Dynamic modeling, design, and simulation of a combined PEM fuel cell and ultracapacitor system for stand-alone residential applications

Abstract

The available power generated from a fuel cell (FC) power plant may not be sufficient to meet sustained load demands, especially during peak demand or transient events encountered in stationary power plant applications. An ultracapacitor (UC) bank can supply a large burst of power, but it cannot store a significant amount of energy. The combined use of FC and UC has the potential for better energy efficiency, reducing the cost of FC technology, and improved fuel usage. In this paper, we present an FC that operates in parallel with a UC bank. A new dynamic model and design methodology for an FC- and UC-based energy source for stand-alone residential applications has been developed. Simulation results are presented using MATLAB, Simulink, and SimPowerSystems environments based on the mathematical and dynamic electrical models developed for the proposed system.