Patent ID: 11872909
Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H  Y | IPC B  H

Claim 10:
11. A torque generating system comprising:
a first fuel cell power device;
a second fuel cell power device;
a high-voltage battery;
an electric drive unit on a mobile platform;
an auxiliary power unit configured for responding to an operator request for at least one of lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning to the mobile platform;
a high-voltage electric power distribution system; and
a controller;
wherein the first and second fuel cell power devices and the high-voltage battery are electrically connected to a high-voltage bus, and wherein electric power is supplied to the electric drive unit via the high-voltage bus;
wherein the high-voltage power distribution system and the high-voltage battery are electrically connected to the high-voltage bus, and wherein electrical energy is supplied to the auxiliary power unit via the high-voltage power distribution system;
wherein each of the first and second fuel cell power devices has a non-linear power-temperature relationship that has a local temperature maxima at a first electric power level and a local temperature minima at a second electric power level;
wherein a first operating point of each of the first and second fuel cell power devices is less than the first electric power level, and wherein a second operating point of each of the fuel cell power devices is greater than the first electric power level and occurs at a third electric power level, wherein the third electric power level corresponds to operation of the fuel cell power device that generates a fuel cell temperature that is less than the local temperature maxima;
wherein the first fuel cell power device is controlled to one of the first operating point or the second operating point to transfer electric power to the electric drive unit;
wherein the second fuel cell power device is controlled to one of the first operating point or the second operating point to transfer electric power to the electric drive unit; and
wherein the high-voltage battery and the first and second fuel cell power devices cooperate to transfer electric power to the electric drive unit to generate mechanical torque that is responsive to a power request.