Numerical study for diagnosing various malfunctioning modes in PEM fuel cell systems

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is promising technology for efficient power generation and has wide applications. In PEMFC development, it is important to diagnose malfunctions in a system with defective components and a PEMFC stack can act as an effective sensor to detect the various malfunctioning modes. Hence, the focus of this study is to analyze the response of a PEMFC under various malfunction conditions including humidifier, air blower, and coolant pump, catalyst layer degradation, and membrane aging based on 3D PEMFC simulations. Except for the coolant supply malfunction, other malfunctions exhibit similar behavior in terms of voltage drop and temperature rise, requiring more detailed measurement techniques such as Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy to identify the cause of malfunctions. In addition, measuring the relative humidity of the outlet gas may not provide sufficient information to distinguish the malfunction of the anode or cathode humidifier. The results of the study suggest fault detection and isolation methods under these malfunction conditions to prevent more severe failure of the PEMFC stack and system. An extensive multi-dimensional contour comprising temperature, relative humidity, liquid saturation, water content, and current density is also provided for the better analyzation of system malfunctioning behaviors.     

Fault-tolerant control through dynamic surface triple-step approach for proton exchange membrane fuel cell air supply systems

Due to complex electrochemical and thermal phenomena, varying operations towards automotive applications, and vulnerable ancillaries in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control (FTC) design have become important aspects to improve the reliability, safety and performance of PEMFC systems. This paper presents a novel FTC scheme for automotive PEMFC air supply systems via coordinated control of the air flow rate and the pressure in cathodes. A dynamic surface triple-step approach is first proposed considering nonlinear dynamics and the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) property, which combines the advantage of dynamic surface control in avoiding an “explosion of complexity” and the advantage of triple-step control in guaranteeing a simple structure and high performance. The normal case, the faulty case at the supply manifold and the faulty case in the back pressure valve are considered in the FTC design, with the stability of the overall system proved using Lyapunov methods. MATLAB/Simulink simulations with a high-fidelity PEMFC model verify the effectiveness of the proposed FTC scheme in regulating the air flow rate and oxygen excess ratio and maintaining the pressure of the cathode at a desired level even under faulty conditions.     

Multivariable robust control of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system

This paper applies multivariable robust control strategies to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system. From the system point of view, a PEMFC can be modeled as a two-input-two-output system, where the inputs are air and hydrogen flow rates and the outputs are cell voltage and current. By fixing the output resistance, we aimed to control the cell voltage output by regulating the air and hydrogen flow rates. Due to the nonlinear characteristics of this system, multivariable robust controllers were designed to provide robust performance and to reduce the hydrogen consumption of this system. The study was carried out in three parts. Firstly, the PEMFC system was modeled as multivariable transfer function matrices using identification techniques, with the un-modeled dynamics treated as system uncertainties and disturbances. Secondly, robust control algorithms were utilized to design multivariable H_∞ controllers to deal with system uncertainty and performance requirements. Finally, the designed robust controllers were implemented to control the air and hydrogen flow rates. From the experimental results, multivariable robust control is shown to provide steady output responses and significantly reduce hydrogen consumption.     

High performance PEMFC stack with open-cathode at ambient pressure and temperature conditions

An open-air cathode proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was developed. This paper presents a study of the effect of several critical operating conditions on the performance of an 8-cell stack. The studied operating conditions such as cell temperature, air flow rate and hydrogen pressure and flow rate were varied in order to identify situations that could arise when the PEMFC stack is used in low-power portable PEMFC applications. The stack uses an air fan in the edge of the cathode manifolds, combining high stoichiometric oxidant supply and stack cooling purposes. In comparison with natural convection air-breathing stacks, the air dual-function approach brings higher stack performances, at the expense of having a lower use of the total stack power output. Although improving the electrochemical reactions kinetics and decreasing the polarization effects, the increase of the stack temperature lead to membrane excessive dehydration (loss of sorbed water), increasing the ohmic resistance of the stack (lower performance).     

基于PEMFC分布式发电系统的动态特性分析

分析了质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)的机理模型,在此基础上运用MATLAB的Simulink仿真工具,建立了PEMFC发电系统带负载模型。通过仿真,分析了负载对PEMFC电堆的各项动态特性(燃料的流量、效率、输出电压等)的影响,以及DC/DC、负载端的电压响应。仿真结果中负载电压呈三相交流正弦波形,表明搭建的整个PEMFC发电系统是基本正确的,为实现PEMFC并网的实时分析和动态优化提供了理论依据和参考方法。     

Comprehensive influences measurement and analysis of power converter low frequency current ripple on PEM fuel cell

To deeply understand the influences of power converter's low frequency current ripple (LFCR) and harmonics on a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) in its power conditioning system (PCS), a comprehensive measurement and analysis of the influences of LFCR and harmonics on PEMFC's performance and durability is investigated in this paper. Based on an equivalent circuit model of PEMFC stack and a mechanism model for evaluating the LFCR effects on the PEMFC, this paper studies primarily and systematically the comprehensive influences of LFCR and harmonics on PEMFC performances and durability, such as (1) degrading the PEMFC performance, (2) shortening the lifetime of PEMFC, (3) reducing the stack output power, (4) lowing its availability efficiency, (5) producing more heat and raising the PEMFC temperature, (6) consuming more fuel, and (7) decreasing the fuel utilization. Finally, a Horizon 300 W PEMFC stack is implemented and tested.     

An integrated simulation model for PEM fuel cell power systems with a buck DC-DC converter

Fuel cell powered systems generally have a high current and a low voltage. Therefore, the output voltage of the fuel cell must be stepped-down using a DC-DC buck converter. However, since the fuel cell and converter have different dynamics, they must be suitably coordinated in order to satisfy the demanded load. Accordingly, this study commences by constructing a MATLAB/Simulink model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system comprising a PEMFC stack, an air/fuel supply system, and a temperature control system. The validity of the PEMFC model is demonstrated by comparing the simulation results obtained for the polarzation curves of a single fuel cell with the corresponding experimental curves. A model is then constructed of the DC-DC buck converter used to step-down the PEMFC output voltage. In addition, a sliding mode control (SMC) scheme is proposed for the DC-DC buck converter which guarantees a low and stable output voltage given transient variations in the output voltage of the PEMFC. Finally, a model is constructed of a DC-AC inverter with a pulse width modulated (PWM) control scheme which enables the PEMFC stack to supply the grid or power AC applications directly. Overall, the combined PEMFC/DC-DC buck converter/DC-AC inverter model provides a powerful and versatile tool for the design and development of a wide range of PEMFC power systems.     

Dynamic modeling of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system with a shell-and-tube gas-to-gas membrane humidifier

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system with a shell-and-tube gas-to-gas membrane humidifier is considered to be a promising PEMFC system because of its energy-efficient operation. However, because the relative humidity of the dry air flowing into the stack depends on the stack exhaust air, this system can be unstable during transients. To investigate the dynamic behavior of the PEMFC system, a system model composed of a lumped dynamic model of an air blower, a two-dimensional dynamic model of a shell-and-tube gas-to-gas membrane humidifier, and a one-dimensional dynamic model of a PEMFC system is developed. Because the water management during transient of the PEMFC system is one of the key challenges, the system model is simulated at the step change of current. The variations in the PEMFC system characteristics are captured. To confirm the superiority of the system model, it is compared with the PEMFC component model during transients.     

Performance prediction of PEM fuel cell with wavy serpentine flow channel by using artificial neural network

Effects of serpentine flow channel having sinusoidal wave at the rib surface on performance of PEMFC having 25 cm² active area are investigated at different flow rates, three different amplitudes changing from 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm and three different cell operation temperatures. A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is modeled for the prediction of the output current by using artificial neural network (ANN) that is utilized the aforementioned experimental parameters. Effect of hydrogen and air flow rate, the fuel cell temperature, amplitude of channel is tested. The results indicated that model C1 having lowest amplitude is enhanced maximum power output up to 20.15% as compared to indicated conventional serpentine channel (model C4) for 0.7 SLPM H₂ and 1.5 SLPM air and also model C1 has better performance than C2, C3 and C4 models. The maximum power output is augmented with increasing the cell temperature due to raising the fuel and oxidant diffusion ratio. Cell temperature, amplitude, H₂ and air flow rate and input voltage is used as input variables in train and test of the developing ANN model. MAPE of training and testing is determined as 2.89 and 2.059, respectively. Prediction results of developed ANN model including two hidden layer shows similar trend with experimental results. Developed ANN model can be used to both decrease the number of required experiments and find the optimum operation condition within the range of input parameters.     

Hydrogen consumption minimization method based on the online identification for multi-stack PEMFCs system

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stacks are not widely used in the field of transportation industry, due to their limited power. Thus, the PEMFC stacks usually connected in parallel or series to meet the load demand power in high-power applications. The hydrogen consumption of multi-stack fuel cells (MFCs) system is related to the efficiency and output power. In addition, the efficiency of PEMFC depends on the applied voltage and other parameters. Consequently, the hydrogen consumption of system changes with varying load, because the system parameters are also varying. It makes reducing the fuel consumption of system a challenging assignment. In order to achieve the goal of minimizing fuel consumption of parallel-connected PEMFCs system, this paper proposes a novel power distribution strategy based on forgetting factor recursive least square (FFRLS) online identification. The FFRLS algorithm is based on data-driven and uses real-time data of the system to improve the estimation accuracy of PEMFC system parameters. On the test bench of parallel-connected PEMFCs system consists of two 300 W PEMFC stacks, PEMFC stack controller, DC/DC converters, and DSP controller etc., a multi-index performance test and comparative analysis are carried out. The results showed that, the performance of proposed power allocation strategy has been successfully validated. In addition, compared with the power average and daisy chain algorithms, the proposed online identification power distribution method can get more satisfactory results. Such as, reducing the hydrogen consumption and improving efficiency.     

Performance enhancement in a H2/O2 PEMFC with dual-ejector recirculation

Water management in various components of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a significant and challenging issue affecting output performance. PEMFC utilizing dual ejector-based recirculation has been developed to evaluate and improve the performance and water transport properties. A detailed investigation into the effects of ejector operating conditions, such as primary flow pressure and secondary flow relative humidity, on the performance of PEMFC is conducted. The results show that significant performance improvement of PEMFC can be achieved by increasing the operating pressure. The power density can be increased by 37.8% and 86.5% with ejector primary flow pressures of 300 and 400 kPa, respectively. Furthermore, an optimization strategy integrating PEMFC operating condition is proposed to ensure the stability and lifespan of performance. The water management and integration optimization strategy obtained in this paper can provide valuable insight into options for improving the performance of PEMFC with dead-ended anode and cathode.     

Numerical modeling and analysis of PEMFC integrated with auxiliary power source

A numerical model is developed from a stationary proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system comprising a PEMFC, a DC‐DC buck converter, an auxiliary power supply (a lithium battery and supercapacitor), and a DC‐AC inverter. The transient and steady‐state performance of the PEMFC system is investigated by means of Matlab/Simulink simulations. It is shown that a good agreement exists between the simulated polarization curve of the PEMFC and the experimental results presented in the literature. In addition, it is shown that the DC‐DC buck converter provides an effective means of stabilizing the output voltage of the PEMFC. Finally, the results confirm the effectiveness of the auxiliary power source in enabling the PEMFC to satisfy the peak load demand. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Integration of Miniature Heat Pipes into a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell for Cooling Applications

In proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) operations, the electrochemical reactions produce a rise in temperature. A fuel cell stack therefore requires an effective cooling system for optimum performance. In this study, miniature heat pipes were applied for cooling in PEMFC. Three alternatives were considered in tests: free convection, forced convection cooling with air, and also water. An analytical model was developed to show the possibility of evoking heat from inside a fuel cell stack with different numbers of miniature heat pipes. An experiment setup was designed and then used for further analysis. The proposed experiment setup consisted of a simulated fuel cell that produced heat and a number of thermosyphon miniature heat pipes to evoke heat from the simulated fuel cell. The experiment results reported in this paper present advantages and disadvantages of each tested cooling scenario. Results show that each cooling scenario, using a different number of heat pipes, provided different heat removal rates for PEMFC cooling.     

Design and implementation of fixed-order robust controllers for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system

This paper applies fixed-order multivariable robust control strategies to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system, and implements the designed controllers on a microchip for system miniaturization. In previous studies, robust control was applied to guarantee system stability and to reduce hydrogen consumption for a PEMFC system. It was noted that for standard robust control design, the order of resulting H_∞$H_{\mathrm{\infty }}$ controllers is dictated by the plants and weighting functions. However, for hardware implementation, controllers with lower orders are preferable in terms of computing efforts and cost. Therefore, in this paper the PEMFC is modeled as multivariable transfer matrices, then three fixed-order robust control algorithms are applied to design controllers with specified orders for a PEMFC. Finally, the designed controllers are implemented on a microchip to regulate the air and hydrogen flow rates. From the experimental results, fixed-order robust control is deemed effective in supplying steady power and reducing fuel consumption.     

Experimental analysis of optimal performance for a 5 kW PEMFC system

This paper investigates the issue of performance optimization for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system. In PEMFC system, the system efficiency is the key parameters to evaluate the system performance which is sensitive to the air flow rate. Thus, the careful selection of the air flow rate is crucial to ensure efficient, reliable and durable operation of the PEMFC system. In this paper, the dynamic response of the system under variable air flow rate is studied in detail by means of experiments on the built 5 kW PEMFC system with 110 cells and a catalyst active area of 250 cm². The oxygen excess ratio (OER) is defined to indicate the state of oxygen supply. The experimental results show that the maximum efficiency is existed under certain net current. The OER conditions have the optimal characteristic for system efficiency. Through the optimization of system performance, the system efficiency can be increased by 12.2% on average. At the same time, the system dynamic characteristic under oxygen starvation and oxygen saturation are analyzed in detail based on the experimental data.     

An adaptive sliding mode observer based near-optimal OER tracking control approach for PEMFC under dynamic operation condition

Tracking control of oxygen excess ratio (OER) is crucial for dynamic performance and operating efficiency of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). OER tracking errors and overshoots under dynamic load limit the PEMFC output power performance, and also could lead oxygen starvation which seriously affect the life of PEMFC. To solve this problem, an adaptive sliding mode observer based near-optimal OER tracking control approach is proposed in this paper. According to real time load demand, a dynamic OER optimization strategy is designed to obtain an optimal OER. A nonlinear system model based near-optimal controller is designed to minimize the OER tracking error under variable operation condition of PEMFC. An adaptive sliding mode observer is utilized to estimate the uncertain parameters of the PEMFC air supply system and update parameters in near-optimal controller. The proposed control approach is implemented in OER tracking experiments based on air supply system of a 5 kW PEMFC test platform. The experiment results are analyzed and demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control approach under load changes, external disturbances and parameter uncertainties of PEFMC system.     

A review on model-based diagnosis methodologies for PEMFCs

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems (PEMFC)s are interesting devices for energy conversion. Recent researches are aimed at developing new monitoring and diagnosis techniques; a good management of these systems would allow optimizing the performance and reducing their degradation. The objective of a suitable diagnostic tool is to identify and isolate the different faults that may occur in the system being monitored in real time. Therefore, the main features of computational methods are accuracy, reliability and high computational speed. In order to perform the diagnosis, it is necessary to evaluate different approaches. In this work different model-based approaches are investigated as well as their validation and applications. An overview of different methodologies available in the literature is proposed, which is oriented to help in developing suitable diagnostic tool for PEMFC monitoring and fault detection and isolation (FDI).     

基于燃料电池膜水分传递特性研究的温度与湿度控制

质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)中保持膜的适度湿润性非常重要.模拟了质子交换膜的水环境,采用西门子S7-300PLC和力控组态软件设计了温度湿度控制系统;应用PID调节原理分别控制三种不同空气流量(1、6、10 g·s-1)情况下空气加热器和水加热器的温湿度.由数据分析可得到结论:1 g·s-1流量引起的湿度波动较大,10 g·s-1流量在高温高湿情况下出现异常.     

Data driven NARMAX modeling for PEMFC air compressor

Air compressor of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system is usually nonlinear and strong coupled. It is difficult to establish a online optimization oriented model. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposed a nonlinear autoregressive moving average with exogenous inputs (NARMAX) model for air compressor of PEMFC system. The NARMAX model is an equivalent time-varying linear model, and the time-varying parameters are identified by recurrent neural network (RNN). Simulation results show that the proposed method has small fitting error, the error of air flow and pressure ratio approximate zero, while the mean square error (MSE) of air flow and pressure ratio are 1.5171e-07 and 6.3767e-05, respectively. Therefore, the established air compressor model is accurate and effective.