Experts agents in PEM fuel cell control

In the control of the PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell, the existence of both deliberative and reactive processes that facilitate the tasks of control resulting from a wide range of operating scenarios and range of conditions it is required. The latter is essential to adjust its parameters to the multiplicity of circumstances that may occur in the operation of the PEM stack. In this context, the design and development of an expert-agents based architecture for autonomous control of the PEM stack in top working conditions is presented. The architecture integrates perception and control algorithms using sensory and context information. It is structured in a hierarchy of levels with different time window and level of abstraction. The monitoring model and autonomic control of PEM stack has been validated with different types of PEM stacks and operating conditions demonstrating high reliability in achieving the objective of the proposed energy efficiency. Dynamic control of the wetting of the membrane is a clear example.