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Renewable Energy Sources

Topic: Fuel Cell Modelling

Speaker:
Date:
Lehrstuhl Elektrische Netze und Alternative Elektroenergiequellen

P. Bernstein
02.05.2013

Structure
Fuel Cell Modelling
Electrical modelling
Thermal modelling
Electrochemical modelling

Fuel Cell Controlling


Single cell voltage measurement
Current density measurement
Humidity measurement
Fuel cell cooling

Fuel Cell Modelling

Fuel Cell Modelling


Modelling fundamentals
description of reality through models by

Balance equations
Mass
Charge
Impulse
Energy
Boundary and transition conditions
Source and drain terms
Complex geometry

Fuel Cell Modelling

Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrical


load

equivalent circuit of a single cell

e-

e-

fuel

air/oxygen

ions
electrolyte
anode

cathode

CA,C - capacity of anode and cathode


ZA,C - impedance of anode and cathode
Rel - resistance of electrolyte

Fuel Cell Modelling

Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrical


R G
reversible cell voltage
U =
z F
j
Uact = b lg
j0
0

I ~ activation overpotential Uact


II ~ ohmic losses Uohm
III ~ concentration overpotential Uconc

Uohm = r j
Uconc =

RT
j
ln1
n F
jL

Ucell = U0 Uact Uohm Uconc


j0 = exchange current density
jL = marg inal current density
r = area related resistance
b = TAFEL Parameter

Fuel Cell Modelling

Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrical


0

CADK

CMem

for dynamic simulations


CKDK

UAGF

UKGF

0
RAKonz

RAAkt

RMem

RKAkt

RKKonz

IBZ
UBZ

RLast

Fuel Cell Modelling

extended equivalent circuit of a single cell


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Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrical


parameterization of a stationary empirical equivalent model

Model reduced to cathode reaction because of main voltage drop


Reference fuel cell stack or single fuel cell
Constant conditions (temperature, pressure, humidity)
Reference characteristic
Approximation and determination of the parameters

Ri1=RKact: non-linear activation loss resistance at cathode

Ri2=Rmem: linear membrane resistance

Cmem=0

CKDK=0
Stationary equivalent model
Fuel Cell Modelling

Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrical

c= experimental constant
Fuel Cell Modelling

Fuel Cell Modelling - Thermal

&
Q
cell = I cell (1.48V U cell )

Fuel Cell Modelling

Fuel Cell Modelling - Thermal


&i =
m

IFC n Z Mi i
F zi 1000

&
&
H
H2 ,in = m H2 ,in (H B,H2 + h H2 ,in )

& air,in = m
& air,in (hair + x air,in hH2O(g) )
H
&
&
&
Q
H2O = Q cooling ( TFC ) + Q evap,H2O

&
Q
loss = A O (TO Tamb )
Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Modelling - Thermal


measured temperature distribution at anode side

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Modelling - Thermal


external cooling of fuel cell by a fan and heat exchanger

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Modelling - Thermal


temperature distribution of a fuel cell (five cells), TH2O=60C

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrochemical


electrochemical double layer

Helmholtz

Stern

Gouy-Chapman

E - electric field
- potential
Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrochemical


Butler-Volmer-equation
changing of an electrochemical current depending on changing electrode potential

reaction velocity controlled by electrical charge transfer

Modeling of the U-j-characteristic of a transfer limited electrode reaction


cathode

anode

(1 ) z F
z F
0
0
UU
exp
j = A j0 exp
UU

R
T
R

forward
reverse

j
j0

- current density
- exchange current density
- symmetry factor
- transferred electrons

F
R
T
U

- Faraday Constant
- ideal gas constant
- temperature
- voltage
Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Modelling - Electrochemical


TAFEL-equation
coherence between fuel cell voltage drop and exchange current at
given load current
exchange current depends on efficiency of the used catalyst
reverse reaction negligible (high over potential)
linear U-j-characteristic

I0
R T
U=
ln
zF I

anode

I0
R T
U=
ln
(1 ) z F I

cathode

Fuel Cell Modelling

= symmetry factor
I0 = exchange current

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Fuel Cell Controlling


Main control parameters

Voltage
Single cell voltage
Stack voltage
Current density
Total current
Current density distribution across active surface
Humidity
Humidification of the membrane
Humidification of the gases (hydrogen and oxygen)
Temperature
Pressure

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling


humidity

Main control parameters


temperature

pressure

current density

current

Fuel Cell Modelling

voltage

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Fuel Cell Controlling


FC-system
2001

single-cell measurement
2005

FC-control
2007

FC-test systems (0,25-5kW)


2008

FC-lab

equipment

2001-2002

2003-2004

2009

material- and
probetesting

singel-cell
measurement in
Commercial FC

electrolyzer

systems

FC-APU

integration

diagnostics
2010-2011

current density
measurement

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling

hydrogen tank storage

5 kW fuel cell system

Fuel Cell Modelling

300 W fuel cell test systems

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Voltage


Selected cell voltages of a stack with 69 cells in two operating points
point 1:
Istack=40A
Ustack=52V
T=60C;
point 2:
Istack=100A
Ustack=44V
T=60C

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Voltage


protection of voltage drops requires measurement
bipolar interconnecting of a fuel cell with two cells

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Voltage

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Voltage

Measuring points
Voltage range
Solution
Sampling rate

32
1.024V
10bit
10Hz@32 cells

Fuel Cell Modelling

Interface
Voltage supply
Minima number
Display

RS232
4 26 VDC
3x Umin
4x20 symbols

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Current Density


Measuring of the current production at the membrane surface
Integration of a current density device into the fuel cell
Local current production depends on many parameters Measuring
i
I FC
j=
= jm, n
A mem 1

Fuel Cell Modelling

m, n = 1...i

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Current Density


Why current density measurements?
Identification of dry areas
Prevention of dry-out conditions
Controlling of the volume flows to improve the fuel cell efficiency and
the life-time

Source: T.Chikahisa

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Current Density


nondeterministic voltage drops at difference cells
electrical output power reduction by IFC=const.
local stress local stress

gas inlet

jnom>jkrit?
flow field channel

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Current Density


Current density measurement methods

Masking method
Measurement of local bounded segments of the MEA
Segmentation method (modified MEA)
Sub-cells
Segmentation of the flow field and the electrodes
Usage of a constant current source
Segmentation method (non-modified MEA)
a. Magnetic loops (current collector board)
Modified flow fields
b. Ohmic resistance
Non invasive method
Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Current Density


Segmentation method with shunts (non-modified MEA)

scheme of the integrated shunt within the collector board


Fuel Cell Modelling

Current collector board with 121 segments


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Fuel Cell Controlling - Current Density


current density distribution during the starting phase of a fuel cell

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


ion conductivity [S/cm]

Absolute humidity

Relative humidity

membrane humidity

Source: Cleghorn, Kolde, Liu

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


behavior of a dry (I) and humidified
(II) PEM membrane during the
supply with hydrogen

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


Humidity of gases and membrane influence the U-j- curve

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


Pro:

Good control of humidity in a wide range


Low pressure drop
Used for test bench mainly

Con:

External supply of temperature and liquid water


Water treatment (ion-exchange) required
Complex setup and controlling needed
Additional parasitic losses
No freezing resistance

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


Pro:

Low parasitic losses


Autarkic system, no external supply required
Water is taken from stack exhaust directly
Easy installation and working principle

Con:

Performance (efficiency and pressure drop)


depends on operation conditions
Design must be adapted to FC system

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


Sensirion
SHT75

humidity board for signal processing

Dallas Sem.
DS18B20

rF/TSensor

Tair

Programming

5
9

Microcontroller
Atmega168

User input

3
8

6
1

D/A-converter

RS232

rF

2
9

TS

Tair

Tdewpoint

Current source

Display 6

I
Analog Datas

Fuel Cell Modelling

Human Interface

Digital Datas

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


humidity measurement device

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


humidity test bench

Humidity chamber

Reference measurement

LENA-humidity device

Membrane humidifier

Salt humidifier

Mass flow measurement

1
5
6

4
Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Humidity


measured
relative
rH Messwert
[%rH] humidity in %

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

rH Sollw ert [%rH]


set point relative
humidity in %
Vaisala

SHT75

Fuel Cell Modelling

Linear (SHT75)

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Cooling

fuel cell cooling


fuel cell heating

 Pth,FC> Pth,losses
 Pth,FC< Pth,losses

 at nominal power
 at partial power

Cooling strategy technology comparison


Water cooling

Air cooling

weight

high

low

volume

high

low

very good

average

high

low

Heat dissipation
Power consumption

Source: Laing

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Cooling


example for temperature control

TFc,set

I
TFC,in

TFC,out

Adjustment
temperature
FC,in

Adjustment
temperature
FC,out

u i,L
+

+
+

:2
+

TFC,middle

eFC,L

eFC,P

dTFC

u p ,L +

u p ,L + +
u i,L

Adjustment
PWM_fan

Adjustment
PWM_pump

PWMfan

PWMpump

I
Regulation algorithm
Temperature control--dTFC,set

Fuel Cell Modelling

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Fuel Cell Controlling - Cooling


temperature controlling of the fuel cell during start up phase

T35min=60C, at 2kWel
T10min=60C, at 4kWel

Fuel Cell Modelling

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