Advanced Robustness Control of DC-DC Converter for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications

The fuel cell output power depends highly on the random load profile, and power converters play a key role in the fuel cell power system. Robust control design of the converter can help to design online control and optimize the diagnostic method for fuel-cell-based applications. In this article, an advanced control algorithm of the dc-dc converter for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell is realized through a robustness algorithm based on flatness control and active disturbance rejection control (ADRC). Flatness control can track the power demand, and ADRC can help to estimate the total required power in real time. The effectiveness of the proposed control method is verified through a two-phase interleaved boost converter (TIBC), and results indicate that the steady-state error of TIBC's output voltage can be decreased. Besides, the proposed control scheme is not sensitive to system parameter variations, and it can balance the power among each phase accurately. Moreover, the flatness-ADRC control can guarantee the smooth output of the converter when load disturbance occurs. The simulation and experimental results all indicate that strong robustness can be obtained when compared with the conventional proportional integral control method. The simple architecture of the controller makes it easier to be implemented in real-time online applications.