ADCHEM 2006 International Symposium on Advanced Control of Chemical Processes Gramado, Brazil – April 2-5, 2006 DESIGN AND CONTROL OF A POWER GENERATION SYSTEM FOR A FUEL-CELL POWERED AUTOMOBILE Panini K. Kolavennu, Srinivas Palanki 1 John C. Telotte Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310-6046, USA Abstract: In this paper, we consider design and control issues in a fuel-cell powered automobile that utilizes methane as a source of hydrogen. A power generation system is designed based on a steady state model of a PEM fuel cell that is capable of generating 50 kW of power. The transient behavior of the fuel cell is captured via a transfer function model and an appropriate adaptive controller is tuned to follow a time varying power profile that mimics realistic road conditions. Finally, a logic-based controller is designed and tested that switches to a battery backup that provides power to the electric motor when the fuel cell is unable to meet the necessary power demand. Keywords: fuel processor, PEM fuel cell, power generation system 1. INTRODUCTION Fuel cell power systems for automotive applica- tions have received increased attention in recent years because of their potential for high fuel ef- ficiency and lower emissions [Zalc and Loffler, 2002]. In particular, a fuel cell converts hydro- gen and oxygen into water, directly generating electrical energy from chemical energy without being restricted by efficiency limits of the Carnot thermal cycle [Larminie and Dicks, 2000]. This interest in automotive applications has primarily been the result of the breakthroughs made in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells which have several attractive features such as low operating temperatures (around 80 o C), relatively low cost, simple maintenance requirements, and high efficiency. 1 Corresponding author: palanki@eng.fsu.edu While there have been significant advances in fuel cell technology, one reason this technology has not seen wide-spread applications in the auto- motive industry has been the lack of an efficient hydrogen distribution center and the difficulties associated with storing hydrogen onboard an au- tomobile [Lovins and Williams, 1999]. One option to alleviate these problems is to develop a system that utilizes a commonly available carbon-based hydrogenous fuel such as gasoline or methane to generate the necessary hydrogen in situ on an “as needed” basis. Hydrocarbon fuels are relatively easy to store onboard a vehicle and a nationwide infrastructure to supply these fuels already exists. In this paper, we consider the design of a fuel- cell powered automobile that utilizes methane as a source of hydrogen. IFAC - 439 - ADCHEM 2006