Transient response research on proton exchange membrane fuel cells based on a fully validated dynamic multi‐phase model
Fenglai Pei, Fengxiang Chen
Abstract
The transient characteristic of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an imperative factor in performance evaluation. A deep understanding of its dynamic response is a prerequisite for improving output performance and delaying life degradation. In this paper, a two-dimensional multi-phase transient model coupled with time term, electrochemical reactions, mass transport, membrane water transfer, and water phase transition is established. Except for using a single polarization curve to verify the steady-state characteristics of the model, the dynamic voltage response under different step-currents is also practiced to validate the model emotional output. The results indicate that this model can reproduce both static and dynamic experimental data with satisfactory accuracy. Based on such a fully validated model, the coupling correlation between internal state distribution and the output voltage is studied by combining ohmic loss and activation loss. Furthermore, the effects of load set and inlet parameters on the transient characteristics of the PEM fuel cell are studied in detail from the perspective of internal state changes. These works provide a deep insight into the dynamic behaviors of the PEM fuel cell.