Exact Linearization Based Nonlinear Control of PEM Fuel Cells

Based on our previous work (2005), this paper presents a SISO dynamic model for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) without using a reformer. Exact linearization approach is directly applied to the SISO dynamic model to obtain a nonlinear control strategy for PEMFCs. By adding an integral control term to the state feedback control law, the steady-state error due to parameter uncertainty is reduced. Simulation results show that PEM fuel cells have better transient and steady-state performances with the help of nonlinear control than linear controls.