System for providing assured power to a critical load
US6465910B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 13, 2001 |
| Grant date | Oct 15, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 13, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B90/10
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A power system (8) is provided for economically supplying uninterrupted electrical power to one or more critical loads (14). One or more fuel cell power plants (18) provide one substantially continuous source of power, and a utility grid (10) provides another source of power. The fuel cell power plants (18) are adapted to be, and are, normally substantially continuously connected and providing power to, the critical load(s) (14). A rapidly-acting static switch (19) selectively connects and disconnects the grid power supply (10) to the critical load(s) (14) and with the fuel cell power plant(s) (18). A switch controller (49, 45) controls the state of the static switch (19) to connect the grid power source (10) with the critical load(s) (14) and the fuel cell power plant(s) (18) during normal operation of the grid (10), and to rapidly (less than 4 ms) disconnect the grid power source (10) from the load(s) (14) and fuel cell power plant(s) (18) when operation of the grid (10) deviates from normal beyond a limit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.