Simulink Model for a Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cell for Automotive Applications

Fuel cells have a relatively high energy density and use hydrogen as a renewable energy source. Fuel cells are one of the future promising renewable and sustainable power sources that can be used as a clean power source for various applications such as transportation. In conjunction with large supercapacitors, fuel cells can generate high power density with a fast dynamic response, which is ideal for automotive applications. In order to design a highly efficient fuel cell system for automotive applications, an optimised model for a multi-level DC-DC converter, fuel cell and supercapapcitor is required. The analytical model for the fuel cell has been developed in order to model the interface of the fuel cell, supercapacitor and drive train to the interleaved DC-DC converter. This paper deals with the development of a detailed fuel cell model using Matlab/ Simulink where the parameters for a Ballard Mk-V fuel cell stack are used. The simulation results have been presented and discussed and the validity of the developed model is ascertained.