Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Research Articles

Dynamic performance analysis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell in marine applications

To investigate the dynamic characteristics of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) on maritime vessels, a lumped-parameter model for the PEMFC systems was developed based on a hybrid vessel propulsion systems model. Simulations and analyses of the dynamic characteristics of PEMFCs were conducted under typical sailing conditions. The results reveal a noticeable hysteresis in the operating temperature of PEMFC stacks during vessel voyages, with a delay of about 25 s, leading to significant overvoltage in activation, ohmic, and concentration differences. Significant variations in vessel loads can cause large fluctuations in the component gas pressures in the cathode and anode flow paths within 16.6–19.8 kPa and 78.57–93.06 kPa, respectively. A comparison of different humidification levels for cathode and anode gases demonstrates that, at the same moment, as the humidification of cathode and anode gases increases from 20 % to 100 %, the water content in the proton membrane increases from 2.29 to 13.47, the ohmic impedance decreases from 1.35 mΩ/cm2 to 0.174 mΩ/cm2, and the overshoot of the fuel cell voltage decreases. The output delay decreases from 25 s to 8 s, enhancing overall fuel cell performance. These findings are significant for optimizing the design, performance, and real-time control of marine PEMFC systems.

Multi-scale modeling for low-temperature sealing performance of fuel cell

A unit cell of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) contains a special ‘sandwich’ sealing structure composed of membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the metal bipolar plate (BPP), and a rubber gasket, which is easily influenced by external impacts, vibrations, or temperature loads. In particular, PEMFCs have to go through low-temperature loads in using environments making the lifetime and reliability of the PEMFC reduced. The temperature-shrinkage at the macro-scale and the morphology change at the micro-scale of the rubber gasket are both going to appear if the temperature is low and the PEMFC sealing performance is going to be obviously affected. The macroscopic temperature-shrinkage which includes the size-variation and the spring-back weakening is considered to establish the actual compression ratio model mathematically for low-temperature sealing of rubber gaskets in this paper. Then the influence of gasket microscopic morphology on contact behaviors is studied to reveal the interfacial sealing mechanism by using numerical simulation methods. Finally, the multi-scale model for low-temperature sealing performance of PEMFC has been constructed in this paper. The accuracy of the multi-scale model could be verified by comparing experimental contact pressure results between the rubber gasket and the metal plate.

Hydrocarbon‐Based Ionomer/PTFE‐Reinforced Composite Membrane Through Multibar Coating Technique for Durable Fuel Cells

AbstractFor cost reduction and environmental‐friendly manufacturing, it is highly demanded to replace the current perfluorinated sulfonic acid‐based membrane in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with inexpensive and readily available hydrocarbon‐based (HC) membranes. However, HC membranes suffer from profound dimensional changes caused by swelling and shrinking during operation, especially in automotive applications. These changes lead to severe mechanical degradation and shorten the service life of PEMFC. Herein, a multibar coating system is developed to manufacture HC/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite membrane. This system facilitates capillary‐rise infiltration with the aid of an optimal amount of residual alcohol solvent on the PTFE. To address compatibility issues between PTFE and HC‐ionomer solutions, the effects of residual alcohol solvent on tuning the PTFE surface are investigated by controlling systemic parameters and performing diverse mechanical, optical, and electrochemical measurements. Based on its enhanced mechanical toughness (≈30.04%) and superior impregnation properties, the constructed HC/PTFE composite membrane exhibited more than seven‐fold improvement in mechanical durability under repeated accelerated wet–dry conditions compared with an unsupported pristine HC membrane while also mitigating performance loss (≈5.84%).

Sensitivity and Stability Study of Test Conditions for a 1 kW Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack.

This study investigates the impact of compression force on stack performance and the effect of testing conditions on sensitivity of stack performance. It explores the variation of assembly force on the pressure distribution at different positions in a 1 kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack. Polarization curves and high-frequency resistance (HFR) changes of the stack were measured under different assembly forces, and the optimal assembly force of the stack was determined using the average single-cell voltage (HFR-free). The sensitivity of testing conditions was optimized, and the optimum test parameters at different current densities were identified within the selected range. Stack stability was tested at different current densities using the optimized test conditions, and the sensitivity of test conditions was verified by the fluctuation amplitude of single cell voltage and internal impedance.

Porosity and permeability optimization of PEMFC cathode gas diffusion layer based on topology algorithm

The gas diffusion layer (GDL) is a crucial component in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), significantly affecting mass transport and overall cell performance. Due to the pronounced pressure gradients and uneven mass transfer between the inlet and outlet of the serpentine flow field, this study proposes the design of a GDL with a concentration gradient to optimize performance. Leveraging topological optimization algorithms, the research focuses on enhancing the mass transport properties and improving cell efficiency. The optimization process considers the pressure distribution, oxygen concentration, and water content within the serpentine flow field as boundary conditions. By optimizing the porosity and permeability of the GDL in different regions, the study aims to enhance the GDL's mass transport capabilities. Simulation results demonstrate that initializing the porosity at 1 provides superior optimization, significantly enhancing mass transfer and overall cell performance. Although increased permeability contributes to improved mass transport, its impact is less significant compared to porosity optimization. Therefore, GDL porosity is identified as the dominant factor in enhancing cell performance, while permeability adjustments play a secondary role.

Novel design of a staggered-trap/block flow field for use in serpentine proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Enhancing the transverse velocity to the catalyst layer and exploiting the over-rib flow are two common methods of improving proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The block flow field configuration significantly affects the augmentation of the transverse velocity to the catalyst layer, whereas the trap configuration significantly increases the molar concentration of O2 at the cathode catalyst layer without a pressure drop penalty. In this study, four-channel PEMFC models with different configurations were used, including the baseline and staggered-trap, -block, and -trap/block channels. The novel flow field with a combination of trap/block configurations exhibits a higher power output than those of the other designs. Furthermore, the novel staggered-trap/block channel induces a higher over-rib flow velocity than that of the baseline channel, leading to more uniform O2 and temperature distributions within the PEMFC. The optimal trap/block design increases the maximum net cell power by 8.04 % at V = 0.5 V.

Design and development of different adaptive MPPT controllers for renewable energy systems: a comprehensive analysis

As of now, all over the world is focusing on the Electric Vehicle (EV) technology because its features are low environmental pollution, less maitainence cost required, high robustness, and good dynamic response. Also, the EVs work continuously until the input fuel is provided to the fuel stack. Here, a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is used as an input source to the electric vehicle system because of its merits fast startup, and quick response. However, the PEMFC gives nonlinear voltage versus current characteristics. As a result, the extraction of maximum power from the fuel stack is very difficult. The main aim of this work is to study different Maximum Power Point Tracking Techniques (MPPT) for the DC-DC converter-fed PEMFC system. The studied MPPT controllers are Adjusted Step Value of Perturb & Observe (ASV with P&O), Adaptive Step Size with Incremental Conductance (ASS with IC), Radial Basis Functional Network (RBFN), Incremental Step-Fuzzy Logic Controller (IS with FLC), Continuous Step Variation based Particle Swarm Optimization (CSV with PSO), and Adaptive Step Value-Cuckoo Search Algorithm (ASV with CSA). The selected MPPT controllers’ comprehensive study has been in terms of maximum power extraction, tracking speed of the MPP, settling time of the fuel stack output voltage, oscillations across the MPP, and design complexity. From the comprehensive performance results of the hybrid MPPT controllers, the ASV with CSA technique gives superior performance when equated to the other MPPT controllers.

Enhancing PEMFC performance at high current density by incorporating PTFE emulsion into catalytic layer

Mass transfer is a critical bottleneck in the development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), especially at high current densities. This study aims to enhance the power density, stability, and durability of the PEMFC by modifying the catalyst layer (CL) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The influence of varying PTFE contents in CL was assessed through polarization curves, mass transfer resistance (Rmt), and oxygen transfer resistance (OTR) tests. The optimal performance was achieved with MEA4 (with 40 % PTFE), demonstrating a power density of 847 mW/cm2 at 1700 mA/cm2, an 8 % increase compared to MEA0 (without PTFE) at 75 °C. The Rmt of MEA4 decreased to 0.1148 Ω cm2, a 55 % reduction from MEA0 (0.2522 Ω cm2). A stability test at 1600 mA/cm for 5 h showed MEA4 maintaining a stable voltage at 0.527 V, while the MEA0 exhibited a linear voltage decrease of 0.04 mV/min with significant fluctuations over time. Accelerated stress testing (AST) is conducted under the DOE standard by 2000 voltage cycles with a triangle sweep voltage from 1.0 V to 1.5 V, which revealed that the OTR of the MEA0 increased by 37 % from 0.7198 s/m to 0.9914 s/m, whereas the MEA4 was observed to be increased from 0.74707 s/m to 0.8253 s/m with a rise of 10.5 %. In conclusion, the incorporation of PTFE into the CL enhances oxygen transfer within the CL, thus improving the power density, stability, and durability of PEMFCs at high current density.

Constructing CO-immune water dissociation sites around Pt to achieve stable operation in high CO concentration environment

The serious problem of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning on the surface of Pt-based catalysts has long constrained the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Regeneration of Pt sites by maintaining CO scavenging ability through precise construction of the surface and interface structure of the catalyst is the key to obtaining high-performance CO-resistant catalysts. Here, we used molybdenum carbide (MoCx) as the support for Pt and introduced Ru single atoms (SA-Ru) at the Pt-MoCx interface to jointly decrease the CO adsorption strength on Pt. More importantly, the MoCx and SA-Ru are immune to CO poisoning, which continuously assists in the oxidation of adsorbed CO by generating oxygen species from water dissociation. These two effects combine to confer this anode catalyst (SA-Ru@Pt/MoCx) remarkable CO tolerance and the ability to operate stably in fuel cell with high CO concentration (power output 85.5 mW cm−2@20,000 ppm CO + H2 – O2), making it possible to directly use the cheap reformed hydrogen as the fuel for PEMFCs.

Development of integrated packaged single fuel cell short stack based on titanium metal plates for mobile power generation

Bipolar plates (BPPs) and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) are the key components for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), they are alternately arranged to construct a compact stack with high power generation. This stacking method may introduce several issues, such as the difficulties in maintenance, imprecise assembly and sealing. This paper presents a novel integrated packaged single fuel cell that employs titanium metal bipolar plates to construct a short stack with superior sealing performance and working reliability. To predict the performance of integrated packaged single cell, numerical model was developed to analyze the mass transfer of O2, H2 and H2O within the cell, revealing a uniform distribution of reactants and current. A short stack was manufactured with 10 layers of single cells, it retains excellent sealing properties and consistent output across a range of pressure conditions, with a leakage rate deviation lower than 0.03 mL/(min·cell) and membrane current density variation less than 5%. Finally, the electrochemical performance of the integrated packaged short stack was tested, its maximum power is 886.67 mW/cm2. It can achieve a rated output power of 169.14 W and an energy density of 1684.97 mW/cm3. Thus, our developed short stack has high energy utilization efficiency for power generation, and is anticipated to provide a durable power source for drones, robots and new energy vehicles.

Key Components Degradation in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Unraveling Mechanisms through Accelerated Durability Testing

In the process of promoting the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, the long-term durability of the fuel cell has become a key consideration. While existing durability tests are critical for assessing cell performance, they are often time-consuming and do not quickly reflect the impact of actual operating conditions on the cell. In this study, improved testing protocols were utilized to solve this problem, which is designed to shorten the testing cycle and evaluate the degradation of the cell performance under real operating conditions more efficiently. Accelerated durability analysis for evaluating the MEA lifetime and performance decay process was carried out through two testing protocols—open circuit voltage (OCV)-based accelerated durability testing (ADT) and relative humidity (RH) cycling-based ADT. OCV-based ADT revealed that degradation owes to a combined mechanical and chemical process. RH cycling-based ADT shows that degradation comes from a mainly mechanical process. In situ fluoride release rate technology was employed to elucidate the degradation of the proton exchange membrane during the ADT. It was found that the proton exchange membrane suffered more serious damage under OCV-based ADT. The loss of F− after the durability test was up to 3.50 × 10−4 mol/L, which was 4.3 times that of the RH cycling-based ADT. In addition, the RH cycling-based ADT had a significant effect on the catalyst layer, and the electrochemically active surface area decreased by 48.6% at the end of the ADT. Moreover, it was observed that the agglomeration of the catalysts was more obvious than that of OCV-based ADT by transmission electron microscopy. It is worth noting that both testing protocols have no obvious influence on the gas diffusion layer, and the contact angle of gas diffusion layers does not change significantly. These findings contribute to understanding the degradation behavior of proton exchange membrane fuel cells under different working conditions, and also provide a scientific basis for developing more effective testing protocols.

Insight into the mechanisms and in-plane reaction heterogeneity of the dynamic response of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The voltage undershoot is one of the main dynamic problems of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) under dynamic loadings. However, its mechanisms remain poorly understood due to its complex and coupled influencing factors. Besides, PEMFCs with a large active area are more prone to local dynamic failures for their pronounced in-plane (I-P) heterogeneity, while few studies have focused on the I-P heterogeneity of the dynamic response of large-area fuel cells. In this work, the mechanisms and the I-P heterogeneity of the voltage undershoot of a 320 cm2 PEMFC are thoroughly studied based on an in-situ monitoring method and a voltage loss decoupling method. Results show that the voltage overshoot is primarily driven by the ohmic loss (OL) overshoot and the concentration polarization (CP) overshoot. Results also prove that the OL overshoot is mainly caused by the instantaneous water shortage in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) which depends on the initial water content in the PEM. Besides, the CP overshoot is due to the instantaneous reactant shortage at the catalyst, and it is much sensitive to the change in the oxygen diffusion coefficient of the ionomer caused by the change in its water content. Meanwhile, both OL overshoot and CP overshoot demonstrate significant I-P heterogeneities under poor dynamic operating conditions, especially in cases of high load step and low inlet air humidity. Finally, the influences of operating conditions on the voltage undershoot and its I-P heterogeneity are discussed, and suggestions for improving the dynamic performance of PEMFCs are proposed.

Be aware of the effect of electrode activation and morphology on its performance in gas diffusion electrode setups

The superior performance enhancement in catalyst research for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) revealed in the model rotating disc electrode (RDE) environment is rarely demonstrated in membrane electrode assemblies (MEA). The discrepancy is typically attributed to the difference in the chemical structure and morphology of the catalyst layer (CL), affecting the transport of reactants of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this study, the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) half-cell setup is used to focus on crucial aspects of CL development, especially on the activation and morphology of CLs, to gain a fundamental understanding of the development of PEMFCs. Adjusting the CL porosity by using different solvent compositions of water and isopropyl alcohol and implementing an activation method for low platinum content catalysts, we focus on understanding the contributions of macro-porosity and hydrophobicity in a liquid electrolyte-based system. We show that macro-porosity significantly influences the O2 mass transport in the CL, demonstrating increased performance with higher porosities. Coupling inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with the GDE half-cell setup, we propose a method for qualitative estimation of water content in the CL. Lower macro-porosity shows higher platinum dissolution, attributed to improved mass transport of dissolved ions in aqueous media.

Functionalized Modified Ti4O7 Polyaniline Coating for 316SS Bipolar Plate in Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

In this paper, the PANI/PDA-Ti4O7 composite coating was prepared on 316L by constant current deposition with a current density of 2.8 mA·cm-2, in which the Ti4O7 powders were modified by PDA (polydopamine). The open-circuit potential of the obtained PANI/PDA-Ti4O7 composite coating is about 365 mVAg/AgCl, which is more positive than that of the bare 316L. During immersion in 1 M H2SO4 + 2 ppm HF for 200 h, the high stable corrosion potential and the lower Rf indicate that the composite coating has long-term corrosion resistance.

Sulfonating and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane crosslinking in one step to build multiple proton pathways for proton exchange membrane fuel cells over a wide temperature range

Developing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) operating over a wide temperature range can avoid additional internal/external heating or cooling devices for the PEMFCs operating. Polybenzimidazole (PBI) doped with phosphoric acid (PA) exhibits significant potential in high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). Nevertheless, the traditional PA-PBI membranes are limited to operating within 140∼180 °C. In this work, a sulfonated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane crosslinked polybenzimidazole membrane enriched pyridine and diazafluorene (CSPBI-X) is prepared where the sulfonation and crosslinking are accomplished by one-step heating. The theoretical calculations confirm that PA molecules have strong interactions with sulfonic acid groups and nitrogen-containing groups, enabling the membrane to achieve proton conductivity in a wide temperature range (80–180 °C). Moreover, the cross-linked sulfonated membranes have excellent PA retention ratio as high as 83.8% under 80 °C and 40% relative humidity for 120 h. Remarkably, with the acid doping level of 7.6, the proton conductivity of the CSPBI-20 membrane reaches 0.0491 S cm−1 and 0.145 S cm−1 at 80 °C and 180 °C in dry state, respectively. The highest power density of the CSPBI-20 at 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, and 180 °C is 257.3, 362.9, 485.3, 604.6, 755.3, and 956.1 mW cm−2, respectively.

Impact of Surface Pretreatment on the Corrosion Resistance and Adhesion of Thin Film Coating on SS316L Bipolar Plates for Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications.

Coated SS316L is a potential alternative to the graphite bipolar plates (BPPs) used in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) owing to their low manufacturing cost and machinability. Due to their susceptibility to corrosion and passivation, which increases PEMFC ohmic resistance, protective and conductive coatings on SS316L have been developed. However, coating adhesion is one of the challenges in the harsh acidic environment of PEMFCs, affecting the performance and durability of BPPs. This study compares mechanical polishing and the frequently adopted chemical etchants for SS316L: Adler's, V2A, and Carpenter's etchant with different etching durations and their impact on the wettability, adhesion, and corrosion resistance of a Nb-coated SS316L substrate. Contact angle measurements and laser microscopy revealed that all etching treatments increased the hydrophobicity and surface roughness of SS316L substrates. Ex situ potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization tests and interfacial contact resistance analysis revealed high corrosion resistance, interfacial conductivity, and adhesion of the Nb-coated SS316L substrate pretreated with V2A (7 min) and Adler's (3 min) etchant. Increased hydrophobicity (contact angle = 101°) and surface roughness (Ra = 74 nm) achieved using V2A etchant led to the lowest corrosion rate (3.3 µA.cm-2) and interfacial resistance (15.4 mΩ.cm2). This study established pretreatment with V2A etchant (a solution of HNO3, HCl, and DI water (1:9:23 mole ratio)) as a promising approach for improving the longevity, electrochemical stability, and efficiency of the coated SS316L BPPs for PEMFC application.

A novel sensor preference method for proton exchange membrane fuel cell flooding fault diagnosis based on multi-algorithm

ABSTRACT During periods of high-power operation, proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) produce water, which gradually accumulates at the cathode. It causes flooding faults and significantly impacts on PEMFC safety. The data collected by the sensors is a fundamental prerequisite for the flooding faults diagnosis in PEMFC. Consequently, it is critical to select sensors. However, the conventional methods for selecting sensors consider sensitivity and noise immunity, the number of sensors selected and the flood diagnostic performance are not optimized. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a sensor preference method that combines the Mantel test and Spearman coefficient (MS method). This method first uses the Mantel test to analyze the correlation between two flooding evaluation indicators and the sensors, it identifies suitable sensors for diagnosing flooding faults. Subsequently, the Spearman coefficient eliminates redundant sensors. Additionally, a one-dimensional convolutional neural network is employed to construct a flooding diagnosis model. The MS method is contrasted with two traditional sensor selection methods. The results show that the MS method selected sensors yield superior model training and enhanced accuracy in diagnosing flooding, thereby ensuring PEMFC safety.

3D carbon corrosion kinetic mechanism modeling study for proton exchange membrane fuel cells under localized flooding

Localized anode flooding often occurs in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) during operation, which leads to localized H2 deficiency and triggers the carbon support corrosion in the catalyst layer, thus seriously weakening the performance and service life of PEMFCs. In this work, a 3D carbon corrosion kinetic mechanism model under localized anode flooding is developed to analyze in detail the multi-physics field distributions during carbon corrosion. The developed model is also coupled with a PEMFC performance model to focus on the carbon corrosion rate spatial distribution and its effect on the PEMFC performance. In addition, the effect of the cathode catalyst layer (CCL) added with oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst on the carbon corrosion rate is analyzed in detail. Considering the particularly expensive OER catalysts and the non-uniform carbon corrosion distribution, a scheme of multi-area ordered adding with OER catalysts is further proposed to reduce the OER catalyst loading, and it is found that such a scheme can more effectively reduce the non-uniform carbon corrosion within the CCL. The electrochemical surface area loss is reduced by 7.38 % and the performance is improved by 5.69 % with scheme 2 compared to without the addition of OER catalyst.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Multifunctional Bio-inspired Vertical Honeycomb Sandwich Structures: For the Application of Lightweight Bipolar Plates of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

The bipolar plate (BPP) is a crucial component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). However, the weight of BPPs can account for around 80% of a PEMFC stack, posing a hindrance to the commercialization of PEMFCs. Therefore, the lightweight design of BPPs should be considered as a priority. Honeycomb sandwich structures meet some requirements for bipolar plates, such as high mechanical strength and lightweight. Animals and plants in nature provide many excellent structures with characteristics such as low density and high energy absorption capacity. In this work, inspired by the microstructures of the Cybister elytra, a novel bio-inspired vertical honeycomb sandwich (BVHS) structure was designed and manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) for the application of lightweight BPPs. Compared with the conventional vertical honeycomb sandwich (CVHS) structure formed by LPBF under the same process parameters setting, the introduction of fractal thin walls enabled self-supporting and thus improved LPBF formability. In addition, the BVHS structure exhibited superior energy absorption (EA) capability and bending properties. It is worth noting that, compared with the CVHS structure, the specific energy absorption (SEA) and specific bending strength of the BVHS structure increased by 56.99% and 46.91%, respectively. Finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to study stress distributions in structures during bending and analyze the influence mechanism of the fractal feature on the mechanical properties of BVHS structures. The electrical conductivity of structures were also studied in this work, the BVHS structures were slightly lower than the CVHS structure. FEA was also conducted to analyze the current flow direction and current density distribution of BVHS structures under a constant voltage, illustrating the influence mechanism of fractal angles on electrical conductivity properties. Finally, in order to solve the problem of trapped powder inside the enclosed unit cells, a droplet-shaped powder outlet was designed for LPBF-processed components. The number of powder outlets was optimized based on bending properties. Results of this work could provide guidelines for the design of lightweight BPPs with high mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity.

Performance analysis of PID and SMC for PEMFC-based grid integrated system using nine switch converter - A comparative study

Hydrogen fuel cells are gaining popularity as a reliable and efficient sustainable energy source. They have found uses in electric vehicles and microgrid applications. A grid-connected microgrid system with a 60 kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is proposed. A PEM fuel cell-based generating unit is studied, using a sliding mode controller (SMC) in the control scheme and a nine-switch converter (NSC) for the system integration. The NSC is used to integrate the FC system with the utility grid and controls the system's power flow. This study is focused on the performance evaluation of the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and SMC controllers. The controllers' gains are tuned using an improved arithmetic optimization method (IAOA). The article also emphasizes improving system performance and stability by incorporating SMC in the control scheme. The suggested system is exposed to different source and load-side disturbances for performance evaluation. Matlab/Simulink is used to model the proposed system and validated by the real-time OPAL-RT 4510.