Management of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell System to Feed a Superconducting Coil

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and superconducting coils (SC) are electrical devices which give us a large number of possibilities in the applied research domains. We know that PEMFCs are used as alternative power supplies that convert hydrogen and oxygen redox reaction into electrical energy. This is a clean power source that produces only water and heat as waste. While the PEMFC can produce an important current density (0.5-1 A/cm
²
) in a dedicated working zone, its voltage is too small and needs to be conditioned by power electronics to make it suitable for use in electrical systems. In addition, the SCs are used to produce strong magnetic fields, with less energy, at cryogenic temperature, e.g., the temperature of liquid helium. Their main applications are in magnetic resonance imaging devices or in embedded systems. In order to create these magnetic fields, the SC requires special kinds of power supplies capable of providing high current at low voltage. Usually, these power supplies generate nonnegligible harmonics. In this paper, we propose a solution for overcoming these problems. Indeed, we are working on a system that uses a PEMFC as an autonomous power supply for SC. The PEMFC will replace a high-current power supply, and it fits perfectly as an alternative energy supply for such systems, with the benefit of zero harmonic pollution. A model dedicated to a set of SCs fed by a PEMFC is reported. The inherent problems in connecting these two devices and some solutions to ensure the proper energy management are also given.