Patent ID: 7648785
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,B60Y,F01N,F02B,F02D,F02M,H01M,Y02E,Y02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a power generation system, comprising: operating a direct injection compression-ignition diesel-powered internal combustion engine in a low temperature combustion mode to drive an axle and produce an exhaust stream comprising CO; fueling a solid oxide fuel cell with at least the exhaust stream to produce electrical power, the fuel cell removing at least 50% of the CO from the exhaust stream storing electrical power produced by the fuel cell in an energy storage system; at times, driving the axle with an electric motor while powering the electric motor with the fuel cell or the energy storage system; at different times, taking up power from the axle by having the axle drive the electric motor to produce electrical power; and in a manner that tends to stabilize the engine operation and allows the engine to remain in the low temperature combustion mode regardless of demands for power to drive the axle, responding to fluctuations in demands for power to drive the axle by increasing or decreasing power output from the fuel cell and/or increasing or decreasing power uptake or output from an energy storage device; wherein the fuel cell produces a substantial amount of power from the exhaust stream; the low temperature combustion mode is a mode in which the engine produces a significant amount of torque, but with combustion temperatures sufficiently low that the exhaust contains little or no NO