Health conscious control of PEM fuel cells — Mitigating degradation while enhancing dynamic operation

Abstract

Integrating fuel cell systems into hybrid electric vehicles is challenging due to the highly dynamic power demands characteristic of automotive applications. Frequent load changes accelerate degradation, limiting the fuel cell's operational lifetime. This paper presents a predictive control strategy that optimizes the trade-off between fuel cell durability, efficiency, and performance at the component level. The fuel cell's control system dynamically adjusts current, hydrogen, and airflow rates, as well as inlet dew points, to provide the required power while mitigating degradation effects. A non-linear, physics-based model incorporating key degradation mechanisms in the cathode catalyst layer and membrane is used to predict fuel cell ageing. By leveraging the information obtained from the energy management system as well as the physics-based model, the proposed control approach enables health-conscious operation, outperforming conventional rule-based strategies in prolonging fuel cell lifespan while maintaining efficiency and power output.