Health Management for PEMFC System Long-Term Operation Based on Optimal Temperature Trajectory Real-Time Optimization

To decelerate the performance degradation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) in long-term operation, a health management based on optimal temperature trajectory real-time optimization is proposed. To characterize the performance degradation of PEMFC system in long-term operation, the degradation mechanism of electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) for the platinum catalyst is introduced. To achieve high performance of PEMFC system at long-term operation conditions, the contradiction characteristic between health degree (HD) and efficiency must be fully considered. To characterize the relationship between HD and efficiency, a comprehensive evaluation model is proposed. To maintain high efficiency while maintaining high health life of PEMFC, the multiobjective optimization module is used to obtain the optimal temperature trajectory. A temperature dynamic feedback control is carried out by adjusting the pump flow rate to track the optimal temperature trajectory in real-time. Performance testing and comparative analysis are carried out. The final results show that compared with the conventional temperature control method, the proposed method can achieve a higher level of system efficiency output while maintaining a good health state in the long-term operation. The efficiency and longevity of the PEMFC system are improved during the whole life cycle operation.