Optimal Power Distribution Control for a Network of Fuel Cell Stacks

TL;DR

This paper presents an optimization-based control method for power sharing among fuel cell stacks, minimizing total current while meeting power demands, with a focus on real-time computation and broader applicability.

Contribution

It introduces a globally optimal solution algorithm for power distribution in fuel cell networks, decomposing the problem into simple online computations based on KKT conditions.

Findings

Analytical solutions for online computations are derived for specific v-i functions.

The proposed method ensures optimal power sharing with minimal total current.

The approach is applicable to similar optimization problems in other domains.

Abstract

In power networks where multiple fuel cell stacks are employed to deliver the required power, optimal sharing of the power demand between different stacks is an important problem. This is because the total current collectively produced by all the stacks is directly proportional to the fuel utilization, through stoichiometry. As a result, one would like to produce the required power while minimizing the total current produced. In this paper, an optimization formulation is proposed for this power distribution control problem. An algorithm that identifies the globally optimal solution for this problem is developed. Through an analysis of the KKT conditions, the solution to the optimization problem is decomposed into on-line and on-line computations. The on-line computations reduce to simple equation solving. For an application with a specific v-i function derived from data, we show that analytical solutions exist for on-line computations. We also discuss the wider applicability of the proposed approach for similar problems in other domains.