Optimization of modular power electronics converter and energy management to increase the lifespan and availability of multi-stacks Fuel Cell systems

Today, the awareness by the public authorities of the ecological footprint and the health impact of existing transport systems requires a significant change in the mobility offer. This thesis subject is part of the objectives of the 2020 French government plan for the deployment of hydrogen for the energy transition, which aims to promote the development of hydrogen-powered electric mobility, in particular for heavy duty applications (trucks, buses, trains, planes, ships, etc.).
This thesis proposes to explore new configurations of power electronics and control aimed at increasing the lifespan and availability of a FC system in multi-stack configuration for heavy duty applications.
One of the objectives of this research work will consist in the development of an innovative power topology allowing stacks to be assembled using a modular approach. The choice of the best architecture will be based on criteria such as the efficiency, availability, or power density of the overall architecture as well as its ability to operate in degraded modes. It will also consider the environment of the power topology, namely the load (vehicle consumption) and/or the aging of the fuel cell.
A second objective will consist in the exploration of control strategies for the energy management of the hybridized system. For instance, the control of the storage device (battery) according to its state of charge and the control of the power of each individual stack. These strategies will be elaborated taking into account the power demand of the load and/or the physical constraints of the converter (maximum power, current and voltage limitation of the transistors, etc.).
Finally, the development of a reduced-scale experimental proof of concept will make it possible to validate the theoretical development, in particular the multi-stack modular power architecture, as well as its energy management.

Keywords: Fuel cell, multi-stacks, power electronics, energy management, stability.

• Academic supervisor    Professor, PIERFEDERICI Serge, LEMTA (Nancy), https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3682-6317
• Doctoral School    SIMPPE, http://doctorat.univ-lorraine.fr/fr/les-ecoles-doctorales/simppe/presentation
• IFPEN supervisor    PhD, BATTISTON Alexandre, Electrified systems Department, alexandre.battiston@ifpen.fr, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9566-5563
• PhD location    IFP Energies nouvelles, Rueil-Malmaison, France  
• Duration and start date    3 years, starting in fourth quarter 2023
• Employer    IFP Energies nouvelles, Rueil-Malmaison, France  
• Academic requirements    University Master degree in electrical engineering, power electronics and electrical systems control. Knowledge about fuel cell systems is appreciated.
• Language requirements    Fluency in French or English, willingness to learn French