Plant Simulation of a Methanol Fueled HT PEM Fuel Cell for Ship Propulsion

The required greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in the maritime sector is leading to the development of green alternative technologies. Fuel cells, particularly HT PEMFCs (High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells), are gaining more attention as they can be coupled with methanol reforming to avoid hydrogen onboard storage issues. This promising system comprises a methanol-fueled reformer that generates a hydrogen-rich syngas as fuel for the cell. This paper details an experimental study conducted on an HT PEM fuel cell, which allowed to fine-tune a model of the plant using DWSIM open-source simulation software. The tested unit consisted of a 5-kW HT PEM stack developed by ADVENT®. For the experimental campaign, the fuel cell was linked with a battery simulator and an electronic load to replicate real-life applications. Additionally, thermocouples and flow meters were utilized to monitor the working temperatures and fuel/air flows. Aiming at the system scale-up, the model allowed its feasibility analysis as primary propulsion power source for a devoted case-study on a small sailing boat.