A fuel cell system that includes a first fuel cell that generates electric power using a hydrogen-containing fuel gas; a second fuel cell that generates electric power using off-gas exhausted from the first fuel cell and containing hydrogen that has not reacted in the first fuel cell; a first control device that controls the electric power output from the first fuel cell by adjusting a current or a voltage being output from the first fuel cell; a second control device that controls the electric power output from the second fuel cell by adjusting a current or a voltage being output from the second fuel cell; and an output control device that controls at least one of the first control device or the second control device such that a total electric power being generated by the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell approaches an electric power demand.

A fuel cell power generation plant is disclosed. The plant includes fuel cell systems, each of which includes a fuel cell stack, sensors, actuators, a DC-DC converter and a microcontroller. The stack is coupled to a DC bus via the converter. The microcontroller communicates with the sensors, the actuators and the converter, and is configured to acquire sensor data from the sensors and obtain control signals for the actuators and the converter. The plant further includes an inverter coupled with the converter of each system via the DC bus and coupled to a power load, a first power line communication (PLC) modem coupled with the microcontroller of each system, a second PLC modem coupled with the first PLC modem via the DC bus; and a plant controller coupled with the second PLC modem and communicating with the inverter. A method of communication for use in a fuel cell power generation plant is also disclosed.

A system and method for controlling a fuel cell system. An anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) receives air and fuel exhaust streams from one or more fuel cell stacks of the fuel cell system. The one or more fuel cell stacks provide current to one or more loads. An ATO temperature signal is used to control at least one of a fuel inlet flow to the one or more fuel cell stacks or the current provided to the one or more loads.

A fuel cell system of the present disclosure performs a first and a second catalyst activation process, and the first catalyst activation process is performed where a flow rate of the air supplied to the fuel cell by the air compressor is reduced to be less than that before the refresh control is performed while keeping an amount of a current drawn from the fuel cell by the fuel cell converter at the same value as that before the refresh control is performed, and the second catalyst activation process is performed where the value of the current drawn from the fuel cell by the fuel cell converter is increased to be greater than that before the refresh control is performed while keeping the flow rate of the air supplied to the fuel cell by the air compressor at the same value as that before the refresh control is performed.

A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack including a plurality of cells, each of which has a fuel electrode, an air electrode, and an electrolyte, and performs a power generation by a reaction between a fuel gas and air; a fuel supplier supplying the fuel gas to the fuel electrode; an air supplier supplying the air to the air electrode; a voltage detector detecting the voltage of the fuel cell stack; and a controller stopping the supplying of the fuel gas by the fuel supplier and the supplying of the air by the air supplier when the voltage of the fuel cell stack detected by the voltage detector is decreased to be lower than a threshold voltage after the power generation of the fuel cell stack is stopped.

In order to provide means to improve an operating ratio and the like of a fuel cell while keeping using a gas meter and a gas leakage detection system popularly used by a general household, a fuel cell system of the disclosure herein including a fuel cell module configured to generate power by using gas supplied via a gas meter and a controller configured to control the power generation of the fuel cell module, wherein the controller, when detecting for a first predetermined period of time that the gas is not supplied to anything else other than the fuel cell module, controls to stop the power generation of the fuel cell module for a second predetermined period of time.

A power supply apparatus, a power supply system, and a power supply method increase the power generation efficiency of the system overall in a system that includes a plurality of power source units. A power supply apparatus operates distributed power sources in parallel, the distributed power sources including power source units, and supplies output power from the distributed power sources to a load. The power supply apparatus includes a controller that controls each power source unit so that output power from whichever of the power source units has higher power generation efficiency is prioritized to increase.

A method of operating a vehicle includes, using a master power control module, and in response to a propulsion demand global to the vehicle, operating a master-assigned motor to which a wheeled drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy a share of the propulsion demand. The method additionally includes, using a slave power control module, and in response to the propulsion demand, operating a slave-assigned motor to which the drivetrain is mechanically connected to satisfy a remaining share of the propulsion demand.

A distribution method and system for a plurality of fuel cell systems (FCSs) configured to provide electrical energy. The distribution being configured for determining a demand of a load for the electrical energy and correspondingly implementing a powering operation. The powering operation executing a startup operation according to a startup order specified for one or more secondary FCSs of the FCSs. The powering operation including individually performing the startup operations for each of the secondary FCSs according to the startup order, and while each of the second FCSs are performing the startup operation, controlling another one or more of the FCSs to mask a power variance associated therewith.

A combined hydrogen and electricity supply system for producing hydrogen, electrical Power (P) and co-production, the system including a variable electrical load for varying the amount of impedance on the system, a pre-reformer connected to a stream of carbonaceous fuel, a stream of steam and connected to a heating source. The pre-reformer produces a first reformate gas having at least hydrogen, carbon monoxide and unconverted carbonaceous fuel. The pre-reformer is responsive to the amount of heat provided by the heating source, a solid oxide fuel cell stack coupled to the variable electrical load and coupled to the first reformate gas. The ratio between electrical power (P) and amount of hydrogen produced depends at least on the variable electrical load and the heat provided by the heating source.