Degraded mode operation of multi-stack fuel cell systems

Multi-stack fuel cell (MFC) systems provide higher performances and reliability than single-stack fuel cell systems through higher flexibility. The aim of this study is to investigate the degraded mode operation of MFC systems upon the loss of one of its stack. The different power allocation strategies impact the behaviour of the MFC system. Fuel consumption results obtained through simulation using a driving cycle acquired on a test vehicle are used to compare the chosen allocation strategies. The simulations have been conducted in a Matlab-Simulink environment. The results show that with a simple reconfiguration of the system the multi-stack system can still complete the driving cycle. The fuel consumption results during normal and degraded mode operation are compared and show acceptable efficiency loss during degraded mode operation.