Development of a model for thermoeconomic design and operation optimization of a PEM fuel cell system

A thorough analysis of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell system is presented. A generalized performance model of a single PEM fuel cell is developed and applied in a semi-empirical form for a Ballard Mark V 35-cell, 5 kW PEM fuel cell. A thermodynamic and economic analysis of the components and of the whole system is performed. The purpose of this study is to explore the intrinsic relations among various fuel cell system performance and cost indicators in order to provide insights for new cost effective and high performance designs. Optimization techniques have been applied in order to determine the optimal design and operation mode of the system. An application of the system onboard merchant ships has been considered as an example.