Study of a boost converter for PEM fuel cell

This work concerns the study and the modeling of a static converter step-up fuel cell, in order to understand the behavior of this type of energy source in power electronics. After an overview of its operation, this paper proposes a model fuel cell PEMFC supplied with pure hydrogen and oxygen. This model takes into account of the different physicochemical phenomena in a fuel cell. This paper presents a proposed model for a PEM fuel cell: the static model with undissociated electrodes which involves classical laws to describe the different phenomena in a stack. In essence, this model is directly implemented under Matlab-Simulink and can therefore be connected to the static converter model which is regulated in voltage; this model is used as a voltage source for the static converter. The type of the conversion structure is a boost, increasing the voltage delivered by the fuel cell and controlled by a PWM signal. After modeling the converter, it is connected to the fuel cell model. The control regulation system is then defined based on the use of a PID controller. Then, the system formed by the fuel cell and the converter is compared to that formed by the same converter but powered with single power-supplied with a classical generator battery.