Patent ID: 7518262

Claim:
A power supply system for supplying power to a plurality of loads, comprising: a plurality of fuel cells for generating and supplying power to be supplied to said respectively corresponding loads, wherein said fuel cells are provided to correspond to said plurality of loads; a power network for receiving surplus power, which is generated by said fuel cells except power to be supplied to said loads corresponding to said fuel cells, and supplying said surplus power to said loads short of power, wherein said power network is coupled to said plurality of fuel cells; and a control unit for stopping power generation of a first fuel cell among said fuel cells corresponding to a first load among said loads and controlling other fuel cells among said fuel cells to generate power to be supplied to said first load as said surplus power via a power network, if an amount of power to be supplied to said first load is less than a predetermined first threshold and the loads corresponding to said other fuel cells are already in operation, said control unit controlling said other fuel cells to stop generating said surplus power when a predetermined period elapses after said first load starts to be in operation.