Multi-Objective Energy Management Strategy for PV/FC Hybrid Power Systems

In this paper, a new control of the DC-DC power converter that interfaces the fuel cell (FC) system with the DC bus of the photovoltaic (PV) power system is proposed to increase the battery lifespan by its operating in charge-sustained mode. Thus, the variability of the PV power and the load demand is compensated by the FC power generated considering the power flows balance on the DC bus. During peak PV power, if the PV power exceeds the load demand, then the excess power on the DC bus will power an electrolyzer. The FC system operation as a backup energy source is optimized using a new fuel economy strategy proposed for fueling regulators. The fuel optimization function considers the fuel efficiency and electrical efficiency of the FC system to maximize fuel economy. The fuel economy obtained in the scenarios considered in this study is compared with reference strategies reported in the literature. For example, under scenarios considered in this paper, the fuel economy is between 4.82-20.71% and 1.64-3.34% compared to a commercial strategy based on static feed-forward (sFF) control and an advanced strategy recently proposed in the literature, respectively.

Automated summary

This study proposes a new control approach for a DC-DC power converter to connect a fuel cell system with a photovoltaic power system, aiming to enhance battery lifespan and fuel economy by compensating for variability in PV power and load demand. By operating in charge-sustained mode, the FC system optimizes backup energy utilization and fuel economy, achieving fuel savings of 4.82-20.71% and 1.64-3.34% compared to existing strategies.