Fuel cell based microgrid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438377-B2
Application number	US-202318361266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2023
Priority date	Jul 31, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A system for fuel cell based microgrid is provided. The system includes a plurality of fuel cell modules to generate DC power. The system includes a plurality of dual-mode inverters (DMIs) to convert the DC power into AC power. The system includes a plurality of DC switches to electrically connect or disconnect a fuel cell module from a DC bus. The DC bus is electrically coupled to the plurality of the DC switches. The plurality of DMIs includes a first set of DMIs, second set of DMIs, and a third set of DMIs. The first set is configured to electrically connect a first set of fuel cell modules with a grid. The second set of DMIs is configured to electrically connect a second set of fuel cell modules with a first load. The third set of DMIs is configured to electrically connect the DC bus with the first load.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cell modules to generate direct current (DC) power, each fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules comprising a stack of fuel cells;
a plurality of dual mode inverters (DMIs) to convert the DC power into alternating current (AC) power, each DMI of the plurality of DMIs configured to operate as one of current source inverter (CSI) and voltage source inverter (VSI);
a plurality of DC switches, each DC switch of the plurality of DC switches configured to electrically connect or disconnect a corresponding fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules from a DC bus electrically coupled to the plurality of the DC switches; and
a transfer switch,
wherein a first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect a first set of the plurality of fuel cell modules with a grid,
wherein the transfer switch is electrically connected to the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs, the grid, and a load among a first load and a second load, wherein the transfer switch is configured to electrically connect the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs with the grid in a first state, wherein, in the first state, the first set of DMIs are disconnected with the load, and wherein the transfer switch is configured to electrically connect the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs with the load in a second state, wherein, in the second state, the first set of DMIs are disconnected with the grid,
wherein a second set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect a second set of the plurality of fuel cell modules with the first load, and
wherein a third set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect the DC bus with the first load.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , where the transfer switch is configured to send signals to the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs when the transfer switch transitions from the first state to the second state or from the second state to the first state, and wherein the signals indicate the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs to change a mode of operation of the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs from CSI to VSI or from VSI to CSI.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an inverter controller electrically connected to the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs and the transfer switch, wherein the inverter controller is configured to:
detect a change in a state of the transfer switch; and
send signals to the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs to change a mode of operation of the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs from CSI to VSI or from VSI to CSI, upon detection of the change in the state of the transfer switch.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to operate as CSI to serve the grid, and wherein the second and third set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs are configured to operate as VSI to serve the first load.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of capacitors, each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors connected to at least one fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules and configured to store DC power from the at least one fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules.

6. A microgrid network, comprising:
a plurality of systems, each system of the plurality of systems comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal being electrically connected to a first load; and
a transfer switch electrically connected to the first terminal, a grid, and a second load,
wherein each system of the plurality of systems further comprises:
a plurality of fuel cell modules to generate direct current (DC) power, each fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules comprising a stack of fuel cells;
a plurality of dual mode inverters (DMIs) to convert the DC power into alternating current (AC) power, each DMI of the plurality of DMIs configured to operate as one of current source inverter (CSI) and voltage source inverter (VSI); and
a plurality of DC switches, each DC switch of the plurality of DC switches configured to electrically connect or disconnect a corresponding fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules from a DC bus electrically coupled to the plurality of the DC switches,
wherein a first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect a first set of the plurality of fuel cell modules with the first terminal,
wherein a second set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect a second set of the plurality of fuel cell modules with the second terminal,
wherein a third set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect the DC bus with the second terminal, and
wherein the transfer switch is configured to electrically connect the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs with the grid in a first state, wherein, in the first state, the first set of DMIs are disconnected with the load, wherein the transfer switch is configured to electrically connect the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs with the first load in a second state, and wherein the transfer switch is configured to send signals to the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs of the plurality of systems, wherein, in the second state, the first set of DMIs are disconnected with the grid.

7. A microgrid network, comprising:
a plurality of systems, each system of the plurality of systems comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal being electrically connected to a first load; and
a transfer switch electrically connected to the first terminal, a grid, and the first load, wherein each system of the plurality of systems further comprises:
a plurality of fuel cell modules to generate direct current (DC) power, each fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules comprising a stack of fuel cells;
a plurality of dual mode inverters (DMIs) to convert the DC power into alternating current (AC) power, each DMI of the plurality of DMIs configured to operate as one of current source inverter (CSI) and voltage source inverter (VSI);
a plurality of DC switches, each DC switch of the plurality of DC switches configured to electrically connect or disconnect a corresponding fuel cell module of the plurality of fuel cell modules from a DC bus electrically coupled to the plurality of the DC switches,
wherein a first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect a first set of the plurality of fuel cell modules with the first terminal,
wherein a second set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to electrically connect a second set of the plurality of fuel cell modules with the second terminal, and
wherein a third set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs is configured to connect the DC bus with the second terminal, and
wherein the transfer switch is configured to electrically connect the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs with the grid in a first state, wherein, in the first state, the first set of DMIs are disconnected with the load, wherein the transfer switch is configured to electrically connect the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs with the second load in a second state, and wherein the transfer switch is configured to send signals to the first set of DMIs from the plurality of DMIs of the plurality of systems, wherein, in the second state, the first set of DMIs are disconnected with the grid.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• Cottuli Carl
• Pmsvvsv Prasad
• Gurunathan Ranganathan
• Baker Beau
• Pho Edwin

Classifications

• H02J2101/30

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H02J3/28

  Arrangements for balancing of the load in networks by storage of energy · CPC title

• H02J3/46

  Controlling the sharing of generated power between the generators, sources or networks · CPC title

• H02J3/381 Primary

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02J2300/30

  Electricity · mapped topic