THE HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION OF DEMONSTRATOR AIR INDEPENDENT ELECTRIC SUPPLY SYSTEM BASED ON PEM FUEL CELL

Abstract

The paper presents results of the research project whose the main goal was to build a technology demonstrator of an electric supply system based on the PEM fuel cell. The electric supply system is dedicated to operation on a board of a submarine during emergency situations. The underwater conditions influence on a specific architecture of supply subsystems of the PEM fuel cell system. In this case the fuel cell stack is supplied by both clean hydrogen and clean oxygen stored in pressurized tanks. The hydrogen has to be delivered in a closed loop, while the oxygen can be delivered in a closed or an open loop. In the technology demonstrator, the supply of the fuel cell stack by the hydrogen in the closed loop and the oxygen in the open loop with a precise control of its flow were used. In the paper, a hardware and a software structures of the technology demonstrator are presented. Then, selected results of the PEM fuel cell system operation are included. The results of the research show precise control of the oxygen and a response of the system on rapid changes of an electric load responding to the loads working during an emergency situation on a board of a submarine. Mainly, results of the real fuel cell system operation are presented. The results of numerical research can be found in several publications of the authors included in the bibliography of the paper.