Publication Detail
Cathode Air Control of a PEM Fuel Cell Stack Operating on the USABC Dynamic Stress Test
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UCD-ITS-RP-94-33 Presentation Series Download PDF |
Suggested Citation:
Swan, David H., Blake E. Dickinson, Murali P. Arikara, Manohar K. Prabhu (1994) Cathode Air Control of a PEM Fuel Cell Stack Operating on the USABC Dynamic Stress Test. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Presentation Series UCD-ITS-RP-94-33
Proceedings of the 1994 Fuel Cell Seminar
This paper presents experimental data on the performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system operating on the USABC Dynamic Stress Test (DST) as a function of cathode air flow rate and inlet pressure. The fuel cell system used was a Ballard Power Systems' 35 cell stack. The experiments were performed by operating the fuel cell stack on the DST with a pulse-width-modulated controller and simulating the operation of a variable output compressor with a mass flow controller and electronic back pressure regulator. Dynamic conditions reduce the fuel cell average efficiency. Air compressor control was found to be critical to maximize net efficiency.
This paper presents experimental data on the performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system operating on the USABC Dynamic Stress Test (DST) as a function of cathode air flow rate and inlet pressure. The fuel cell system used was a Ballard Power Systems' 35 cell stack. The experiments were performed by operating the fuel cell stack on the DST with a pulse-width-modulated controller and simulating the operation of a variable output compressor with a mass flow controller and electronic back pressure regulator. Dynamic conditions reduce the fuel cell average efficiency. Air compressor control was found to be critical to maximize net efficiency.