Development of a controller for fuel cell and supercapacitor application

Abstract

The growing demand for energy in the world causes a lot of pressure to the environment and the resources used to supply the energy. To ensure a continuous, more reliable and environmentally friendly energy supply system alternative technologies were developed including photovoltaic panels, wind turbines and hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen fuel cell in combination with batteries is used in electric vehicles to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and the strain on crude oil. There is however no effective control applied on the different energy sources within the electric vehicle system. This project focused on developing a controller that would determine the energy source supplying the power demanded by the load. The energy sources include a hydrogen fuel cell, batteries and supercapacitors. The load for the system was simulated on an electronic load using a scaled profile of the power needed by an electronic motor that could be installed in a vehicle. The results showed that by using a controller in the system the motor can operate for a longer time than without the controller. Using a controller would thus increase both the lifetime and energy supplying time of the energy sources within the system