Experimental campaign and assessment of a complete 240-kW Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell power system for maritime applications

Abstract

This work shows the results of the experimental assessment of the HI-SEA joint laboratory between Fincantieri, the main Italian shipbuilder, and the University of Genova. The HI-SEA system is a 240 kW real-scale test rig complete of auxiliaries, made up of 8 Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell stacks installed on two parallel branches, which can operate independently or in parallel by means of two dedicated DC/DC converters. The experimental assessment is performed by considering: (i) Stationary performance; (ii) dynamic performance; (iii) a maritime operative profile defined together with Fincantieri. The experimental results obtained in this work demonstrated that the system can successfully respond to static, dynamic, and typical maritime operative load profiles. It was also assessed the ability of the system to work simultaneously with two parallel branches, by means of two DC/DC converters, which represents a clear advantage in terms of load sharing and redundance onboard for security issues. Furthermore, the present study gives important advice and criteria for the design, construction, and control of similar Fuel Cell complete systems for maritime applications, which is particularly relevant considering that experimental studies on complete Fuel Cell systems is still limited.