Output characteristics simulation analysis of PEMFC

Abstract

Clean energy is the key to the sustainable development of society. Among various clean energy sources, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) with advantages in cleanliness and high energy conversion efficiency is attracting more and more attention. In this paper, the mathematical model of PEMFC is established based on a semiempirical method to study the influence of key parameters and phenomenon, namely membrane water content, air pressure intensity, reaction temperature, and “charged double layer” phenomenon, on the output characteristics of PEMFC. The dynamic and steady-state simulation of PEMFC output characteristics is carried out under Matlab/Simulink Simulation results show that the output characteristics of a single fuel cell model built in this paper are consistent with the products of Powercell Company, which verifies the correctness of the modeling method in this paper. Furthermore, analysis shows the fuel cell performance can significantly improve by improving the external operating conditions. More importantly, the PEMFC model and output characteristics analysis can provide theoretical guidance for the design of control strategy.