Patents by Inventor George Berntsen

George Berntsen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10573907
    Abstract: A load-following fuel cell system for a grid system operating with a high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources includes a baseload power generation module and a load-following power generation module. The baseload power generation module provides a baseload power to the grid system and includes a high-efficiency fuel cell system. The high-efficiency fuel cell system includes a topping module and a bottoming module. The topping module and the bottoming module are connected in series and the topping module provides an exhaust stream to the bottoming module. The load-following power generation module provides a load-following power to the grid system and includes an energy storage system that separates and stores hydrogen contained in the exhaust stream and a power generation system having one or more fuel cells. The power generation system receives the hydrogen from the energy storage system to provide the load-following power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Fred Jahnke, Ramakrishnan Venkataraman, George Berntsen, Ludwig Lipp, Pinakin Patel
  • Patent number: 10243226
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell assembly configured to generate a direct current (DC) signal. The fuel cell system also includes one or more inverters coupled to the fuel cell assembly by way of one or more first bus lines. The fuel cell system also includes a variable frequency drive (VFD) coupled to an output of the one or more inverters and configured to receive AC power from the one or more inverters. The VFD is configured to convert the AC power to DC power and to provide the DC power to at least one auxiliary component during a normal operating condition. The fuel cell system further includes one or more second bus lines configured to receive the DC signal via the one or more first bus lines and to provide the DC signal to the VFD to power the at least one auxiliary component during a low voltage ride through condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: George Berntsen, Nicholas Pasquale
  • Publication number: 20180261857
    Abstract: A load-following fuel cell system for a grid system operating with a high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources includes a baseload power generation module and a load-following power generation module. The baseload power generation module provides a baseload power to the grid system and includes a high-efficiency fuel cell system. The high-efficiency fuel cell system includes a topping module and a bottoming module. The topping module and the bottoming module are connected in series and the topping module provides an exhaust stream to the bottoming module. The load-following power generation module provides a load-following power to the grid system and includes an energy storage system that separates and stores hydrogen contained in the exhaust stream and a power generation system having one or more fuel cells. The power generation system receives the hydrogen from the energy storage system to provide the load-following power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Fred JAHNKE, Ramakrishnan VENKATARAMAN, George BERNTSEN, Ludwig LIPP, Pinakin PATEL
  • Publication number: 20170070088
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell assembly configured to generate a direct current (DC) signal. The fuel cell system also includes one or more inverters coupled to the fuel cell assembly by way of one or more first bus lines. The fuel cell system also includes a variable frequency drive (VFD) coupled to an output of the one or more inverters and configured to receive AC power from the one or more inverters. The VFD is configured to convert the AC power to DC power and to provide the DC power to at least one auxiliary component during a normal operating condition. The fuel cell system further includes one or more second bus lines configured to receive the DC signal via the one or more first bus lines and to provide the DC signal to the VFD to power the at least one auxiliary component during a low voltage ride through condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: George Berntsen, Nicholas Pasquale
  • Patent number: 8865356
    Abstract: A hybrid fuel cell system comprising a high temperature fuel cell having an anode section and a cathode section, a gas turbine comprising a compressor cycle for compressing a supply gas and an expansion cycle for expanding one of heated compressed supply gas and a second gas derived from the compressed supply gas to provide mechanical energy to an induction machine, and an induction machine for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy and adapted to output an electrical output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: George Berntsen, Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh
  • Publication number: 20130175805
    Abstract: A hybrid fuel cell system comprising a high temperature fuel cell having an anode section and a cathode section, a gas turbine comprising a compressor cycle for compressing a supply gas and an expansion cycle for expanding one of heated compressed supply gas and a second gas derived from the compressed supply gas to provide mechanical energy to an induction machine, and an induction machine for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy and adapted to output an electrical output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: GEORGE BERNTSEN, Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh
  • Patent number: 8389136
    Abstract: A gas flow control assembly for use in a fuel cell system comprising an airflow control assembly for adjusting flow of air to a cathode side of the fuel cell system based on content variations in an exhaust gas leaving an anode side of the system and a fuel flow control assembly for controlling flow of fuel to the anode side based on adjustment to the airflow by the airflow control assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramakirshnan Venkataraman, George Berntsen, Glenn L. Carlson, Fred C. Jahnke, Anthony J. Leo
  • Patent number: 7939215
    Abstract: A fuel cell system with a fuel cell having an anode adapted to receive fuel and a cathode adapted to receive oxidant, an anode oxidizing assembly adapted to receive output of said anode and input oxidant and to output oxidant gas for said cathode, a fuel supply assembly including a first fuel flow control part, said fuel supply assembly being adapted to supply fuel to said anode at a flow rate that is equal to or less than a first flow rate, and a low flow bypass assembly which, upon the occurrence of a first condition of said fuel cell system, causes fuel supplied by said fuel supply part to bypass said first fuel flow control part and flow through said low flow bypass assembly so as to limit the flow rate of fuel being supplied to a second flow rate smaller than said first flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Fuel Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred C. Jahnke, Kirk Arneson, George Berntsen
  • Patent number: 7800340
    Abstract: A multi-stack assembly receiving fuel from a fuel supply and producing power output for consumption by a load, the assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cell stacks for producing DC power and forming a plurality of fuel cell stack groups, wherein each of the stack groups includes at least one fuel cell stack, a plurality of inverters corresponding to the plurality of fuel cell stack groups, wherein each of the inverters draws a predetermined amount of DC power from a corresponding fuel cell stack group and converts the DC power to AC power; and a controller for controlling each of the inverters to draw the predetermined amount of DC power from the corresponding fuel cell stack group so as to satisfy power requirements of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: George Berntsen, Joel D. Doyon
  • Patent number: 7736777
    Abstract: A fuel cell system and method in which the fuel cell system receives and an input oxidant gas and an input fuel gas, and in which a fuel processing assembly is provided and is adapted to at least humidify the input fuel gas which is to be supplied to the anode of the fuel cell of the system whose cathode receives the oxidant input gas via an anode oxidizing assembly which is adapted to couple the output of the anode of the fuel cell to the inlet of the cathode of the fuel cell during normal operation, shutdown and restart of the fuel cell system, and in which a control assembly is further provided and is adapted to respond to shutdown of the fuel cell system during which input fuel gas and input oxidant gas cease to be received by the fuel cell system, the control assembly being further adapted to, when the fuel cell system is shut down: control the fuel cell system so as to enable a purging gas to be able to flow through the fuel processing assembly to remove humidified fuel gas from the processing assembly
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignees: FuelCell Energy, Inc., MTU CFC Solutions GmbH
    Inventors: Ramki Venkataraman, George Berntsen, Glenn L. Carlson, Mohammad Farooque, Dan Beachy, Stefan Peterhans, Manfred Bischoff
  • Publication number: 20070259230
    Abstract: A multi-stack assembly receiving fuel from a fuel supply and producing power output for consumption by a load, the assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cell stacks for producing DC power and forming a plurality of fuel cell stack groups, wherein each of the stack groups includes at least one fuel cell stack, a plurality of inverters corresponding to the plurality of fuel cell stack groups, wherein each of the inverters draws a predetermined amount of DC power from a corresponding fuel cell stack group and converts the DC power to AC power; and a controller for controlling each of the inverters to draw the predetermined amount of DC power from the corresponding fuel cell stack group so as to satisfy power requirements of the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventors: George Berntsen, Joel Doyon
  • Publication number: 20070243434
    Abstract: A fuel cell system with a fuel cell having an anode adapted to receive fuel and a cathode adapted to receive oxidant, an anode oxidizing assembly adapted to receive output of said anode and input oxidant and to output oxidant gas for said cathode, a fuel supply assembly including a first fuel flow control part, said fuel supply assembly being adapted to supply fuel to said anode at a flow rate that is equal to or less than a first flow rate, and a low flow bypass assembly which, upon the occurrence of a first condition of said fuel cell system, causes fuel supplied by said fuel supply part to bypass said first fuel flow control part and flow through said low flow bypass assembly so as to limit the flow rate of fuel being supplied to a second flow rate smaller than said first flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Inventors: Fred Jahnke, Kirk Arneson, George Berntsen
  • Publication number: 20070037025
    Abstract: A fuel cell system and method in which the fuel cell system receives and an input oxidant gas and an input fuel gas, and in which a fuel processing assembly is provided and is adapted to at least humidify the input fuel gas which is to be supplied to the anode of the fuel cell of the system whose cathode receives the oxidant input gas via an anode oxidizing assembly which is adapted to couple the output of the anode of the fuel cell to the inlet of the cathode of the fuel cell during normal operation, shutdown and restart of the fuel cell system, and in which a control assembly is further provided and is adapted to respond to shutdown of the fuel cell system during which input fuel gas and input oxidant gas cease to be received by the fuel cell system, the control assembly being further adapted to, when the fuel cell system is shut down: control the fuel cell system so as to enable a purging gas to be able to flow through the fuel processing assembly to remove humidified fuel gas from the processing assembly
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventors: Ramki Venkataraman, George Berntsen, Glenn Carlson, Mohammad Farooque, Dan Beachy, Stefan Peterhans, Manfred Bischoff
  • Publication number: 20060216556
    Abstract: A gas flow control assembly for use in a fuel cell system comprising an airflow control assembly for adjusting flow of air to a cathode side of the fuel cell system based on content variations in an exhaust gas leaving an anode side of the system and a fuel flow control assembly for controlling flow of fuel to the anode side based on adjustment to the airflow by the airflow control assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventors: Ramakirshnan Venkataraman, George Berntsen, Glenn Carlson, Fred Jahnke, Anthony Leo