FUEL CELL STACK CONFIGURATION USING HARMONY SEARCH ALGORITHM

Abstract

This paper deals with the application of harmony search (HS) algorithm to find the optimum configuration of a fuel cell-based stand alone power supply system. The optimization process includes finding the optimum number of cells in series, number of cells in parallel, and cell’s surface area by which the system delivers its maximum output power at the load’s operating voltage. Due to the nonlinearity and complexity of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), conventional optimization techniques are unable to efficiently solve the problem. HS is a metaheuristic optimization algorithm which tries to simulate the improvisation process of musicians. Easy implementation, simple concept, and high search power have made HS as a popular optimization algorithm to tackle complex optimization problems. In this paper, a HS-based stack configuration process is proposed to provide dc electricity for a single dwelling in a remote area of a developing country. Promising simulation results accentuate that HS can be a good candidate to solve fuel cell optimization problems

Keywords

• Fuel cell, Stack configuration, Optimization, Harmony search algorithm

References

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