Ricky L Ross

US Patent:

RE39710, Jul 3, 2007

Filed:

Mar 16, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/802119

Inventors:

Douglas Gibbons Young - Henderson NV, US
Herbert C. Healy - Windsor CT, US
Ricky M. Ross - Ellington CT, US

Assignee:

UTC Fuel Cells, LLC - South Windsor CT

International Classification:

H02J 7/00

US Classification:

307 64, 307 43, 307 44, 307 45, 307 70, 307 80

Abstract:

A power system () is provided for economically supplying uninterrupted electrical power to one or more critical loads (). One or more fuel cell power plants () provide one substantially continuous source of power, and a utility grid () provides another source of power. The fuel cell power plants () are adapted to be, and are, normally substantially continuously connected and providing power to, the critical load(s) (). A rapidly-acting static switch () selectively connects and disconnects and reconnects the grid power supply () to the critical load(s) () and with the fuel cell power plant(s) () for abnormal and normal grid operation, respectively. A switch controller () controls the state of the static switch () to connect the grid power source () with the critical load(s) () and the rapidly () fuel cell power plant(s) () during normal operation of the grid (), and to rapidly (less than 4 ms) disconnect the grid power source () from the load(s) () and the fuel cell power plant(s) () when operation of the grid () deviates from normal beyond a limit. each include power conditioning systems () () () ().