A hybrid system including a high-voltage bus, a high-voltage battery electrically connected to the high-voltage bus, a fuel cell power device electrically connected to the high-voltage bus, and a drive unit electrically connected to the high-voltage bus. A controller is electrically connected to the drive unit, the fuel cell power device, and the high-voltage battery. The controller is configured to identify an application power request for the drive unit and determine a relationship between the application power request and an optimal membrane life power for the fuel cell power device. The controller is also configured to direct the fuel cell power device to operate between the optimal membrane life power and a second power. The application power request is at a power level between the optimal membrane life power and the second power.

A control unit performs water discharge in the first water discharge mode during electrical power generation at the time of stoppage in the case that a determination unit determines that the fuel cell stack is in moist condition, and the control unit performs water discharge in the second water discharge mode during the electrical power generation at the time of stoppage in the case that the determination unit determines that the fuel cell stack is not in moist condition.

A method for assembling an electrochemical cell stack may include arranging a plurality of electrochemical cells into an electrochemical cell stack, the electrochemical cell stack including at least a first substack and a second substack; connecting the first substack and second substack such that reactant fluid flows in series from the first substack to the second substack; and coupling the first substack to a first electrical control device such that the first electrical control device selectively electrically reconfigures the first substack to operate in series and in parallel with the second substack.

The disclosed embodiments relate to the design of a fuel cell system which is capable of both providing power to and receiving power from a rechargeable battery in a portable computing device. This eliminates the need for a bulky and heavy battery within the fuel cell system, which can significantly reduce the size, weight and cost of the fuel cell system. This fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack which converts fuel into electrical power. It also includes a controller which controls operation of the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system additionally includes a power link that transfers electrical power between the fuel cell system and the portable computing device, and a communication link that provides communication between the portable computing device and the controller for the fuel cell system. The controller can regulate both the electrical power provided by the fuel cell system to the portable computing device and the electrical power provided by the rechargeable battery to the fuel cell system.

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for implementing power a power split between a first and a second power source in a fuel cell powertrain system. The method includes receiving an input into a processor of the fuel cell powertrain system, determining an output by the processor, communicating the output by the processor to a system controller and determining a power split by the system controller. The first power source includes a fuel cell system and the second power source is selected from a battery system or an engine, and the input includes a life or health of at least one of the first power source or the second power source.

To make a fuel cell stack reliably discharge at the time of vehicle collision, a control system for an electric vehicle is provided with a fuel cell stack generating electric power by an electrochemical reaction between fuel gas and oxidizing gas and supplying generated electric power to an electric motor for driving the vehicle, a first electrical resistor for discharge electrically connected to the fuel cell stack through an electrically controlled type discharge switch, a discharge control circuit controlling an on/off state of the discharge switch, and a collision detector detecting a vehicle collision and outputting a collision signal to the discharge control circuit. When a collision signal is input to the discharge control circuit, it turns the discharge switch on and electrically connects the fuel cell stack to the first electrical resistor for discharge, to thereby discharge the fuel cell stack. A power supply of the discharge control circuit is comprised of the fuel cell stack.

A Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (RSOFC) system includes a Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (RSOFC) unit, a bi-directional alternating current/direct current (AC/DC) converter, coupled to the RSOFC unit, a common bus, coupled to the bi-directional AC/DC converter and to a power grid, and a plurality of RSOFC subsystems, coupled to receive power only through the common bus. The RSOFC unit has a fuel cell mode, wherein the RSOFC unit produces electrical power from fuel, and an electrolysis mode, wherein the RSOFC unit consumes electrical power to produce the fuel. The bi-directional AC/DC converter is coupled to the RSOFC unit, and is configured to convert direct current (DC) electrical power produced by the RSOFC unit into outgoing alternating current (AC) power, and to convert incoming AC power into DC power for consumption by the RSOFC unit in electrolysis mode.

Disclosed is a method of controlling the operation of a fuel cell triple cogeneration system configured to supply power and cooling heat to a data center, the method including detecting change in a power load or a cooling heat load of the data center and adjusting electrical energy and cooling capacity of the fuel cell triple cogeneration system.

A device for protecting a converter and a control method thereof, the device including: a voltage detection unit that detects at least one of an input-stage voltage and an output-stage voltage of a converter; a switching device that connects an output stage of the converter and a load connected to the output stage, or blocks a connection; a controller that determines whether the detected input-stage voltage or output-stage voltage is out of a preset voltage range, and, when the voltage is out of the range, controls the switching device to cut off the connection between the output stage of the converter and the load; and a driving unit that controls an operation of at least one of the fuel cell and the battery so that a driving force of the vehicle is not generated by the fuel cell and the battery when the connection is cut off.

A fuel cell system for a vehicle includes a cooling circuit with a fuel cell assembly and at least one cooler which is fluidically connected to the fuel cell assembly, a data ascertaining device which is designed to ascertain first data that represents a first cooling power of the cooler, and a controller. The first cooling power is an actual cooling power, wherein the controller is designed to obtain the first data, ascertain second data on the basis of the first data, determine a maximally permissible electric output of the fuel cell assembly on the basis of the second data, and control the electric output to be produced by the fuel cell assembly such that the electric output is at least temporarily at most as high as the maximally permissible electric output. The second data represents a second cooling power of the cooler at a specified maximally permissible temperature of a coolant designed to circulate in the cooling circuit. A vehicle, a method, and a computer program are also described.