Design of an Integrated PEM Fuel Cell System

Fuel cell technology has been playing a vital role in space exploration since the 1900s. Fuel cell serves as a reliable backup energy source whenever sunlight cannot power the space shuttles and other space mission appliances. A regenerative fuel cell system can continuously generate power by utilizing the electrolysis process to breakdown the bi-product water into the fuel. Hence, it is crucial to building an integrated Balance of plant for the fuel cell to generate continuous power for a more extended period. Balance of Plant for the 100W Regenerative PEM fuel cell system that serves as a backup energy source for the lunar mission was modeled and simulated in the MATLAB® and Simulink®. Simulation of the integrated system results in an efficiency of 57%. The system's anode side was built for the 100W PEM fuel cell and tested on the earth-based environment. Multiple parameters were optimized, including Hydrogen generation, flow rate, pressure, and temperature of the system to gain the fuel cell's power's optimal efficiency. Results show the system was able to produce 97% pure Hydrogen that fueled the fuel cell, resulting in up to 70% overall power efficiency.