MPC-based thermal management for water-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

The proper operating temperature is inextricably linked to the efficient operation of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In this study, a model predictive control (MPC) method for PEMFC water cooling system was proposed to control fans and pump. Firstly, the electrochemical model of PEMFC and thermal model of the system were established, and the electrochemical model was verified by experimental data. Then the MPC controller is designed by linearizing and discretizing the thermal model, and a joint simulation model was built through MATLAB/Simulink and GT Suite. Finally, the performance of MPC controller was evaluated under three different operating conditions (step load, dynamic load, and variable target situation), and its effectiveness was compared to that of a rule-based controller. From the co-simulation results, the MPC controller can accurately adjust the speed of the pump and fans, keep the stack temperature within ±0.5°C of the setpoint, and realize the tracking control of the change target.

Keywords

• Thermal management
• Water-cooled PEMFC
• Thermal model
• Model predictive control