Dynamic modeling and simulation of a PEM fuel cell: MATLAB and LabVIEW modeling approach

The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has emerged as a promising fuel cell technology for a varied range of stationary as well as transportation applications. This paper presents a dynamic model of a PEMFC system which can be used for further development of a control system for the same. The proposed model incorporates various dynamic operating conditions like changes in load current, pressures of input reactant gases and the cell operating temperature. The model has been implemented in MATLAB as well as a simulation has been verified in LabVIEW. The simulation has been designed to be very user-friendly and conveniently alter the various dynamic conditions and observe the responses. For the purpose of validating the model, a comparison has been made by using experimental data from the PEM fuel cell testing. The presented dynamic model can thus be useful in testing various control strategies and designing a controller for the fuel cell system.