A hybrid powerplant can include a fuel cell cycle system configured to generate a first power using a fuel and an oxidizer. The powerplant can also include a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO.sub.2) cycle system operatively connected to the fuel cell cycle to receive heat from the fuel cell cycle to cause the sCO.sub.2 cycle system to generate a second power.

A hydrogen-electric engine includes a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells. Each fuel cell of the plurality of fuel cells includes an anode and a cathode. The hydrogen-electric engine also includes an air compressor system configured to supply compressed air to the cathode, a hydrogen fuel source configured to supply hydrogen gas, an elongated shaft supporting the air compressor system and the fuel cell stack, and a motor assembly disposed in electrical communication with the fuel cell stack. Each fuel cell generates a voltage, as an open cell voltage, by forming water with the supplied compressed air and the supplied hydrogen gas and is electrically coupled with a clamp circuit.

The embodiment relates to an energy conversion system having: a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) unit (A) having an anode and a cathode side, for receiving a fuel (1) and a steam of oxidant (4) and for converting a fraction of chemical power of the fuel (1) into electric power; a combustor unit (B) to receive unconverted fuel (5) and unconverted oxidant (6), configured for converting the unconverted fuel (5) and the unconverted oxidant (6) into product gas (10); an expander unit (C) to receive the product gas (10) and configured for expanding said product gas (10) into flue gas (12); a cooler unit (E) in thermal relationship with a heat sink (27) and configured for cooling said flue gas (12); a separator (F) for removing condensed species (15) from the cooled gas (14) exiting the cooler unit (E); and a first compression unit (K) for increasing the pressure of said oxidant (26, 4, 8) to a value suitable for the SOFC unit (A) and the combustor unit (B).

The invention provides a hybrid power system, which integrates an internal combustion engine with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack and provides power for the vehicle through the internal combustion engine at first in the preheating stage of the SOFC stack, thereby solving the problem that an SOFC stack is unable to provide power for the vehicle in the preheating stage. At the same time, the internal combustion engine burns fuel gas, outputs high temperature exhaust gas, heats the heat exchanger with the high temperature exhaust gas, then discharges the exhaust gas from an exhaust turbine and inhales air from the outside of the system. The air first passes through an air preheater, then passes through a heat exchanger and then enters the inside of the SOFC stack, preheats the air preheater through an air pipeline and then is discharged. After multiple cycles, the preheating of the SOFC stack is completed. As the air preheater is connected to the heat exchanger in series to heat the air, the heating speed of the air entering the SOFC stack is raised, the preheating time is shortened and a quick start of the SOFC stack is achieved so that the SOFC stack can be used to achieve the purpose of providing power for the vehicle efficiently.

Aircraft systems including a pressurized fuel tank containing a pressurized fuel, a turbo expander configured to receive the pressurized fuel from the fuel tank, the turbo expander configured to decrease a pressure of the pressurized fuel to generate low pressure fuel having pressure less than the pressurized fuel, a fuel-to-air heat exchanger configured to receive the low pressure fuel from the turbo expander as a first working fluid and air as a second working fluid, the heat exchanger configured to cool the air and warm the fuel, an aircraft cabin configured to receive the cooled air, and a fuel consumption system configured to consume the fuel to generate power.

A system and method for predictive fuel cell management system for an integrated hydrogen-electric engine is disclosed. The system includes a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells and a computer having a memory and one or more processors. The one or more processors configured to predict, during a first phase of energy demand on the integrated hydrogen-electric engine, an impending occurrence of a second phase of energy demand on the integrated hydrogen-electric engine, wherein the second phase of energy demand includes a predetermined energy demand; and generate a predetermined amount of energy from the plurality of fuel cells based on the predicted second phase of energy demand prior to starting the second phase of energy demand to improve energy efficiency and performance of the integrated hydrogen-electric engine.

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft including a wing structure including a wing, a rotor operatively supported by the wing, and a hybrid power system configured to drive the rotor, the hybrid power system including a first power system and a second power system, wherein a first energy source for the first power system is different than a second energy source for the second power system.

The present invention enables a fuel cell to be stably started by minimizing a lack of air in a gas turbine when starting the fuel cell. This fuel cell system comprises: a gas turbine (11) having a compressor (21) and a combustor (22); a first compressed air supply line (26) that supplies compressed air (A1), which has been compressed by the compressor, to the combustor; a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) (13) having an air electrode and a fuel electrode; a second compressed air supply line (31) that supplies partially compressed air (A2), which has been compressed by the compressor, to the air electrode; a blower (33) that is disposed on the second compressed air supply line, and raises the pressure of the compressed air (A2); a circulation booster line (60) connecting the upstream side and downstream side of the blower in the second compressed air supply line; a control valve (61) disposed on the circulation booster line; a control valve (63) disposed between the circulation booster line in the second compressed air supply line and the SOFC; and a control device (62) that closes the control valves and opens the control valves to start the blower when starting the SOFC.

A control device for a vehicle includes a fuel cell, a motor-generator, a power unit, a transmission, a motor-generator control unit configured to perform a power control on the motor-generator based on a driver request torque, and a generated power control unit configured to control the generated power of the fuel cell based on a load of the fuel cell including the motor-generator. The motor-generator control unit performs a shifting power control for decreasing a rotation speed of the motor-generator during an upshift of the transmission, and a power control on the motor-generator based on a limit torque of the motor-generator during the shifting power control. The limit torque of the motor-generator being calculated based on an actual generated power of the fuel cell per unit time and an acceptable power of the power unit per unit time.

A system comprising: (a) a liquid natural gas compression module having a compressed liquid natural gas conduit; (b) an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module; (c) at least one H.sub.2 gas source fluidly coupled to the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module via an H.sub.2 gas conduit; and (d) a heat exchanger that receives the compressed liquid natural gas conduit and the H.sub.2 gas conduit.