Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems and Modeling Techniques
Summary
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) represent a cornerstone technology for clean energy conversion, directly transforming hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat with water as the sole by-product. A typical system comprises a membrane electrode assembly, gas diffusion layers, bipolar plates and balance-of-plant components for gas supply, humidification and thermal management. Performance hinges on effective control of mass transport, water management and thermal gradients within the cell stack. Modelling techniques span from detailed physics-based frameworks, such as computational fluid dynamics coupled with electrochemical kinetics, to simplified equivalent circuit and lumped-parameter models suited to real-time control. Recent advances have further integrated data-driven and hybrid approaches, merging machine-learning algorithms with mechanistic descriptions to improve predictive accuracy under varying load and environmental conditions. Emulators and rapid hardware-in-the-loop platforms facilitate system prototyping and controller validation without reliance on expensive stacks. Together, these modelling methods underpin the optimisation of durability, efficiency and cost, driving the deployment of PEMFCs in transportation, stationary power and portable applications worldwide.
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Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems and Modeling Techniques publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems and modeling techniques across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC): An electrochemical device in which protons travel through a polymer membrane to generate electricity from hydrogen and oxygen.
Equivalent circuit model: A simplified electrical network of resistors, capacitors and sources that replicates the voltage–current behaviour of a fuel cell.
Fuel cell emulator: A hardware or software system that mimics the dynamic output of a real PEMFC for testing power electronics and control strategies.
Energetic macroscopic representation (EMR): A graphical modelling technique that organises energy conversion processes into interconnected submodels for system analysis and control design.
Double‐layer capacitance: The charge storage phenomenon at the electrode–electrolyte interface influencing the transient electrical response of a fuel cell.
References
- Development of an Equivalent Electronic Circuit Model for PEMFC Voltage Based on Different Input Electrical Currents. IEEE Access (2023).
- PEM Fuel Cell Emulators: A Review. Electronics (2023).
- Dynamic fuel cell model improvement based on macroscopic energy representation. International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS) (2022).
- Fuel Cell Output Current Prediction with a Hybrid Intelligent System. Complexity (2019).
- Hardware in the loop simulation test platform of fuel cell backup system. MATEC Web of Conferences (2015).
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