Coolant circuit modeling and temperature fuzzy control of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Effective temperature management is necessary for the safe and efficient operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Generally circulating coolant can be applied in removing the excess heat of the PEMFC whose electrical power exceeds 5 kW. So a coolant circuit modeling method and a temperature fuzzy control strategy are presented in the paper in order to keep the PEMFC within the ideal operation temperature range. Firstly, a coolant circuit mathematical model is developed, which includes a PEMFC thermal model, a water reservoir model, a water pump model, a bypass valve model, a heat exchanger model and a PEMFC electrochemical model. Secondly, the incremental fuzzy control with integrator technique is designed according to the established model and control experience rule. And the PEMFC temperature and circulating coolant inlet temperature are controlled by regulating the circulating coolant flux and bypass valve factor respectively. Finally, the established model and fuzzy controllers are simulated and analyzed in Matlab software, and the simulation results demonstrate that the incremental fuzzy controller with integrator can effectively control the PEMFC temperature and the inlet coolant temperature within their objective working ranges respectively. In addition, the modeling and control process are very concise, and they can be easily applied in various power classes PEMFC temperature control in real-time.