Control of multiple fuel cell power plants at a site to provide a distributed resource in a utility grid
US6757590B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 29, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S429/90
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A site management system (11) is provided for a power system (8) at site in a utility distribution grid (10). The power system (8) includes multiple fuel cell power plants (18) and one or more loads (14), for selective connection/disconnection with the grid (10) The site management system (11) controls the power plants (18) in an integrated manner, alternatively in a grid connected mode and a grid independent mode. The multiple power plants (18) at the site may be viewed and operated as a unified distributed resource on the grid (10). The site management system (11) provides signals representative of the present power capability (Kw Capacity—88) of each of the power plants (18), and a signal (Total Kw Capacity—95) representative of the total present power capability at the site. These power representations are used to appropriately assign power dispatch loadings to the respective fuel cells (18) in the grid connected mode and in the grid independent mode, and may also be used for load shedding.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.