Invention Reference Number
The growing demand for a range of energy sources has propelled the development of advanced power conversion systems, particularly in applications involving fuel cells. Fuel cells are increasingly recognized for their potential in distributed generation and sustainable transportation due to their high efficiency, low emissions, and ability to produce scalable power. Integration of fuel cell stacks for high-power applications is a challenge. Previous investigations have indicated that series connection of fuel cell stacks without a controller may negatively impact their operational lifespan. To address these challenges, this invention presents the design and analysis of a novel power converter tailored for fuel cell applications. The proposed converter connects fuel cell stacks in series/parallel with controller and is optimized for multi-phase systems, leveraging a resonant compensation network to enhance performance.
Description
This invention improves the efficiency of fuel cell DC/DC converters by lowering the current stresses in power components and reducing the number of parallel power components. It uses a controllable system to connect fuel cell blocks, which raises the voltage while reducing the current stresses at the desired power level. This reduces power losses and enhances energy converging, resulting in better efficiency from the fuel cell to the load. The new design also minimizes switching losses under different input / output voltage conditions.
The converter setup includes multi-phase modules that work together with or without isolation transformer. It features a resonant network that helps to manage the current effectively and ensures smooth operation. The output is then processed through a rectifier before being supplied to the load.
Benefits
- Higher energy converging efficiency from the fuel cell to the load
- Reduced power losses in the system
- Reduced the number of parallel power components
- Wide range of input / output voltage converging
- Galvanic isolation or non-isolation option
- Smaller, lighter, and more compact design
Applications and Industries
- Fuel-cell DC/DC converter
- Isolated or non-isolated resonant converter
- Wide input and output voltage operation range
- High power EV charging
- Wireless charging
Contact:
To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.
