Fuel cells for household appliances: Experimental test of power management algorithms

In this paper, fuel cell - based hybrid power supplies for household appliances are addressed. The profile of residential power consumption is evaluated during working, non-working days in both summer and winter periods. The worst-case load power demand is therefore highlighted. A 5kW Nuvera PowerFlow proton exchange membrane fuel cell for household appliances is tested. On the basis of the characterization of the fuel cell stack under test, stand-alone and fuel cell - battery active hybrid power supply architectures are both considered. Experimental validation of three power management algorithms is proposed in terms of hydrogen consumption, cost and energy saving. Power management algorithms are validated by the mean of experimental data in MATLAB environment.