PEM fuel cell and battery hybrid power supply system design based on fuel flow rate control

This paper presents a control method for charging a battery as well as for controlling a fuel cell in a battery-fuel cell hybrid system. Due to the slow start up time of a PEM fuel cell it must be augmented by an alternative source to meet the fluctuation of power demands. This paper presents a hybrid fuel cell and battery system to serve a load. Additionally, based on the State of Charge (SOC) of the battery, the fuel cell will be used to recharge the battery as well as supply the load once startup has been achieved. Once the SOC reaches the required level, the fuel cell will stop charging the battery and it will supply the load alone. Computer simulation results are provided to validate the system.