US 12,424,870 B2
System and method for intelligent power converter control of fuel cells and other auxiliary power sources
Arturo Di Filippi, Bologna (IT); Graziano Galuppi, Imola (IT); Giovanni Zanei, Faenza (IT); Peter Panfil, Columbus, OH (US); and Michele Venturini, Voghenza (IT)
Assigned to VERTIV CORPORATION, Westerville, OH (US)
Filed by Vertiv Corporation, Columbus, OH (US)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/983,698.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/264,147, filed on Nov. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0155412 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. H02J 9/06 (2006.01); H01M 8/04223 (2016.01); H01M 8/04228 (2016.01); H01M 8/1018 (2016.01); H01M 8/1246 (2016.01); H01M 16/00 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H01M 8/10 (2016.01); H01M 8/12 (2016.01)
CPC H02J 9/061 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04228 (2016.02); H01M 8/04268 (2013.01); H01M 8/1018 (2013.01); H01M 8/1246 (2013.01); H01M 16/006 (2013.01); H02J 7/0013 (2013.01); H01M 2008/1095 (2013.01); H01M 2008/1293 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for managing available electrical power use from a plurality of available power sources, the system comprising:
an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) having a rectifier circuit, a DC/AC inverter circuit, a DC/DC charger circuit, an AC/AC bypass circuit, a main internal DC bus, and an electronic controller, the UPS providing an AC power output to a load;
an islanding logic subsystem configured to communicate with an AC power grid;
a fuel cell remote from the UPS and having an electronic controller for providing DC power to the UPS;
a supplemental battery subsystem (SBS) having an electronic controller and configured to provide supplemental DC power to the UPS;
a first external bus configured to couple an output of the SBS to the DC/DC charger circuit of the UPS;
a second external bus configured to couple an output of the fuel cell to at least one of the main internal DC bus of the UPS or the first external bus, for providing auxiliary DC power from the fuel cell to the UPS;
a control signal bus configured to communicate control signals between the electronic controller of the UPS, the electronic controller of the fuel cell and the electronic controller of the SBS;
the electronic controller of the UPS being configured to communicate with the electronic controller of the SBS, the electronic controller of the fuel cell and the islanding logic subsystem via the control signal bus, the electronic controller of the UPS thereby configured to enable the UPS to manage a use of available power from at least one of the AC power grid, the fuel cell or the SBS in accordance with a predetermined hierarchical supply power prioritization plan.