A High-Efficiency Cooperative Control Strategy of Active and Passive Heating for a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

The key to overcome PEMFC cold start failure is to raise the stack temperature above 0 °C before the electrochemical reaction. As the electrochemical reaction progresses, reaction heat is released inside the stack, which will heat the PEMFC stack. This heating method is called passive heating, referred to as PH in this article. Another method, called active heating, or simplified to AH in this article, involves artificially adding a device to the stack to input extra heat to the stack to increase the stack temperature more quickly and reduce the icing rate of the stack water. In this study, an optimal cooperative control strategy of AH and PH is explored by integrating AH and PH. The most effective cold start can be achieved when the temperature of the stack is raised to −20 °C by using AH with the reaction heat of the stack itself. This study provides guidance for optimizing the cold start performance of a PEMFC.