Advanced control for pressurized SOFC hybrid systems: Experimental verification

This paper focuses on advanced controls for a pressurized SOFC hybrid system, based on a model predictive control (MPC) approach. A MIMO (multi input multi output) MPC controller was synthesised and implemented in the hybrid system emulator test rig developed by Thermochemical Power Group (TPG) at the University of Genoa. Experimental tests were carried out to compare MPC against classical PID method which was used in previous tests on the hybrid system emulator. In particular, tests focused on the emulator behaviour changing the fuel cell power target. Ramping fuel cell load from 100% to 80% and back, keeping constant the target of the cathode inlet temperature, MPC controller was able to reduce the mismatch between the actual and the target values of the cathode inlet temperature from 7 K maximum of the PID controller to 3 K maximum, showing, in general, a more stable behavior. Copyright © 2013 Delta Energy and Environment.