Control system design for proton exchange membrane fuel cell based on a common rail (I): Control strategy and performance analysis

•A common rail regulates anode pressure to track cathode pressure.•An anode control strategy based on input disturbance rejection.•A feedforward controller compensates hydrogen purge.•Increasing the integral gain of the controller attenuates low frequency disturbances.•Equations to estimate control performances with system parameters.

In a high-pressure proton exchange membrane fuel cell, it is necessary to adequately control the pressure difference between the anode and the cathode to avoid stress on the membrane and ensure cell durability. In this study, a model of a hydrogen supply system based on a common rail is constructed. A controller framework is then formulated, and a parameter tuning method is discussed in detail based on the rejection of input disturbances. Furthermore, system parameters, such as number of nozzles, maximum flow rate of nozzles, and control period, are elaborately analyzed to estimate control performances of response time and pressure fluctuation with proposed equations. Finally, a comparative study is performed to verify the effectiveness of the analytical equations and disturbance rejection of hydrogen purge action. Additionally, the control strategy is implemented for a 60 kW fuel cell system. The results indicate that the strategy exhibits a satisfactory performance.