Hybrid Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell with Battery Energy Storage for Stand-Alone Distributed Generation Applications

Hybrid power sources with energy storage elements that supply renewable energy can overcome the lack of renewable energy sources, especially with respect to load-tracking issues. Poor load-following characteristics and slow response to rapid load changes are some of the drawbacks of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) because of the gas processing reaction and the fuel cell dynamics. This load tracking problem can be solved by adding an energy storage element, such as a battery or an ultra-capacitor to the system. This paper focuses on modeling of a stand-alone hybrid distributed generation (DG) system using the MATLAB/Simulink software. The model utilizes PEMFC as the main energy source, whereas the battery functions as energy storage to compensate for the limitations of PEMFC. Furthermore, the three main types of batteries are compared via simulation to identify the most suitable battery types for DG applications. The main objective of this paper is to analyze a hybrid model based on the power output across the fuel cell and in the battery terminal. Simulation results show that the delay and load-tracking problems in the PEMFC model have been resolved by the existence of the battery in the hybrid model.

---

W artykule opisano model i badania symulacyjne hybrydowego systemu generacji energii elektrycznej. Układ złożony jest z komórek paliwowych jako głównego źródła energii oraz baterii służącej do kompensacji energii przy dynamicznej zmianie obciążenia. Dodatkowo dokonano symulacyjnego porównania zastosowania trzech typów baterii. W badaniach wykorzystano oprogramowanie Matlab-Simulink. Otrzymane wyniki potwierdziły skuteczność działania rozwiązania z dodatkową baterią.