To ensure the continuous high-efficiency operation of fuel cell systems, it is essential to perform real-time estimation of the maximum efficiency point and maximum power point for multi-stack fuel cell systems. The region between these two power points is commonly referred to as the "high-efficiency operating region." Initially, a transformation of the general expression for hydrogen consumption in multi-stack fuel cell systems is conducted to obtain an algebraic expression for the efficiency curve of multi-stack fuel cells. Utilizing a polynomial differentiation approach, the parameter equation for the maximum system efficiency is computed. Subsequently, a reverse deduction is carried out using the maximum efficiency and its corresponding power of underperforming subsystems to enhance the maximum efficiency of multi-stack fuel cell systems.Furthermore, an equivalent hydrogen consumption minimization method is introduced for real-time optimization of hybrid energy systems. The state machine control method serves as an auxiliary strategy, imposing the high-efficiency operating region as a boundary constraint for the equivalent hydrogen consumption minimization strategy's results. This ensures that the multi-stack fuel cell system operates as much as possible within the high-efficiency operating region.Through simulation validation using MATLAB/Simulink, the proposed approach comprehensively leverages the advantages of the state machine and equivalent hydrogen consumption. This approach enables effective identification of the high-efficiency operating region of fuel cells, while concurrently enhancing the operational range efficiency of the system, reducing hydrogen consumption, and elevating system stability.
Copyright: © 2024 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.