Dynamic Analysis of an Integrated Reformer-Membrane-Fuel Cell System with a Battery Backup and Switching Controller for Automotive Applications

Fuel cells have been considered as an ideal source of energy in the future power generation applications due to its pollution-free nature, noise-free operation and better efficiency. Direct storage of hydrogen in specially designed tanks for automobiles running on fuel cells is not a viable option due to several drawbacks associated with safety and space limitations. To overcome the challenges of direct onboard storage of hydrogen, storing hydrocarbons rich in hydrogen and suitably reforming it to produce hydrogen using several reforming techniques seems to be an acceptable option. Using available gas purification techniques such as palladium membrane-based gas separation, pure hydrogen gas can be extracted from a mixture of other gases and can be fed to the fuel cell for generating power. In this work, a mathematical model of the battery system is analyzed along with a switching controller operating based on an energy management policy. The switching controller switches between battery and fuel cell to ensure a delay-free delivery of the power to the external load. A case study on the dynamic behavior of the integrated system under set point changes in the power demand is analyzed in the presence of a battery backup and a switching controller.