High order sliding mode based drift algorithm for a commercial PEM fuel cell system

Conventional sliding mode controls (SMC) have always shown high robustness when applied to non-linear systems. However, their applications are still limited due to their high-frequency switching which could be a harmful phenomenon for different systems. As a solution, this paper proposes a high order SMC based drift algorithm. First, the algorithm is designed theoretically for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system, where the stability study is proved with Lyapunov theory. Then, it was implemented in a commercial Heliocentris FC50 fuel cell system together with a power converter, a BK Precision 8500 programmable load, and a MicroLabBox dSpace DS1202. Comparative outcomes with the conventional SMC have shown the pros and cons of each scheme in terms of steady-state oscillations, convergence speed, and robustness.

Automated summary

This paper proposes a high order sliding mode control (SMC) based drift algorithm as a solution to the high-frequency switching problem in conventional SMC. The algorithm is theoretically designed for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system and is implemented and compared with conventional SMC in a commercial fuel cell system. Comparative outcomes show the pros and cons of each scheme in terms of steady-state oscillations, convergence speed, and robustness.