Optimum Energy Management of PEM Fuel Cell Systems Based on Model Predictive Control

摘要

This work presents an optimum energy management framework, which is developed for integrated Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems. The objective is to address in a centralized manner the control issues that arise during the operation of the fuel cell (FC) system and to monitor and evaluate the system’s performance at real time. More specifically the operation objectives are to deliver the demanded power while operating at a safe region, avoiding starvation, and concurrently minimize the fuel consumption at stable temperature conditions. To achieve these objectives a novel Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy is developed and demonstrated. A semiempirical experimentally validated model is used which is able to capture the dynamic behaviour of the PEMFC. Furthermore, the MPC strategy was integrated in an industrial-grade automation system to demonstrate its applicability in realistic environment. The proposed framework relies on a novel nonlinear MPC (NMPC) formulation that uses a dynamic optimization method that recasts the multivariable control problem into a nonlinear programming problem using a warm-start initialization method and a search space reduction technique which is based on a piecewise affine approximation of the variable’s feasible space.