Performance Analysis of PEM Fuel Cells with Different Electrical Loads

Abstract

One of the most outstanding products of fuel cells is electrical power but, currently, there is a reduced number of publications that provide experimental data about the performance of fuel cells when used for supplying Alternating Current (AC) loads. Most of the existing publications provide experimental data only with direct current (DC) loads, or analyze the performance with AC loads using simulation models. For this reason, this paper analyses experimentally the behavior of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system when feeding different electrical loads. The system tested is constituted by a PEM fuel cell, a storage battery, electronic converters and electrical loads. In the tests, the fuel cell system supplies power to three different loads: DC, single‐phase AC and three‐phase AC. For these cases, voltage, current, power, power factor and efficiency data are shown, at different load levels. From those parameters, efficiency of the global system is estimated. Finally, as the power quality concept is a topic of increasing importance when supplying electricity, the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the electric signals has also been analyzed.

An electrochemical energy conversion realized through Ag@Pt/rGO nano-catalyst enhancing activity of the ORR process in a PEMFC

“…In order to obtain a clean and environmentally-friendly power source, PEMFCs are considered to more mature and developed than other green devices due to their possessing advantages: i) a low working temperature of 80 C, ii) good energy e ciency, iii) high power density per unit volume, iv) immobilized electrolyte, and v) near-zero emission [1][2][3][4][5]. In light of growing demand for the commercialization of PEM fuel cells, considerable attention has been given to cost reduction while increasing the durability of such systems [5].…”

High Fidelity Model for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Power Module Considering Internal Power Losses

“…When a power module is used as an energy source to supply power to an external load, it is common to represent the power module in terms of a circuit model consisting of capacitors, inductors and transformers [9,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. This approach also allows nonlinear elements (such as a junction diode) to be used to more closely represent the behavior of the power module.…”

Temperature Control for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell based on Current Constraint with Consideration of Limited Cooling Capacity

“…Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is considered to be the most promising candidate for the next generation power source of clean energy vehicles, due to its high power density, rapid start‐up, low operating temperature and no emission of pollutants , . In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the research and development of PEMFC, yet durability and cost are considered as two barriers towards its commercialization .…”