Discrimination and Estimation of the Maximum Cost Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Power Generation with Seven Constants

H. F. Zhang, P. C. Pei

State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

DOI: 10.4236/epe.2013.52A008                

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to analytical expression of the maximum electricity-cost ratio (M-ECR) point of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell power generation as the function of cell constants and cost constants. That is to formulize the maximum cost performance (MCP) magnitude and the optimal final operating (OFO) location in the working zone based on the five-constant ideal cell model and the two-constant cost model. The issues are well resolved by introducing the concepts of economic voltage and cost factor and describing the movement of the M-ECR point with cost factor. According to mathematical derivations, the movement can be described in the form of MCP and OFO curves. The derivations lead to a complete set of discriminants and criteria of the M-ECR point of PEM fuel cells that theoretically cover all of cell specialties and all of cost specialties. The discriminants and criteria may act as a general tool for the operation optimization of a diversity of PEM fuel cells and the economic viability estimation of the power generation.

Keywords

Fuel Cell; Working Zone; Economic Viability; Commercialization; Cost Performance; Operation Optimization

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	H. F. Zhang, P. C. Pei, X. Yuan and X. Z. Wang, “Regularization of the Degradation Behavior and Working Zone of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with a Five Constant Ideal Cell as Prototype,” Energy Conversion and Management, Vol. 52, No. 10, 2011, pp. 3189-3196. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2011.04.022
[2]	H. F. Zhang and P. C. Pei, “The Two-Constant Cost Mo del and the Estimation of the Cost Performance Evolutions of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Power Generation,” Energy and Power Engineering, in Press.
[3]	H. F. Zhang, P. C. Pei, M. C. Song and D. P. Zhang, “A Volt-Ampere Method to Estimate the Energy Efficiency Evolutions of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells along with Load and Time,” Energy and Power Engineering, in Press.