TITLE:
Discrimination and Estimation of the Maximum Cost Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Power Generation with Seven Constants
AUTHORS:
H. F. Zhang, P. C. Pei
KEYWORDS:
Fuel Cell; Working Zone; Economic Viability; Commercialization; Cost Performance; Operation Optimization
JOURNAL NAME:
Energy and Power Engineering,
Vol.5 No.2A,
April
30,
2013
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.