A Review of the Main Power Electronics' Advances in Order to Ensure Efficient Operation and Durability of PEMFCs

摘要

This article focuses on the main issues that affect the lifetime and performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. The short lifespans of these fuel cells represent a barrier to their massive commercialization and usage in mobile and stationary applications. As fuel cell is a very complex system, a lot of knowledge of different areas is required, such as chemistry, electricity and mechanics, in order to completely understand its operation and all the problems that can occur during it. It is for this reason that an interdisciplinary approach needs to be taken when designing fuel-cell energy systems. This paper focuses on identifying and solving those issues that negatively affect the lifetime and performance of fuel cells. It is hoped that this article would be a valuable aid for power electronics' researchers and engineers for better understanding the presented issues and a useful guide for solving them with the use of proper power electronic-devices. Initially, the basic operation and structure of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell is explained. Three main issues that can occur during operation of a mobile or stationary fuel cell energy system are pointed out and discussed in details, on the basis of the state-of-the-art on fuel cell technology. These issues are poor water management, reactant gas starvation and fuel cell current ripple. This article provides answers as to why they occur, how they affect the fuel cell, how they can be mitigated, and what are the future trends within this research field.%?lanak se osvr?e na klju?na pitanja koja utje?u na vrijeme rada i performanse gorivih ?elija s polimernom membranom kao elektrolitom. Kratak ?ivotni vijek gorivih ?elija takve vrste prepreka je njihovoj komercijalizaciji i masovnoj upotrebi u mobilnim i stacionarnim stanicama. Budu?i da su gorive ?elije komplicirani sustavi potrebno je znanje iz raznih podru?ja kemije, elektrotehnike i mehanike da bi se u potpunosti mogao razumjeti njihov na?in rada i problemi koji se doga?aju. Upravo je zbog toga multidisciplinarni pristup nu?nost pri razvoju sustava koji koriste gorive ?elije. Ovaj je ?lanak usmjeren prema identifikaciji i rje?avanju onih problema koji negativno utje?u na ?ivotni vijek i performanse gorivih ?elija. Autori se nadaju da ?e se ?lanak pokazati kao korisna pomo? i vodi? istra?iva?ima i in?enjerima u domeni u?inske elektronike pri susretu s navedenim problemima. Obja?njen je na?in rada i struktura gorive ?elije s polimernom membranom kao elektrolitom. Izlo?ena su, i diskutirana do u detalje, tri glavna problema sa stajali?ta trenuta?nih spoznaja u podru?ju u?inske elektronike. Ti problemi su: lo?e upravljanje vodom, nestanak reaktantnog plina i strujni trzaji u gorivim ?elijama. Obja?njeno je za?to se ovi problemi doga?aju, kako utje?u na gorivu ?eliju, kako ih se mo?e sprije?iti i koje su budu?e perspektive istra?ivanja.