Efficient Power Conditioner for a Fuel Cell Stack-Ripple Current Reduction Using Multiphase Converter

Abstract

Integration of fuel cell stack with an inverter is complex in nature. A number of factors have to be taken into account in designing the inverter as well as during the integration. One of these factors is ripple current which could affect the life of the fuel cell stack if there is fuel and/or oxidant starvation. In this paper an inverter topology is investigated which significantly reduces or even nullifies the ripple content in the fuel cell system. The investigations have been carried out using indigenously developed 1 KW PEMFC stack and a 4 kW PEMFC stack with single and multi phase inverter. The results are presented here.

Share and Cite:

S. Kumar, N. Rajalakshmi and K. Dhathathreyan, "Efficient Power Conditioner for a Fuel Cell Stack-Ripple Current Reduction Using Multiphase Converter," Smart Grid and Renewable Energy, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2013, pp. 53-56. doi: 10.4236/sgre.2013.41008.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] R. S. Gemmen, “Analysis for the Effect of Inverter Ripple Current on Fuel Cell Operating Condition,” Journal of Fluids Engineering, Vol. 125, No. 3, 2003, 10 p.
[2] C. R. Liu and J.-S. Lai, “Low Frequency Current Ripple Reduction Technique with Active Control in a Fuel Cell Power System with Inverter Load,” IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2007, pp. 1429-1436.
[3] W. Choi, P. N. Enjeti and J. W. Howze, “Development of an Equivalent Circuit Model of a Fuel Cell to Evaluate the Effects of Inverter Ripple Current,” 19th Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, Vol. 1, 27 September 2004, pp. 355-361.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.