Parameter estimation of fuel cell polarization curve using BMO algorithm

Polarization curves of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are affected by various parameters. The relative importance and effect of each parameter on the polarization curve is different. This paper studies estimation of parameters with the most influence on the electrochemical model. In order to evaluate the obtained results, the model accuracy is compared with that model in which all the parameters are estimated. Because PEMFCs parameter estimation is a complex optimization problem, a recently invented nature-inspired algorithm, bird mating optimizer (BMO), is proposed. For this aim, two real systems, the SR-12 Modular PEM Generator and the Ballard Mark V FC, are considered. The obtained results show that when the whole parameters are estimated, the accuracy of the model increases. Also, BMO algorithm yields better results than the other studied methods in terms of precision and robustness. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.