PSO optimized PI controlled DC-DC buck converter-based proton-exchange membrane fuel cell emulator for testing of MPPT algorithm and battery charger controller

In this article, particle swarm optimized proportional integral (PI) controlled DC-DC buck converter-based proton-exchange membrane fuel cell emulator has been proposed to test the maximum power point tracking algorithm and battery charging controller. Particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the proportional gain (K_p) and integral gain (K_i) of the proportional integral controller for emulating the characteristics of the PEM fuel cell. The simulation model of the proposed PEM fuel cell emulator is created and tested using MATLAB Simulink package. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed PEM fuel cell emulator, it is tested under different operating conditions. The polarization characteristics of the PEM fuel cell emulator are compared with PEM fuel cell reference model. The suitability of the PEM fuel cell emulator has been tested with MPPT algorithm and MPPT battery charging controller. Also, real-time testing of the proposed PEM fuel cell emulator has been realized through experimental set up and the corresponding results are analyzed.