the occurrence of buckling, and limit the travel driving force by the motor to a required limit. At the time of limiting the travel driving force, electrical energy of the energy storage device is used to provide assistance in a manner that the travel driving force by the motor becomes the travel driving force of the required limit.

A fuel cell system ensures estimation on a cooling capacity by produced water in an intercooler when water is provided. A control device in a fuel cell system includes a freeze determination unit, a required pressure calculator, a discharge pressure setting unit, a power supplying unit, and a melting estimation unit. The freeze determination unit determines a freezing of produced water in an intercooler. The required pressure calculator calculates a pressure of air discharged from an air compressor. The discharge pressure unit sets the discharge air compressor to a melt pressure when the required pressure is the melt pressure or more. The power supplying unit performs power generation with the melt pressure for a melting period set to melt the frozen produced water, and supplies the generated power to the motor. The unit estimates the melting of the frozen water in the intercooler has completed after the melting period.

A fuel cell system and method, the system including a hotbox, a fuel cell stack disposed in the hotbox, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) disposed in the hotbox, and a fuel exhaust processor fluidly connected to the hotbox. The fuel exhaust processor includes a first hydrogen pump configured to extract hydrogen from the anode exhaust received from the fuel cell stack and to output the hydrogen to a first hydrogen stream provided to the fuel cell stack, a second hydrogen pump configured to extract hydrogen from anode exhaust output from the first hydrogen pump and to output the hydrogen to the first hydrogen stream, and a third hydrogen pump configured to extract hydrogen from anode exhaust output from the second hydrogen pump and to output the hydrogen to a second hydrogen stream provided to the ATO.