System of and method for power management

Abstract

A system and method for power management is described that provides for monitoring and controlling a regenerative fuel cell and at least one powered device. The power management system includes a communication interface to facilitate data transmission, a communication device for monitoring and controlling a regenerative fuel cell and at least one powered device, the communication device providing for sending data to and receiving data from at least one powered device over a communication interface, a regenerative fuel cell for providing storage and supply of electricity, and a power interface for allowing electricity generated by the regenerative fuel cell to power at least one powered device.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A system for power management, comprising: 
 (a) a regenerative fuel cell; and    (b) a controller configured to (1) receive data from a source; and (2) manage, responsive to the data, providing power from one or the other of an energy source and the regenerative fuel cell to one or more loads.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller is configured to operatively engage, responsive to the data, one or the other of the energy source and the regenerative fuel cell to provide power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller is configured to operatively disengage, responsive to the data, one or the other of the energy source and the regenerative fuel cell from providing power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the controller is configured to adjust, responsive to the data, the power requirements of the one or more loads.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the regenerative fuel cell comprises a fuel storage unit for storing fuel, a device for electrochemically reacting the fuel with a second reactant to release electricity, a reaction product storage unit for storing reaction product resulting from the reaction, and a fuel regeneration unit for electrochemically recovering the fuel from the reaction product.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the regenerative fuel cell further comprises a second reactant storage unit.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the fuel is hydrogen.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the fuel is zinc.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the second reactant is oxygen.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the energy source is configured to supply primary power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the regenerative fuel cell is configured to supply backup power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the regenerative fuel cell is configured to supply primary power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the energy source is configured to supply backup power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the source of data is the power source.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the source of data is the one or more loads.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the source of data is a user input device.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the source of data is an external device.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller further comprises a memory for storing the data.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the data represents one or more rules or procedures.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller is configured to operatively engage the regenerative fuel cell to provide power to the one or more loads during peaks usage periods, and operatively engage the energy source to provide power to the one or more loads during off-peak usage periods.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the controller is configured to operatively disengage the energy source from providing power to the one or more loads during off-peak usage periods, and to operatively disengage the regenerative fuel cell from providing power to the one or more loads during peak usage periods.  
     
     
         22 . A method of providing power to one or more loads, comprising: 
 (a) receiving data from a source;    (b) managing, responsive to the data, providing power from one or the other of an energy source and a regenerative fuel cell to one or more loads.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising operatively engaging, responsive to the data, one or the other of an energy source and a regenerative fuel cell to provide power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising operatively disengaging, responsive to the data, one or the other of an energy source and a regenerative fuel cell from providing power to the one or more loads.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the data represents one or more rules or parameters.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising receiving the data from the energy source.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising receiving the data from one or more of the loads.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising receiving the data from a user input device.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising receiving the data from an external source.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the external source is an Internet site.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising storing the data in a memory.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising operatively engaging the energy source to provide power to the one or more loads during off-peak usage periods, and operatively engaging the regenerative fuel to provide power to the one or more loads during peak usage periods.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising operatively disengaging the energy source from providing power to the one or more loads during peak usage periods, and operatively disengaging the regenerative fuel cell from providing power to the one or more loads during off-peak usage periods.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising powering a regeneration unit of the regenerative fuel cell during the off-peak usage periods.