Development of a fuel cell power conditioner system

Abstract

The fuel cell is an alternative power generation method which is envisaged to be environmentally friendly and efficient. It can be an attractive solution for various "clean power" applications such as an electric vehicle. It can also be suitably used as a stand alone power generator. The fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy by means of an electrochemical reaction; the output is in the form of direct voltage and current. This paper describes the development of a fuel cell power conditioner unit (PCU). The aim is to convert the DC output from the fuel cell into a 3-phase sinusoidal AC voltage and current which is suitable for domestic and industrial use. The main feature of the PCU is its global control strategy which enables the system to be configured by a single stage converter. A laboratory 5 kW 3-phase prototype PCU is developed and some typical test results are presented.