Stationary power generation

Stationary generation is where fuel cells earn their keep: high load factor, extended run time and no grid connection constraint. The electrical design question is how to present a variable stack output to a stable AC-coupled bus.

The sizing question

Size the converter on the stack's continuous rating, not its peak. Generators run at steady state for long stretches, and a converter sized to the peak rating is paying for capability it never uses. Size it instead with enough headroom to absorb stack transients during load changes.

Voltage window matters more than nominal

A stack's output voltage moves significantly between full load and minimum load. The converter's input window must cover the entire range including startup behaviour, or the system will hit undervoltage protection during transients rather than during a real fault — which is the more common and more expensive failure to diagnose.

Thermal and protection

For outdoor and containerised installations, specify the sealed variants (rated IP67, operating to −40 to 65 °C). The sealed enclosure removes the condensation and dust ingress problems that otherwise force a shelter around the whole system, which usually costs more than the converter itself.

Compliance

Grid-connected systems need converters designed against EN 62477 and the relevant grid code. Specify this at RFQ stage — retrofitting compliance into a delivered converter is rarely possible.

Typical power band: Typical 10 kW – 300 kW