Abstract:

The current matching design of hydrogen fuel cell engine （FCE） and stationary electricity generation is primarily optimized for flat terrains， and there is relatively little research on the performance impact brought by high altitude， low air pressure， and thin oxygen. In this paper the influence of altitude changes from 0 to 4 000 meters on fuel cells is analyzed from the perspectives of chemical reaction theory and Cruise M modeling and simulation. The results show that as altitude increases， the air compressor needs to compensate for the air flow rate to maintain the stable power of the fuel cell. In the high power range of the fuel cell， the air compressor is prone to entering or even exceeding the high-pressure ratio boundary during operation， while in the low power range of the fuel cell， it is easy to cause air compressor surge faults. Therefore， in this paper， an altitude-adaptive control strategy for fuel cells is proposed， dynamically regulating the air excess ratio or inlet pressure to enhance the altitude adaptability of the fuel cell engine and simultaneously improve the operational stability of the air subsystem and the air compressor.

Key words: fuel cell, high altitude, air compressor, degradation, simulated analysis