Microbial fuel cells capable of generating energy from an organic-based fuel are described. The microbial fuel cells can include an anode component, a cathode component, and a separator component selected to reduce spacing between the anode and the cathode thereby improving performance of the microbial fuel cell. Cathode components including particular components that improve the lifetime, performance, and production of the cathode component at reduced cost also are described, as well as a method of using the microbial fuel cells.

Provided are a power control apparatus, a power supply system, and a method for controlling a power supply system that can reduce the power loss when charging a storage battery from a power generation apparatus. A power control apparatus (power conditioner) controls connection between a storage battery and a power generation apparatus and includes a controller capable of selecting between a first electrical path in which the storage battery is connected to an inverter via a first power converter and the power generation apparatus is connected to the inverter via a second power converter, and a second electrical path in which the power generation apparatus is connected to the inverter via the second power converter and the storage battery is connected to an intermediate point between the power generation apparatus and the second power converter via the first power converter. When surplus power is generated from the power generation apparatus, the controller selects the second electrical path and charges the storage battery with the surplus power.

Various designs and configurations of and methods of operating fuel cell units, fuel cell systems and combined heat and power systems are provided that permit efficient thermal management of such units and systems to improve their operation.

An energy storage system includes: a combustion turbine configured to output heated sweep gas; a reformer configured to receive natural gas and steam and to output reformed natural gas; a molten carbonate electrolyzer cell (“MCEC”) comprising an MCEC anode and an MCEC cathode, wherein the MCEC is configured to operate in a hydrogen-generation mode in which: the MCEC anode receives the reformed natural gas from the reformer, and outputs MCEC anode exhaust that contains hydrogen, and the MCEC cathode is configured to receive heated sweep gas from the combustion turbine, and to output MCEC cathode exhaust; and a storage tank configured to receive the MCEC anode exhaust that contains hydrogen.

A power inverter, such as a synchronous buck power inverter, that is configured with a high frequency switching control having a (PWM) controller and sensing circuit. Controller provides a low frequency oscillating wave to effect switching control on a synchronous-buck circuit portion that includes a plurality of switches to invert every half cycle of the frequency provided by controller. The inverting process thus creates a positive and negative transition of the oscillating wave signal. A low frequency switching stage includes a further plurality of switches configured to operate as zero voltage switching (ZVS) and zero current switching (ZCS) drives Charge on an output capacitor is discharged to zero on every zero crossing of low frequency switching stage and advantageously discharges energy every half cycle. During this discharge of energy, the zero crossing distortion in the low frequency sine wave is greatly reduced.

A SOFC system for producing a refined carbon dioxide product, electrical power, and a compressed hydrogen product is presented. The system can include a hydrodesulfurization system, a steam reformer, a water-gas shift reactor system, a hydrogen purification system, a hydrogen compression and storage system, a pre-reformer, and a CO2 purification and liquidification system.

Provided is an apparatus for soft-sensing a fuel cell system. The apparatus includes: a connecting unit detachable from a control unit for being connected to an outside of a stationary fuel cell system; a collecting unit connected to the connecting unit and receiving data of the stationary fuel cell system; a quality variable predicting unit connected to the collecting unit and predicting a quality variable of the stationary fuel cell system based on the received data; and a monitoring unit connected to the quality variable predicting unit and outputting the predicted quality variable. The quality variable predicting unit is configured to predict the quality variable predictable including at least any one of a concentration of carbon monoxide in a reformed gas at a rear end of a fuel converting system, and a concentration of methane in the reformed gas at the rear end of the fuel converting system.

With a fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell and a secondary battery, a drive motor and a pump motor are connected to each other via an electric power line so that the drive motor and the pump motor are capable of receiving and supplying electric power with each other without involving reception and supply of electric power with the secondary battery. The control device determines an upper-limit guard value of torque of the pump motor based on a dischargeable power of the secondary battery and an output power of the fuel cell, or determines a lower-limit guard value of torque of the pump motor based on a chargeable power of the secondary battery and an output power of the fuel cell.

System comprising an element for capturing and transforming external light into electricity based on the use of doped graphene; an electricity management control board to which are connected: a battery and a generator for supplying the current needed by a hydrolysis machine connected to the generator; a hydrogen tank connected to the hydrolysis machine; an oxygen tank connected to the hydrolysis machine, for use in space-based systems, which can be vented through an exhaust; a fuel cell or hydrogen cell connected to the hydrogen and oxygen tanks and a water deposit connected on one side to the hydrogen cell from which it receives the water generated and on the other to the hydrolysis machine to which it supplies the water. A self-sufficient or autonomous generation system is achieved.

The present disclosure relates generally to new forms of portable energy generation devices and methods. The devices are designed to covert formic acid into released hydrogen, alleviating the need for a hydrogen tank as a hydrogen source for fuel cell power.