For temperature and humidity control of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) reactants, a membrane based external humidification system was designed and constructed. Here we develop and validate a physics based, low-order, control-oriented model of the external humidification system dynamics based on first principles. This model structure enables the application of feedback control for thermal and humidity management of the fuel cell reactants. The humidification strategy posed here deviates from standard internal humidifiers that are relatively compact and cheap but prohibit active humidity regulation and couple reactant humidity requirements to the PEMFC cooling demands. Additionally, in developing our model, we reduced the number of sensors required for feedback control by employing a dynamic physics based estimation of the air-vapor mixture relative humidity leaving the humidification system (supplied to the PEMFC) using temperature and pressure measurements. A simple and reproducible methodology is then employed for parameterizing the humidification system model using experimental data.
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e-mail: dmckay@smith.edu
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October 2010
This article was originally published in
Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology
Research Papers
A Controllable Membrane-Type Humidifier for Fuel Cell Applications—Part I: Operation, Modeling and Experimental Validation
Denise A. McKay,
Denise A. McKay
Picker Engineering Program,
e-mail: dmckay@smith.edu
Smith College
, Ford Hall, 100 Green Street, Northampton, MA 01063
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Anna G. Stefanopoulou,
Anna G. Stefanopoulou
Fellow ASME
Mechanical Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 1231 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Jeffrey Cook
Jeffrey Cook
Electrical Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 1301 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Denise A. McKay
Picker Engineering Program,
Smith College
, Ford Hall, 100 Green Street, Northampton, MA 01063e-mail: dmckay@smith.edu
Anna G. Stefanopoulou
Fellow ASME
Mechanical Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 1231 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Jeffrey Cook
Electrical Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 1301 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol. Oct 2010, 7(5): 051006 (12 pages)
Published Online: July 16, 2010
Article history
Received:
March 31, 2008
Revised:
October 29, 2009
Online:
July 16, 2010
Published:
July 16, 2010
Connected Content
A companion article has been published:
A Controllable Membrane-Type Humidifier for Fuel Cell Applications—Part II: Controller Design, Analysis and Implementation
Citation
McKay, D. A., Stefanopoulou, A. G., and Cook, J. (July 16, 2010). "A Controllable Membrane-Type Humidifier for Fuel Cell Applications—Part I: Operation, Modeling and Experimental Validation." ASME. J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol. October 2010; 7(5): 051006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4000997
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