Control-oriented models for SO fuel cells from the angle of V\&V: analysis, simplification possibilities, performance (Q2633228)

Summary: In this paper, we take a look at the analysis and parameter identification for control-oriented, dynamic models for the thermal subsystem of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) from the systematized point of view of verification and validation (V\&V). First, we give a possible classification of models according to their verification degree which depends, for example, on the kind of arithmetic used for both formulation and simulation. Typical SOFC models, consisting of several coupled differential equations for gas preheaters and the temperature distribution in the stack module, do not have analytical solutions because of spatial nonlinearity. Therefore, in the next part of the paper, we describe in detail two possible ways to simplify such models so that the underlying differential equations can be solved analytically while still being sufficiently accurate to serve as the basis for control synthesis. The simplifying assumption is to approximate the heat capacities of the gases by zero-order polynomials (or first-oder polynomials, respectively) in the temperature. In the last, application-oriented part of the paper, we identify the parameters of these models as well as compare their performance and their ability to reflect the reality with the corresponding characteristics of models in which the heat capacities are represented by quadratic polynomials (the usual case). For this purpose, the framework \textsc{UniVerMec} (\textit{Uni}fied Framework for \textit{Ver}ified Geo\textit{Me}tric \textit{C}omputations) is used, which allows us to employ different kinds of arithmetics including the interval one. This latter possibility ensures a high level of reliability of simulations and of the subsequent validation. Besides, it helps to take into account bounded uncertainty in measurements.