Patent ID: 7740973

Claim:
A mobile electrochemical power system configured to provide portable electrical power output to a remote load, said mobile electrochemical power system comprising: a wheeled container; at least one container reactant port on an exterior surface of said container; at least one container liquid coolant port; at least one container electrical power output port; at least one electrical power bus in communication with said container electrical power output port; a system control with at least one electrical data bus signally coupled thereto; module mounting hardware positioned within said container; and a set of fuel cell modules within said container, wherein each of said fuel cell modules is mounted within said container via said module mounting hardware, each of said fuel cell modules comprises at least one modular liquid coolant port such that said module mounting hardware is configured to place each of said at least one modular liquid coolant ports in fluid communication with a respective one of said at least one container liquid coolant ports such that a liquid coolant can be selectively introduced to each of said fuel cell modules through said respective container liquid coolant port and said at least one modular liquid coolant port, said at least one modular liquid coolant port and said respective container liquid coolant port fluidly connected to one another through at least one quick-connect fitting such that upon disconnection of said at least one modular liquid coolant port from said respective container liquid coolant port, said at least one quick-connect operates to minimize leakage at the location of said disconnection without a need for venting or draining either of said ports; each of said fuel cell modules comprises at least one modular reactant port, at least one data output port in signal communication with said at least one electrical data bus and at least one modular electrical power output port, and said fuel cell modules and said module mounting hardware are configured to place said modular reactant ports in communication with said container reactant port, place said modular electrical power output port in communication with said container electrical power output port, place at least one of a control and a diagnostic signal in signal communication between a respective one of said fuel cell modules and said system control through said at least one data output port and said at least one electrical data bus and permit replacement of a single fuel cell module substantially free of interference with remaining modules of said set of fuel cell modules such that power generated by said set of fuel cell modules can be delivered from said wheeled container to provide electrical current for the load.