Inherent performance limitations of power-autonomous fuel cell system

The performance and robustness of power-autonomous fuel cell operation depends on balance-of-plant controls, for instance, reactant flow, water and temperature management from its own power. Transient performance in fuel cell power delivery is highly associated with air supply control among those. We present here inherent design limitations on autonomous operation of PEM fuel cells with compressor-driven air supply. To this end, we model and analyze the dynamics of a fuel cell system equipped with a compressor driven by the fuel cell itself. The analysis results clarify fundamental performance limitations in regulating oxygen delivery into the cathode. Several control architectures are proposed to demonstrate these limitations analytically and with simulations