Adaptive purging control of hydrogen fuel cells for high efficiency applications

Cyclic purging control in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel cells is traditionally used in defined load applications such as back-up power solutions. Under dynamic load conditions cyclic purging control may lead to fuel cell starvation or excessive wastage. In this paper a dynamic purging control system is demonstrated with the characteristic of adapting the purge cycle to the applied electrical load. Adaptive purging enhances the efficiency of the fuel cell which makes it more attractive for use in applications demanding high hydrogen efficiency.