Patent ID: 8154242
Filing Date: 2012-04-10
Classification: B60L,H01M,Y02E,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
1. a positive voltage line; a negative voltage line; a fuel cell stack electrically coupled to the positive and negative voltage lines; a first electrical storage bank selectively electrically coupled to the positive voltage line and the negative voltage line; a second electrical storage bank selectively electrically coupled to the positive voltage line and the negative voltage line; and a plurality of contactor switches electrically coupled to the positive voltage line and the negative voltage line, said plurality of contactor switches being selectively opened and closed so that the first and second electrical storage banks are electrically coupled in series to the positive voltage line and the negative voltage line during operation of the fuel cell system and are selectively opened and closed to electrically disconnect the electrical storage banks from being in series at system shut-down when the fuel cell stack is used to charge the first and second electrical storage banks; wherein the fuel cell system does not require a DC-DC converter.