Adaptive Output Voltage Tracking Control for a Fuel Cell-Boost Converter Power Supply

A DC/DC boost converter is an essential subassembly for power/energy transfer from a power source to electrical facilities. Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is currently drawing great attention as the power source for electric vehicles. With the coordination of a boost converter tackling with widely changing external load, an electric vehicle can obtain the required voltage supply for its powertrain system. This paper focuses on PEMFC power system voltage control in face of varied tracking references and disturbance injections. An equivalent electrical circuit model for the PEMFC and the boost converter averaging state model are employed to describe the entire power system. Then, a sliding mode control integrated with backstepping method is used to provide the control signal in the form of the PWM duty ratio, wherein the control stability is ensured via suitable configuration of Lyapunov functions. Moreover, an adaptive law for dealing with the parameter uncertainties is also adopted. Finally, simulation and experimental tests are carried out to verify the voltage tracking effectiveness of the proposed control method, with external load variation and parametric uncertainties considered in the operation conditions.