Modelling of the Power Demand of Peripheral Aggregates of an Airborne Fuel Cell-Based Power System

Because of the higher energy density of hydrogen as a clean energy source, the use of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) for aviation applications has become an important research topic in recent years. Unlike batteries, fuel cells require a lot of peripheral aggregates to operate properly. The peripheral aggregates of a fuel cell, which constitute the so-called balance of plant (BoP), consume a certain part of the power generated by the fuel cell stack, which reduces the overall efficiency of the fuel cell system. One of the greatest challenges in the design of a fuel cell system is the sizing of the fuel cell stack and the determination of the internal power consumption of the BoP. This paper models the power demand of the BoP of a fuel cell system based on an automotive fuel cell power system. Furthermore, the effect of flight altitude on the power demand of the BoP is investigated.