Patent ID: 7390587

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel processing assembly adapted to produce a product hydrogen stream from a feedstock; a fuel cell stack assembly adapted to receive at least a portion of the product hydrogen stream from the fuel processing assembly and to produce an electric current therefrom to at least partially satisfy an applied load having a magnitude, wherein the fuel cell stack assembly includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks that each have a maximum rated power output, wherein the fuel cell system is adapted to satisfy an applied load by supplying up to a maximum desired power output, wherein the fuel cell stack assembly has a total rated power output that is at least equal to the maximum desired power output, wherein each of the fuel cell stacks has a plurality of operational states that include at least a first operational state, in which the fuel cell stack receives at least a portion of the product hydrogen stream from the fuel processing assembly and produces an electric current therefrom, and a second operational state, in which the fuel cell stack is not producing an electric current, wherein each of the fuel cell stacks has a maximum rated power output, and further wherein each of the fuel cell stacks is adapted to selectively receive at least a portion of the product hydrogen stream and to produce an electric current therefrom; and a control system with a controller adapted to selectively regulate the operational states of the plurality of fuel cell stacks, wherein the controller is adapted to regulate the operational states of the plurality of fuel cell stacks responsive at least in part to the magnitude of the applied load, and further wherein the controller is adapted to selectively configure at least one of the plurality of fuel cell stacks from the first operational state to the second operational state responsive to an applied load that is less than the maximum desired power output.