Experimental parameter identification for a control-oriented model of the thermal behavior of high-temperature fuel cells

The design of robust control techniques is the prerequisite to guarantee maximum efficiency and lifetime for high-temperature fuel cells with constant and varying electrical load. For the design of such control laws as well as for the development of model-based observer approaches, it is essential to derive low-dimensional mathematical models which can be evaluated in real-time. These models have to represent the dominant dynamics of fuel cell systems including fluidic, thermodynamic, and electrochemical subprocesses. In this paper, a control-oriented mathematical model is described which focuses on the above-mentioned subprocesses. On the basis of experimental data, the parameters for the thermodynamic subprocess are identified. A comparison of the mathematical model, parameterized with the help of the experimental data, and numeric simulation results conclude this paper.