Patent · US Expired

Circuit system for an integrated fuel cell system

US6677066B1 · kind B1 · utility

15Cited by
5References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 2, 2001
Grant dateJan 13, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 2, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02J7/0029
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement for a composite fuel cell system comprising a plurality of individual fuel cells connected in series, the voltage of the individual fuel cells being monitored, in which case components are present which enable the individual fuel cells to be bridged in the sense of a low-resistance parallel circuit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a circuit arrangement of this type, in which case the fuel cells are bridged if the magnitude of their voltage falls below a specific threshold value or if the sign of their voltage has changed relative to normal operation, or alternatively in which case the components are controllable switches which are driven if the composite fuel cell system is intended to be discharged.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.