Modeling and Analysis of Transient Behavior of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Arsie ◽  
Alfonso Di Domenico ◽  
Cesare Pianese ◽  
Marco Sorrentino

The paper focuses on the simulation of a hybrid vehicle with proton exchange membrane fuel cell as the main energy conversion system. A modeling structure has been developed to perform accurate analysis for powertrain and control system design. The models simulate the dynamics of the main powertrain elements and fuel cell system to give a sufficient description of the complex interaction between each component under real operating conditions. A control system based on a multilevel scheme has also been introduced and the complexity of control issues for hybrid powertrains have been discussed. This study has been performed to analyze the energy flows among powertrain components. The results highlight that optimizing these systems is not a trivial task and the use of precise models can improve the powertrain development process. Furthermore, the behavior of system state variables and the influence of control actions on fuel cell operation have also been analyzed. In particular, the effect of introducing a rate limiter on the stack power has been investigated, evidencing that a 2kW∕s rate limiter increased the system efficiency by 10% while reducing the dynamic performance of the powertrain in terms of speed error.

Author(s):  
Ivan Arsie ◽  
Alfonso Di Domenico ◽  
Cesare Pianese ◽  
Marco Sorrentino

The paper focuses on the simulation of a hybrid vehicle with proton exchange membrane fuel cell as the main energy conversion system. A modeling structure has been developed to perform accurate analysis for powertrain and control system design. The models simulate the dynamics of the main powertrain elements and fuel cell system to give a sufficient description of the complex interaction between each component under real operating conditions. A control system based on a multi-level scheme has also been introduced and the complexity of control issues for hybrid powertrains have been discussed. Such a study has been performed to analyze the energy flows among the powertrain components. The results highlight that optimizing these systems is not a trivial task and the use of precise models can improve the powertrain development process. Furthermore, the behavior of system state variables and the influence of control actions on fuel cell operation have also been analyzed. Particularly, the effects of the introduction of a rate limiter on the stack power have been investigated, evidencing that a 2 kW/s rate limiter increased the system efficiency by 10% while reducing the dynamic performances of the powertrain in terms of speed error (i.e. 25 %).


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 468-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Perna

The purpose of this work is to investigate, by a thermodynamic analysis, the effects of the process variables on the performance of an autothermal reforming (ATR)-based fuel processor, operating on ethanol as fuel, integrated into an overall proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system. This analysis has been carried out finding the better operating conditions to maximize hydrogen yield and to minimize CO carbon monoxide production. In order to evaluate the overall efficiency of the system, PEM fuel cell operations have been analyzed by an available parametric model.


2021 ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
Nabeel Ahsan ◽  
Mahrukh Mehmood ◽  
Asad A. Zaidi

This paper discusses different air management technologies for fuel cell systems. Two different types of compressors are analyzed for Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Some important criteria are analyzed thoroughly for the selection of turbo compressor among different types of compressors illustrated with the help of matrix representations. The impacts of various input parameters for Fuel Cell (FC) are also explained thoroughly. Later the numerical modeling of an automobile fuel cell system using a high speed turbo-compressor for air supply is explained. The numerical model incorporates the important input parameters related with air and hydrogen. It also performed energy and mass balances across different components such as pump, fan, heat-exchanger, air compressor and also keeps in consideration the pressure drop across the flow pipes and various mechanical parts. The model is solved to obtain the characteristics of the FC system at different operating conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that the high speed turbo compressor with a turbo-expander can have significant effects on the overall system power and efficiency.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 498
Author(s):  
Andrzej Wilk ◽  
Daniel Węcel

Currently, fuel cells are increasingly used in industrial installations, means of transport, and household applications as a source of electricity and heat. The paper presents the results of experimental tests of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) at variable load, which characterizes the cell’s operation in real installations. A detailed analysis of the power needed for operation fuel cell auxiliary devices (own needs power) was carried out. An analysis of net and gross efficiency was carried out in various operating conditions of the device. The measurements made show changes in the performance of the fuel cell during step changing or smooth changing of an electric load. Load was carried out as a change in the current or a change in the resistance of the receiver. The analysis covered the times of reaching steady states and the efficiency of the fuel cell system taking into account auxiliary devices. In the final part of the article, an analysis was made of the influence of the fuel cell duration of use on obtained parameters. The analysis of the measurement results will allow determination of the possibility of using fuel cells in installations with a rapidly changing load profile and indicate possible solutions to improve the performance of the installation.


Author(s):  
Richard T. Meyer ◽  
Bin Yao

Recent trends and advances in hydrogen/air Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are incorporated into a dynamic control oriented model. This type of model is important for development of control systems for PEMFC powered transportation where unpredictable and widely varying changes in power demand can be expected. Self humidification and low pressure operation are the two major changes to past systems. As a result, a high pressure air compressor, air cooler, and inlet gas humidifiers are no longer required. Also, the likelihood of cathode flooding is reduced. The overall fuel cell model consists of four basic sub-models: anode, cathode, fuel cell body, and cooling. Additionally, the oxidant supply blower, cooling pump, and cooling fan are explicitly incorporated. Mass and energy conservation are applied to each using a lumped parameter control volume approach. Empirical modeling is minimized as much as possible, however it is necessary for model manageability in a control context. Interactions between each subsystem and balance of plant components are clearly defined. The overall model is capable of capturing the transient behavior of the flows, pressures, and temperatures as well as net output power. The influence of the charge double layer effect on transient performance is also explored. Numerical simulations of the system are presented which illustrate the usefulness of the model. Finally, future control work is described.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Hsing Huang ◽  
Jenn-Kun Kuo ◽  
Yuan-Yao Hsu

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted significant interest as a potential green energy source. However, if the performance of such systems is to be enhanced, appropriate control strategies must be applied. Accordingly, the present study proposes a sophisticated control system for a 1.0 kW PEMFC system comprising a fuel cell stack, an auxiliary power supply, a DC-DC buck converter, and a DC-AC inverter. The control system is implemented using an 8051 single-chip microcontroller and is designed to optimize the system performance and safety in both the startup phase and the long-term operation phase. The major features of the proposed control system are described and the circuit diagrams required for its implementation introduced. In addition, the touch-sensitive, intuitive human-machine interface is introduced and typical screens are presented. Finally, the electrical characteristics of the PEMFC system are briefly examined. Overall, the results confirm that the single-chip microcontroller presented in this study has significant potential for commercialization in the near future.


Author(s):  
Victor M. Fontalvo ◽  
George J. Nelson ◽  
Humberto A. Gomez ◽  
Marco E. Sanjuan

In this work, a model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is presented. A dynamic performance characterization is performed to assess the cell transient response to input variables. The model used in the simulation considers three different phenomena: mass transfer, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry. The main sources of voltage loss are presented: activation, electrical resistance, and concentration. The model is constructed to avoid the use of fitted parameters, reducing the experimentation required for its validation. Hence, the electrochemical model is parameterized by physical variables, including material properties and geometrical characteristics. The model is demonstrated as a test-bed for PEMFC control system design and evaluation. Results demonstrate that the steady-state and dynamic behavior of the system are represented accurately. A case study is included to show the functionality of the model. In the case study, the effect of the purge valves at the fuel cell discharges is analyzed under different scenarios. Regular purges of the cathode and the anode are shown to achieve a good performance in the system avoiding reactant starvation in the cell. A closed-loop dynamic response is included as an example of the model capabilities for the design of fuel cell control strategies. Two variables were selected to be controlled: voltage and pressure difference across the membrane. A multivariate control strategy was tested and its dynamic response was analyzed. It was found that there was a strong interaction between the control loops, making the control of the system a challenge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 2497-2502
Author(s):  
M. Elumalai ◽  
M. Raja ◽  
A. Rajasekaran ◽  
B. Chinnaraja

A microfluidic fuel cell has been fabricated using formic acid in an alkaline media as the fuel and sodium percarbonate in acidic media as the oxidant. Various operating conditions and different cell dimensions were applied to evaluate the fuel cell performance. The laminar flow-based membraneless fuel cell was found to reach a maximum power density of 23.60 mW cm-2 using 1.50 M HCOOH in 3 M NaOH solution as the fuel and 0.15 M percarbonate in 1.50 M H2SO4 solution as the oxidant at room temperature. The fuel cell system has no proton exchange membrane. This simple membraneless fuel cell with a planar structure has a high design flexibility, which enables its easy integration into actual microfluidic systems and miniature power applications.


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