Modeling and analysis of a small photovoltaic fuel cell hybrid system

This paper presents hybrid power generation systems which consist of following main components: photovoltaic arrays (pv), an electrolyzer system and proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The hybrid scheme inherently adapts to the changes in irradiation or load. An easy and accurate method of modeling photovoltaic arrays is proposed. The model and fuzzy based control strategies are combined to form intelligent controllers that are more accurate and robust. The model based controller is designed such that the reference signal for PWM generator of the converter can be adjusted to achieve maximum power generation from the photo voltaic system. The proposed fuzzy logic controller shows better performances compared to the P&O and PI MPPT based approach. The model is implemented in the MATLAB/Simulink platform. Results from the simulations bring out the suitability of the proposed hybrid scheme in remote areas.