PEM fuel cell system evaluation using operational data and updated Matlab/Simulink simulation tools

The aim of this paper is the evaluation of the performance of a low pressure proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack to step load changes, which are characteristic of standalone fuel cell system applications. The goal is a better understanding of the electrical behavior of the FC, as a result of the electrochemical processes, via the cell's voltage characteristic during transient response. While changing the load, the performance of significant parameters affected such as Temperature, Pressure, Purge status etc are registered and evaluated. The analysis and experiment are based on a low pressure 1.2 kW PEM fuel cell stack (NEXAS power module). Secondly, the experiment above is simulated using Matlab/ Simulink tools, while power conditioning units (PCU) are added in order to control power flow for enhanced performance. Finally, both operational and simulation data are compared to each other showing that simple PCUs applications can improve system's efficiency. (6 pages)