Nonlinear decoupling control for highly dynamic fuel cell inlet gas conditioning

Abstract

Fuel cells in transient automotive applications face highly dynamic conditions. Since the inlet gas states are strongly coupled, safe and precise fuel cell operation necessitates advanced gas control. This paper employs the nonlinear control methodology of exact input–output linearization and a parametrized model to decouple cathode inlet pressure and mass flow. The feedforward control obtains the input trajectories for the fuel cell's peripheral components to guide pressure and mass flow along independent reference paths. The feedforward control is robustly realized in a two-degree-of-freedom architecture on a commercial Greenlight Innovation G60 testbed, allowing for imposing highly dynamic test cycles. It is validated in several experiments on a single cell, underscoring significant improvements in dynamic gas conditioning compared to conventional control approaches. These achieved testing capabilities are particularly valuable for diagnostics, rapid stress and end-of-line testing, and dynamic scenario emulation, advancing fuel cell development by enhancing experimental investigations during transient operation.