A PREDICTIVE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR LOAD-FOLLOWING FUEL CELL-POWERED APPLICATIONS

摘要

A method and system are provided for controlling a fuel cell power plant (10) in a predictive manner providing rapid response of the fuel cell stack assembly (CSA)(12) without creating an unacceptable condition of reactant/coolant starvation of the CSA caused by instantaneous electrical load transients of the load(s) (20) controllably connected to the CSA. A demand signal (Mld) representing the anticipated current/power required by the electrical load(s) is provided. A current signal (Iap) representative of the actual current drawn by the load(s) (20) is provided. The greater of the demand signal (Mld) and the current signal (Iap) is selected (46) and utilized to provide a control signal (Mx, Mx', Mx') for regulating one or more of the reactants and coolant (24) to effect the operating process of the CSA. One or more status signals (Xp, Xp', Xp', Vap) indicative of the status of a regulated one or more of the reactants/coolant and/or a respective operating process effected, is provided. Each status signal is transformed to a respective load capability signal (61, 61', 61') which is used to regulate load current based on fuel cell reactant status and/or CSA predicted performance during transients. The lesser of the demand signal (Mld) and each of the load capability signals (61, 61', 61') is selected (62) to provide an output signal (Mi) for commensurately controlling a system load (20, 32).