Machine learning based fault detection and state of health estimation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

In fuel cells, chemical energy is directly converted into heat and electricity without any emissions which makes them an attractive substitute for various energy needs. Fuel cells have high energy conversion ratio and high-power densities which make them suitable for automotive applications. However, these fuel cell systems suffer with low reliability and durability as system components develop faults during operation resulting in degradation and diminished system performance. In this context, fault detection and fault mitigation strategies are being extensively developed. Diagnostic approaches like electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic analysis offer a truthful representation of the State of Health (SOH) of the fuel cell. However, these approaches are intrusive and require pausing the operation of the fuel cell effecting its integrity. Machine learning based fault detection and SOH estimation is a non-intrusive approach where a mapping function is established between the indicators and SOH. The SOH of a fuel cell can be correlated to the patterns in sensor signals or indicators. Indicators that influence SOH are cell voltages, current density distribution, impedance spectra, acoustic emission and magnetic fields. Developing an accurate fault detection and state estimation technique through data driven machine learning approaches will allow corrective measures to avoid irreversible faults and improve the reliability and durability of fuel cells. © 2023