An open-cathode PEMFC efficiency optimization strategy based on exergy analysis and data-driven modeling

In open-cathode proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stacks, the fan is responsible for the air supply on the cathode side of the PEMFC and the heat dissipation of the stack, which is the main source of parasitic power in the stack system and affects the energy utilization efficiency of the stack. Previous studies on the efficiency of open-cathode PEMFCs have rarely considered that the energy itself is also qualitatively different, and the efficiency calculated based on exergy analysis can better reflect the energy utilization of the stack. In this paper, an exergy analysis-based and data-driven PEMFC model is developed and an optimization strategy to solve the constrained planning problem is designed to obtain the optimal exergy efficiency and fan power values at different temperatures. The optimization results show that the maximum improvement of exergy efficiency is 15.40%, 22.65%, and 27.62% for three different load currents, respectively. The proposed combined optimization strategy is expected to provide insight into the control and optimization of PEMFC systems.