Model-based fuzzy control for the thermal management of PEM fuel cells

The reliability and durability of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) significantly depend on effective temperature control. However, temperature variation caused by dynamical load scenario and system disturbances will decrease its output performance and shorten lifetime. To address this problem, a compound control strategy of feedforward+fuzzy feedback for regulating the stack temperature is proposed in this paper. First, this paper explains the working mechanism of the fuel cell cooling system and establishes its dynamic model. Then, a stack temperature tracking controller based on feedforward+fuzzy feedback is proposed, which has strong robustness to system disturbance. Finally, simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness and superiority of the designed control strategy compared to feedforward control and feedforward+PID feedback control under different working conditions.