Control of multi-stack air-cooled open-cathode fuel-cell propulsion system for aircraft
Vishwajeetsinh Jadhavrao (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
M.M. van Paassen – Mentor (TU Delft - Control & Simulation)
E. van Kampen – Mentor (TU Delft - Control & Simulation)
D.J. Juschus – Mentor (TU Delft - Flight Performance and Propulsion)
E.J.J. Smeur – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Control & Simulation)
W.J. Baars – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerodynamics)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
As aircraft propulsion is transitioning to hydrogen fuel-cells, ensuring safe and reliable operation remains a key challenge. This thesis develops a control methodology to automate the startup and shutdown of a multi-stack hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system for aircraft, whilst minimizing stack degradation. The work was conducted in collaboration with DLR, with contributions from Airbus, ZAL and HSU, focusing on air-cooled, open-cathode PEM fuel cells for aerospace applications.
Control-oriented models were developed using Multi-level Flow Modelling, Finite State Machine, and subsystem physical models, which were validated against experimental data in Simulink. Based on these models, subsystem controllers were designed to operate under the supervisory Finite State Machine automatic controller. The simulation results verify the defined control safety and reliability requirements, demonstrating that the multi-level control methodology is robust in automating the startup and shutdown operations, highlighting the use case in future aircraft fuel-cell propulsion systems.