Shunt system for cells in a fuel cell stack
US8957637B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 26, 2010 |
| Grant date | Feb 17, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 5, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A shunt system for a stack of series connected electrochemical units. The system includes shunt circuits each connected between a positive pole and a negative pole of an electrochemical unit and a control circuit to send a control signal to at least one of the shunt circuits to cause it to shunt the electrochemical unit between the poles to which it is connected. The control system includes control modules each having its own voltage reference, each of the shunt circuits belonging to one of the modules. Each control circuit includes plural shunt circuits and the shunt circuits belonging to a control module are connected between the poles of contiguous electrochemical units, so that the control modules subdivide the stack into plural groups of electrochemical units. Each control module includes a mechanism to communicate with the control circuit, so that the control circuit can control the shunt circuits belonging to different control modules.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.