A Fuel-Cell Based Boost Converter Model Using Euler-‎Lagrange Equation ‎

Abstract

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: BatangChe; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: KO; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt;">This paper presents a new modeling technique for fuel cell based switching converters. Often a step-up converter is used in the fuel cell applications due to its relative low voltage. Here a boost converter is used to convert the fuel cell voltage to the desired load level. The aim of this paper is to study through analysis and simulation, the voltage mode control and dynamic modeling of series interconnected topology of a fuel cell based system. Euler-Lagrange (EL) equation is used here as a modeling technique which relies on the energy balance equilibrium because fuel cell based systems can be considered as an energy processing structure. The fuel cell must be protected against the current harmonics or sudden transients so that it provides the regulated voltage for output load. We use a LC filter between fuel cell and converter to prevent the current harmonics from reaching the fuel cell since this may lead to oxygen starvation phenomena around the electrodes surface or other faults. The proposed modelling procedure is applicable for any other converter based on fuel cells. Finally, simulation is done by PSIM and MATLAB softwares to validate the proposed modeling technique. We run both the frequency and time domain analysis to show that the proposed modeling technique coincides exactly with the simulation results.</span>