ZeroAvia, Inc.

Methods and systems for optimizing hydrogen fuel production facilities include processing user input data and sensor data from hardware sensors of a hydrogen fuel production facility with a computerized device to model at least one microgrid hydrogen-generating plant. A three-stage convex optimization model is operated on the computerized device to determine at least one implementation parameter of the microgrid hydrogen-generating plant. At least one hardware component of the microgrid hydrogen-generating plant is modeled. The hardware components include at least an electrolyzer. A model predictive control (MPC) controller is used to determine an optimal power flow schedule for a selected control scenario and schedule module, thereby optimizing the generated sensor data and the user input data over a time series window.

A fuel tank heat dissipation system for fuel cell (FC) cooling is disclosed. In one example, at least one FC is in thermal communication with an intermediary heat exchanger. A fuel tank is also in fluid communication with the intermediary heat exchanger. A fluid is used to receive heat from the intermediary heat exchanger and flow along a first fluid path to the fuel tank. A nozzle is used to spray the fluid about an interior surface of the fuel tank, where the spray of the fluid about the interior of the fuel tank allows the fluid to dissipate the heat. A second fluid path from the fuel tank to the intermediary heat exchanger, the second fluid path to return the fluid that has dissipated the heat to the intermediary heat exchanger.

A fuel-cell-powered aircraft system has integrated air-cooled fuel cell stacks positioned within an interior space of at least one wing of an aircraft. An airflow path is positioned in contact with at least a heat exchanger of the fuel cell stack. The induced flow of air through the airflow path cools the heat exchanger. The efficiently-induced flow of air for cooling the fuel cell stack has a zero or minimal drag penalty.

A fuel-cell-powered aircraft system has integrated air-cooled fuel cell stacks positioned within an interior space of at least one wing of an aircraft. An airflow path is positioned in contact with at least a heat exchanger of the fuel cell stack. The induced flow of air through the airflow path cools the heat exchanger. The efficiently-induced flow of air for cooling the fuel cell stack has a zero or minimal drag penalty.

An air pressure in fuel cells of an electric power generation system comprising a fuel cell stack (PCS) is raised with a pressurized air cooling system with recirculation to values at least two times greater than typical values for an PCS with air cooling. The FCS is either placed in a high-pressure chamber to which air is injected, or air outgoing from the FCS is redirected via a duct back to the FCS inlet and a portion of pressurized fresh air is added thereto. The chamber or the duct is provided with a radiator by means of which circulating air heat is transferred into the external environment. Air recirculation in the chamber or the duct is effected by means of fans for cooling fuel cells. Useful capacity of electric power generation systems based on fuel cells is raised significantly, the necessity of using a humidifier is excluded, and the temperature range of fuel cell operation is expanded.

A system for monitoring a voltage condition of a fuel cell (FC) stack includes at least two FCs operating together in series. At least one light-emitting diode (LED) is in electrical communication with the at least two FCs. At least one sensor is in visual communication with the at least one LED to receive a visual emission from the at least one LED. At least one processor is in communication with the at least one sensor. The at least one processor has a computer-readable memory and a power supply. A brightness of the at least one LED is determined by a voltage condition of the at least two FCs.

Disclosed is an air-cooled fuel cell (FC) stack including a plurality of FCs arranged in a stack in a curved pattern. The plurality of FC stacks are arranged spaced from one another in a curved pattern, preferably a spiral pattern, more preferably an involute pattern. Also disclosed is an integrated FC electric engine for a vehicle such as an aircraft including a centrifugal compressor and a turbine rotatably mounted on a shaft, and one or more curved FC stacks arranged to an outside of the rotatably mounted centrifugal compressor and the rotatably mounted turbine.

A DC-DC converter-free hybrid fuel cell (PC)-energy storage (ES) system (FC-ES) is used for powering an electric device, wherein the PC and ES are electrically connected and configured so that the PC and ES intrinsically absorb and control system transients through state-of-charge cross-overs. The electric device preferably is a vehicle, and in particular a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered aircraft.

A method and system of detecting mass air flow (MAF) sensor failure on an aircraft includes at least one signal from a non-MAF sensor received by a controller of a fuel cell system having at least one MAF sensor. The signal received by the controller is analyzed relative to a compressor map to estimate mass air flow. A MAF sensor failure is detected based on the estimated mass air flow. When a MAF sensor failure is detected, a safe operating mode of the fuel cell system may be activated to provide adequate power for operation of the aircraft to a safe landing while minimizing risk of damage to the fuel cell system.

An integrated fuel cell power delivery system includes a first power source configured to supply power to a propulsion inverter, a second power source configured to supply power to the propulsion inverter, a disconnect operably connected to the second power source, a bypass diode operably connected to the first power source and the second power source, a sensor that detects an output voltage of the integrated fuel cell power system, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the integrated fuel cell power system to access a signal from the sensor, determine if the accessed first signal is greater than a first threshold voltage, and operably disconnect an output of the second power source to the integrated fuel cell power system by the disconnect based on the determination.