Patent ID: 7041403

Claim:
A method for operating a fuel cell power plant to supply power to an internal load and an external load, comprising the steps of: evaluating power needs of said internal and external loads to determine a fixed IDC value sufficient to supply said needs; operating said fuel cell power plant to provide said fixed IDC value; providing auxiliary power to said internal load and output power to said external load so as to maintain operation of said fuel cell power plant at said fixed IDC value; and adjusting at least one of said auxiliary power to said internal load and output power to said external load so as to maintain operation of said fuel cell power plant at said fixed IDC value, wherein the internal load has a maximum power requirement and the external load has a minimum power requirement, and wherein the evaluating step comprises setting said fixed IDC value sufficient to supply both said maximum power requirement of said internal load and said minimum power requirement of said external load.