Real-time thermal Management of Open-Cathode PEMFC system based on maximum efficiency control strategy

Abstract

Improving the efficiency of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system is the main problem should be solved for the commercialization of PEMFC. In this paper, the efficiency characteristic of PEMFC system under load and stack temperature variation is analyzed through theoretical modeling and experimental verification. For high efficiency operation of PEMFC system, the maximum efficiency control strategy (MECS) is proposed for thermal management of PEMFC system. According to the efficiency characteristics of PEMFC system, the optimal efficiency trajectory of system is obtained under maximum efficiency optimization (MEO). As PEMFC system is a nonlinear system with the characteristics of time-variation, and uncertainty, a constrained generalized predictive control (CGPC) is proposed to realize real-time optimal efficiency trajectory tracking. The MECS based on MEO and CGPC is implemented on-line, experimentally validated on the established H-300 open-cathode PEMFC system. The experimental result shows better tracking ability compared with PID control and testifies the validity of MECS for increasing the system efficiency. Therefore, the proposed MECS can provide better system dynamic response and higher system efficiency.