High reliability hybrid energy storage system

Abstract

Combination fuel cell stack and electrochemical battery system provides stable and redundant electrical power to one or more traction motors. The electrochemical battery packs comprise modules that are switched between a low-voltage parallel configuration connecting to the fuel cell stack and a high-voltage series configuration connecting to the traction motors, thereby harvesting low-voltage energy from the fuel cells and deploying that energy as high-voltage power to the motor. The plurality of electrochemical battery packs can be switched such that at least one is always connected to the traction motor for continuity of power.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system, comprising:
 a first battery circuit;   a second battery circuit;   a fuel cell stack;   a traction motor; and   an operating system configured to:
 command the system to power the traction motor via the first battery circuit, 
 reconfigure the system to electrically couple the first battery circuit to the fuel cell; 
   stack and to electrically couple the second battery circuit to the traction motor,
 command the fuel cell stack to charge the first battery circuit, and 
 command the second battery circuit to power the traction motor. 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the operating system is further configured to reconfigure the system to electrically couple the first battery circuit and the second battery circuit to the traction motor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the operating system is further configured to command the first battery circuit and the second battery circuit to power the traction motor simultaneously. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein batteries of the first battery circuit are electrically in parallel during charging of the first battery circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein batteries in the second battery circuit are electrically coupled in series during powering of the traction motor. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the operating system is further configured to reconfigure the system to electrically couple the first battery circuit to the traction motor and to electrically couple the second battery circuit to the fuel cell stack. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the operating system is further configured to:
 command the fuel cell stack to charge the second battery circuit, and   command the second battery circuit to power the traction motor.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the operating system is further configured to isolating the fuel cell stack from the first battery circuit and the second battery circuit in response to malfunction or failure of the fuel cell stack. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the operating system is further configured to electrically isolate the first battery circuit from the fuel cell stack, the traction motor, and the second battery circuit in response to a failure or fault occurring in the first battery circuit. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the operating system is further configured to:
 determine an increased level of power is needed, and   reconfigure the system to electrically couple the first battery circuit and the second battery circuit to the traction motor to meet the increased level of power.   
     
     
         12 . An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by an operating system, cause the operating system to perform operations comprising:
 commanding, via the operating system, a first battery circuit to power a traction motor;   reconfiguring, via the operating system, the first battery circuit to be electrically coupled to a fuel cell stack and a second battery circuit to be electrically coupled to the traction motor;   commanding, via the operating system, the second battery circuit to power the traction motor; and   commanding, via the operating system, the fuel cell stack to charge the second battery circuit.   
     
     
         13 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 reconfiguring, via the operating system, the first battery circuit and the second battery circuit to be electrically coupled to the traction motor; and   commanding the first battery circuit and the second battery circuit to power the traction motor simultaneously.   
     
     
         14 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , wherein:
 batteries of the first battery circuit are electrically in parallel during charging of the first battery circuit; and   batteries in the second battery circuit are electrically coupled in series during powering of the traction motor.   
     
     
         15 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise reconfiguring, via the operating system, the first battery circuit to be electrically coupled to the traction motor and the second battery circuit to be electrically coupled to the fuel cell stack. 
     
     
         16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 commanding, via the operating system, the fuel cell stack to charge the second battery circuit; and   commanding, via the operating system, the second battery circuit to power the traction motor.   
     
     
         17 . An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by an operating system, cause the operating system to perform operations comprising:
 configuring, via the operating system, a first battery circuit having at least two first batteries in a series configuration and electrically coupling the first battery circuit to a traction motor;   configuring, via the operating system, a second battery circuit having at least two second batteries in a parallel configuration and electrically coupling the second battery circuit to a fuel cell stack;   commanding, via the operating system, the at least two first batteries to power the traction motor; and   commanding, via the operating system, the fuel cell stack to charge the at least two second batteries.   
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise commanding, via the operating system, the first battery circuit to transition from the series configuration to a second parallel configuration and electrically coupling the at least two first batteries to the traction motor. 
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise commanding, via the operating system, the second battery circuit to transition from the parallel configuration to a second series configuration and electrically coupling the at least two second batteries to the fuel cell stack. 
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 commanding, via the operating system, the at least two second batteries to power the traction motor; and   commanding, via the operating system, the fuel cell stack to charge the at least two first batteries.   
     
     
         21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the traction motor provides mechanical energy to transport an aircraft.