Patent ID: 7951498

Claim:
A control network for an integrated fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell having an output power, the fuel cell having a voltage and an output current; an electrical load connected to the fuel cell such that the fuel cell output power is supplied to the electrical load; an electrical load sensor adapted to communicate a measurement of the electrical load; and a controller coupled to the electrical load sensor to: based on comparison of a rate at which the electrical load changes relative to a predetermined threshold rate, determine whether the fuel cell system is to transition from a steady state of operation to an up transient state in which the system increases a current level of the output power, and based on the determination, first transition the fuel cell system to an equilibrium state different from the up transient state to allow the system to equilibrate to a new operating point and thereafter transition the fuel cell system to the up transient state to increase the fuel cell output power.