BACKGROUND

A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through an electrochemical reaction between the fuel and an oxidizing agent such as oxygen. Example fuels can include hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), natural gas (e.g., methane, propane, and butane), or other suitable compounds. A fuel cell typically has an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte between the anode and the cathode. The electrolyte can be a liquid or solid that allows charged particles, such as oxygen anions or protons, to travel between the cathode and the anode. The charged particles can then react with the fuel or oxygen to produce heat and byproducts such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Fuel cell deployment can involve installation, commissioning, modification, removal, and/or other operations in a facility, such as a datacenter. Example deployment techniques for fuel cells include field erection of a fuel cell installation or skid mounting of fuel cells as assemblies to accommodate various configuration, dimension, function, or other types of differences in fuel cells provided by different manufacturers. For example, multiple fuel cells can be skid mounted as an assembly with common manifolds to be field connected to fuel, power, exhaust, coolant, or other suitable types of connections. Such deployment techniques, however, can be labor intensive, error prone, and/or difficult to modify or remove because of the manual nature of such operations. For instance, to replace a fuel cell in a skid-mounted assembly, technicians may manually disconnect or isolate various connections of the fuel cell before physical removal and replacement.

Several embodiments of the disclosed technology are directed to an automated fuel cell deployment system that is configured to accommodate fuel cells from different manufacturers using an intelligent carrier. The fuel cell can be mounted on the carrier at a manufacturer, at an assembler, or on-site at the facility. In certain implementations, a carrier can be configured to have certain size, shape, connection ports, and/or other characteristics to accommodate a fuel cell on a first side. The carrier can also include a second side having a suitable size, shape, connection ports, alignment elements, and/or other suitable mechanical/electrical features that are configured to mate with a receiving slot or “receptacle” in a facility, such as a datacenter. The carrier can provide connections for fuel, power, exhaust, or other suitable connections between the first side and the second side of the carrier. In certain embodiments, the second side of the carrier can be generally uniform for the facility. In other embodiments, the second side can also be configured differently to accommodate different fuel cells, batteries, or other suitable energy sources carried thereon.

The carrier can also include a carrier controller in communication with the fuel cell. The carrier controller can be configured to interrogate, receive, or otherwise acquire data representing information of the fuel cell carried thereon (referred to herein as “fuel cell information”). Example fuel cell information can include a manufacturer, a serial number, a designed/operating capacity, input/output connections, current operating state, etc. In certain embodiments, the fuel cell may include a memory containing at least some of the foregoing information that can be retrieved by the carrier controller. In other embodiments, the fuel cell may include a memory containing an identification (e.g., a manufacture and serial number) of the fuel cell. The carrier controller can be configured to obtain additional information (e.g., design/operating capacity) from an external source (e.g., a website of the manufacturer) using the identification. In further embodiments, carrier controller can obtain some or all of the fuel cell information regarding the fuel cell via user input or other suitable techniques.

Upon connection with the facility, in certain embodiments, the various connection ports on the second side of the carrier can be securely connected to corresponding ports on the facility side via friction, compression, magnetic, or other suitable types of fittings. The carrier controller can provide the collected fuel cell information of the fuel cell carried thereon to a facility controller. In turn, the facility controller can identify the fuel cell carried on the carrier as connected to a location with a location identification at the facility and store such information as a database record in a network storage. The facility controller can also be configured receive the fuel cell information and in response, activate suitable valves, solenoids, circuit breakers, or other suitable mechanical/electrical devices to provide or receive fuel, power, exhaust, coolant, or other suitable types of resources to or from the fuel cell on the carrier to commission the fuel cell. The facility controller can also be configured to issue operating commands to the fuel cell carried on the carrier according to the fuel cell information received from the carrier controller.

In other implementations, the carrier controller can communicate with the facility controller prior to the carrier is connected to the facility with information of the fuel cell. For example, the carrier controller can communication with the facility controller via a wireless or other suitable network connection to provide the facility controller the fuel cell information. In response, the facility controller can analyze the received fuel cell information and a current configuration of the facility and determine a suitable location for receiving the carrier.

Subsequently, the facility controller can inform a robot, an installation crane, a forklift, or other suitable devices to install the carrier in the determined location. In certain implementations, a robot can be configured to move the carrier with the fuel cell to the determined location. The robot and/or the carrier controller can then perform a verification operation to determine whether the carrier is at the determined location. In response to determining that the carrier is not at the determined location, the robot can navigate to another location based on instructions received from the facility controller and perform the verification operation prior to installation. Upon installation of the carrier, the facility controller can commission the fuel cell as described above.

In certain embodiments, the facility and/or the carrier can include certain alignment elements for automatic installation of the carrier. For example, the facility and/or the carrier can include suitable corresponding channels, edges, apertures, wedges, markers, or other suitable elements configured to mate with one another to align the carrier with the facility. For instance, the facility may include one or more apertures configured to mate with one or more alignment pins from the facility. In certain implementations, the robot can be configured to include one or more of a laser, a radar, a lidar, or other suitable types of sensor configured to identify and/or measure the various alignment elements on the facility. Based on the identified and/or measured distance, the robot can automatically install the carrier using the alignment elements to align the various ports on the carrier to those corresponding ports on the facility.

In a further implementation, the robot can include a robot controller that is configured to receive the fuel cell information from the carrier. The robot controller can then communicate with the facility controller to determine a suitable location for the carrier with the fuel cell. The robot can then navigate to the determined location and perform verification, installation, and/or other suitable operations as described above. In yet further implementations, the robot controller can be configured to receive an instruction to remove a carrier from the facility. In response, the robot controller can cause the robot to navigate to the determined location, perform a verification operation, and upon successful verification, remove the carrier automatically without manual intervention.

Several embodiments of the disclosed technology can allow automated and efficient management of fuel cells in the facility. For example, the facility controller can facility the robot to automatically install a fuel cell on a carrier irrespective of a type or manufacturer of the fuel cell. The facility controller can also track which fuel cell is installed in what location, monitor a current operating condition of the fuel cell, and adjust operations of the fuel cell based on the current operation conditions of the fuel cell and/or the facility. As such, manual operations involved in installing and/or removing fuel cells from the facility can be avoided. Avoidance of such manual operations can increase operational efficiency, reduce risks of installation errors, and reduce capital investment when compared to other fuel cell systems.

