A modified perturb and observe MPPT algorithm for PEMFC with rapid convergence and low power oscillation

OpenAlex · English

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) enable continuous energy production regardless of environmental conditions due to the storability of hydrogen. When examining the current-power (I-P) curve of a PEMFC under steady-state operating conditions, maximum power is observed at a specific current level. To extract this power, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms are employed. These algorithms should feature a simple structure and rapidly track the maximum power point. However, intelligent and optimization-based methods in the literature often involve high computational complexity. In this study, a modified Perturb and Observe (P&O)-based MPPT algorithm is developed to achieve a fast steady-state response under varying PEMFC operating conditions. The proposed algorithm also minimizes power oscillations in the steady state. Its performance is evaluated in a MATLAB/Simulink environment under five different scenarios. A comparative analysis is conducted against the conventional P&O and optimization-based MPPT algorithms, including Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA), and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The results, presented graphically, demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach.