A power supply system comprising: power storage device (1); a fuel cell (2) connecting to the power storage device (1); an auxiliary machine (4) of the fuel cell, the auxiliary machine (4) operating in a range corresponding to a voltage across the fuel cell (2); a voltage converter (3) inserted along a first line between the fuel cell (2) and the power storage device (1). The power supply system further comprising an auxiliary machine power supplying device (5) inserted between the voltage converter (3) and the power storage device (1), the power supply device for the auxiliary machine (5) being configured to supply power from at least one of the fuel cell (2) and the power storage device (1) to the auxiliary machine (4); and a switch (6) inserted along a second line different from the first line between the fuel cell (2) and the auxiliary machine (4), the switch (6) being configured to supply power to the auxiliary machine (4).

Systems and methods for operating an electric energy storage device are described. The systems and methods may generate a state of charge estimate that is based on negative electrode plating. An overall state of charge may be determined from the state of charge estimate that is based on negative electrode plating and a state of charge estimate that is not based on negative electrode plating.

An apparatus monitors the state of charge (SOC) of a flow battery system. The monitoring method include determining SOCs of at least two pairs of different monitoring positions. A pair of monitoring position may be located inside of an anode electrolyte storage tank (2) and inside of a cathode electrolyte storage tank (3), or inside of an anode electrolyte outlet pipeline (6) of a stack and inside of a cathode electrolyte outlet pipeline (7) of the stack, or inside of an anode electrolyte inlet pipeline (8) of the stack and inside of a cathode electrolyte inlet pipeline (9) of the stack. The SOC.sub.sum of the flow battery system is acquired according to the SOCs corresponding to different pair of monitoring positions, respectively. The method ensures acquiring an SOC monitoring result timely and accurately.

A fuel cell system includes a membrane electrode assembly, an anode-side internal passage, a cathode-side internal passage, an oxygen supply section, and a control device. The oxygen supply section includes a gas circulation passage connected to one end side and the other end side of the cathode-side internal passage, an oxygen supply source connected to the gas circulation passage, and a gas circulation device configured to circulate and flow oxygen gas in any one of one direction and the other direction in the gas circulation passage. The control device switches a flow direction of the oxygen gas by the gas circulation device according to a distribution state of moisture on the cathode electrode of the membrane electrode assembly.

A method for operating a fuel cell. The fuel cell is supplied with gaseous fuel via an anode-side gas feed line and with air via a cathode-side gas feed line. The anode-side gas feed line and the cathode-side gas feed line are coupled via a pressure-transmitting element, wherein in the event of an increased power requirement of the fuel cell, the gas pressure of the anode-side gas feed line is at least partly transmitted to the cathode-side gas feed line via the pressure-transmitting element and causes the gas pressure of the cathode-side gas feed line to increase. A fuel cell system having at least one fuel cell, an anode-side gas feed line, a cathode-side gas feed line, and a monitoring unit.

The invention relates to a method for operating an electric drive system of a motor vehicle (2) with a backup battery (2.8) and a fuel cell (2.6) for providing electric drive power. Here, route data is determined and then, based on this route data, consumption data is forecast.

The invention is characterized in that, in order to optimize the operation of the fuel cell (2.6) based on the forecast consumption data, a total energy demand for the route is forecast, after which a mean fuel cell power is determined which is required together with the energy stored at the starting time of the route in the backup battery (2.8) to determine the total energy demand over a constant power trajectory for the fuel cell (2.6). This is followed by a check as to whether limit values of the backup battery (2.8) are violated when driving along the route with the power trajectory: if no limit value is violated, the fuel cell (2.6) is operated with the specified power trajectory; if a limit value is violated, the power of the fuel cell (2.6) is changed in the area where the limit value is violated and then adjusted to achieve the mean fuel cell power again over the entire route, whereby a new power trajectory is defined. The check is then run through again with the new power trajectory until a power trajectory has been determined without violating the limit values of the backup battery (2.6), according to which the fuel cell (2.6) is then operated.

A novel high cycle life, low cost hybrid redox flow battery that has application in the storage of energy generated by solar cells, windmills and other means is described. By combining a solid battery positive electrode with a redox flow negative electrode, the volumetric energy density of the system is maximized and footprint minimized for medium scaled installations of multi kilowatt-hour size as may be envisioned in domestic distributed power systems. The positive electrode is a high cycle life rechargeable nickel hydroxide electrode in alkaline solution. The negative active material is a low cost organic chemical such as a substituted anthroquinone dissolved in an alkaline electrolyte and stored external to the negative plate of the electrochemical device. The material of the negative plate is high surface area and capable of facilitating the oxidation and reduction reactions of the negative active material. The negative and positive electrodes are separated by an electronically insulating but ionically conducting separator material that allows ionic mobility and the generation of electric current when charging or discharging of the battery takes place. Ideally, an ion exchange membrane would separate the positive and negative active material in order to maximize service life and reduce intermingling of active material.

The present disclosure relates to a performance testing device applicable to a metal fuel cell, and belongs to the field of metal fuel cells. Self-adaptive clamping equipment can be used for autonomously positioning and clamping galvanic piles with different sizes and shapes, and can be self-adaptively fixed according to the shapes. Sealing performance testing equipment is used for testing the sealing performance of the metal fuel cell through a testing pool. Discharge performance testing equipment is used for testing the discharge performance of the metal fuel cell. According to the performance testing device, two performances of sealing and discharging can be tested at the same time, perfusion of different electrolytes and measurement of galvanic piles composed of different numbers of single cells with different sizes can be realized, and the compatibility requirement of large-batch and multi-type cells delivered from a factory is met.

A fuel cell electrical power generation system is described herein. The system uses a combustor to increase the pressure and temperature of exhaust gases from a fuel cell stack of the system. The combustor uses hydrogen from a hydrogen supply to provide fuel to the combustor. The increased temperature/pressure of the exhaust gases post combustion are used to rotate a turbine, which in turn rotates a compressor of a turbocharger. The compressor compresses incoming air to increase the power output and/or the efficiency of the system. An ebooster can be used in low load conditions, such as during a startup or during at time in which the electrical loading on the fuel cells is relatively low.

One embodiment is a redox flow battery system that includes an anolyte; a catholyte; an anolyte tank configured for holding at least a portion of the anolyte; a catholyte tank configured for holding at least a portion of the catholyte; a primary redox flow battery arrangement, and a second redox flow battery arrangement. The primary and secondary redox flow battery arrangements share the anolyte and catholyte tanks and each includes a first half-cell including a first electrode in contact with the anolyte, a second half-cell including a second electrode in contact with the catholyte, a separator separating the first half-cell from the second half-cell, an anolyte pump, and a catholyte pump. The peak power delivery capacity of the secondary redox flow battery arrangement is less than the peak power delivery capacity of the primary redox flow battery arrangement.