Experimental validation of the FuelCellLib Modelica library

Abstract

FuelCellLib is a Modelica library for 1D dynamic modelling of PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cells in the context of automatic control. FuelCellLib models describe phenomena that take place in the cell cathode and the membrane, including the electrochemical reactions in the catalytic layer, the electronic conduction in the catalytic and diffusion layers, the protonic conduction in the proton conductor material (e.g., Nafion polymers) of the catalytic layer and the membrane, the coexistence of steam and liquid water, the transport of water in liquid and steam phases, the electro-osmotic drag, the transport of oxygen in steam phase in the catalytic and diffusion layers, the cathode flooding, the membrane drying, and the double-layer capacitance. The validation of the FuelCellLib cell models using experimental data is discussed in this manuscript. The GAPILib Modelica library has been applied to the estimation of the model parameters. FuelCellLib and GAPILib have been developed by the authors of this manuscript and can be freely downloaded from http://www.euclides.dia.uned.es