Degradation-Conscious Model Predictive Control For Marine Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) represent a promising technology in the field of electric power generation, particularly suited for alternative fuels and large-scale applications. With the marine industry targeting a full decarbonization by year 2050, there is a significant effort towards the adoption of SOFCs in cargo ships and other vessels. However, their effective adoption in marine transportation requires improved reliability, especially regarding cell degradation, which directly affects their functional lifetime. This paper proposes a novel Degradation-Conscious control strategy for SOFCs, integrating direct control of cell voltage degradation. First, we propose a novel state space model comprising a reduced order model of SOFC dynamics and the voltage degradation model of the cell. Second, we develop the Degradation-Conscious controller using a nonlinear Model Predictive Controller, which integrates degradation management into standard SOFC dynamical control. Simulation results demonstrate the proposed strategy’s ability to reduce degradation while meeting dynamical performance requirements.