Patexia seeks evidence of commercial use of products and/or devices that describe a modular energy management system using fuel cells as a power supply. The evidence of use may include, but is not limited to, references such as white papers, datasheets, product manuals, websites and journal reviews. Products are not limited to the power management industry, so long as they meet all the question criteria of the contest.

One of the benefits of fuel cell technology is its energy density, compact nature, quick startup and shutdown times, and ease of use in conjunction with multiple fuel cells. Together, these features make fuel cells extremely useful to power a system that fluctuates in power demand throughout the day.

The technology described here is able to utilize this trait in order to provide a modular energy management system optimized for variable power supply and demand. The invention does so by including a processor that can sense the power supply available to the system as fuel cells are added, removed, or cycled on/off, as well as the power demand as attached loads are added, removed, or cycled on/off. With this information, the system is able to address increased power demand and add redundancy in the event of individual fuel cell failure by dynamically connecting and disconnecting fuel cells and/or attached loads drawing power.

Figure 1. Simplified block diagram of the first representative system

Figure 2. Simplified block diagram of the second representative system

Contest Update (1/27/2014)
Patexia is interested if the described product uses hydrogen from fuel sources other than hydrogen gas.  Examples of these fuel sources include natural gas, methane, and biogas. It is understood that these fuel sources are used to produce hydrogen either within the fuel cell reaction chamber (as with some solid oxide fuel cells) or in a separate reaction chamber on or near the product. 

Questions

1. Does the currently attached reference describe a fuel cell power supply product that matches the following questions?
   You will further be asked to describe the name of the product and its location in the reference.
2. Is the described product currently commercially used or manufactured in the United States?
   You will further be asked to name the entity commercially using or manufacturing this product in the United States.
3. Is the described product a modular energy management system with a processor managing the relationship between a variable number of fuel cells stacks and load lines?
4. Does the described product have one or more power converters attached to the fuel cell stacks?
5. Does the described product supply its fuel cells using hydrogen produced from natural gas, methane, biogas or a similar fuel source?
6. Does the described product have one or more load buses, each with a switch to connect to one or more of the power converters?
7. Does the described product have one or more load lines, each with a switch to connect to one or more of the load buses?
8. Does the described product have a processor that can receive input or feedback from any combination of the power converters, fuel cells, and/or switches described in questions 4 and 6?
9. Can the same processor control the switches described in questions 6 and 7 in response to the feedback received in question 8?

Bonus Questions

10. Optionally, does the described product contain one or more batteries and/or other energy storage devices?
11. Optionally, can the same processor additionally receive input or feedback from the energy storage devices described in question 10?
12. Optionally, can the same processor control the energy storage devices described in question 10 in response to the feedback received in questions 8 and 11?