Fuel Cell Test and Integration for High Power Quality Application

The main purpose of this project is to carry out a comprehensive study of the dynamic analysis of fuel cell based systems. Fuel cells are becoming one of the most important energy generating technologies. The special feature of the modern distributed generation technologies like fuel cells is the capability of such systems not only to generate electricity, but also heat in the form of steam or hot water with a minimal environmental impact. The critical role of dynamic modelling of fuel cell transient behaviour can be justified by the possibility of providing high quality power and of improving the overall efficiency of the fuel cell system. A key issue is that fuel cell is a closed loop electrochemical and thermal system, which leads to the need for a dynamic model with high fidelity that incorporates both processes. The proposed tasks include the investigation of fuel cell transient behaviour, load following capabilities and dynamic model definition. A strong focus is placed on the consideration of energy storage option allowing to change dynamic characteristics of the system. Fuel cell interconnection with the power grid is another subject of investigation. The penetration of small distributed generation units in the power generation market is becoming wider and the investigations on this territory are required looking at the interaction of fuel cell systems with the grid, namely in terms of load following capabilities, voltage control, reactive power and harmonic distortion. A particular emphasis will be placed in the design of an innovative fuel cell system to achieve a very high reliability supply, able to cope with the most demanding loads