Modelling and fuel flow control of PEMFC considering over-pressure case

Fuel starvation during PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) operations can produce serious irreversible damages. A large over-pressure, i.e., the differential pressure between the anode and cathode, would damage the proton exchange membrane like causing pinholes and reducing the performance of PEMFC. In order to ensure the safe and stable operation of PEM fuel cell, this paper proposes a fuel flow modeling and control approach for PEMFC system under overpressure case. At first, Considering the chemical reaction and reactants volume relationship, the fuel flow model of PEMFC is built. Then, a PI based control algorithm is designed to keep PEMFC staying from fuel starvation and over-pressure cases. Finally, the proposed modeling and control approach is implemented in a 6-kW PEMFC backup power system and the simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.