Patent ID: 6406808
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: G05B,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A system for managing thermal performance of a fuel cell system comprising:one or more fuel cells, each having a major surface, and disposed next to each other in a side-by-side adjacent arrangement; a fuel storage container having an exterior wall; wherein one or more of the fuel cells are positioned such that the distance between the major surfaces and the fuel storage container wall along a direction normal to the major surfaces is substantially the same; wherein one or more of the fuel cells are in thermal contact with the fuel storage container such that a thermal output of the one or more fuel cells is transferred to the fuel storage container; and wherein a change in a target operational parameter of the system regulates the quantity and rate of thermal transfer between one or more of the fuel cells and the fuel storage container by: causing an increase in the thermal output of the one or more fuel cells when a thermal consumption requirement of the fuel storage container increases, and causing a decrease in the thermal output of the one or more fuel cells when the thermal consumption requirement of the fuel storage container decreases.