Power Flow Management of an Electric

Wheelchair
Using a Fuel Cell and EDLC

　　 Anyapo Chan
　 ID: 08502982
Department of Electrical Engineering

1
Presentation contents
1. Introduction
2. Research background
3. The problems of previous research
4. The objective of this research
5. System design configuration
6. Research process
7. Expected outcome
8. Conclusion

2
 1.Introduction
What is a fuel cell?
Electrolyte

Cathode

Anode

- High efficiency power conversion.

- Virtually silent operation.
- No pollutant emission. 3
　　　　　　　　 What is EDLC?
 EDLC (Electric Double Layer
Capacitor) is device that is used to
store energy.
 EDLC has lower inner resistance.
 Longer life, faster charging and
discharging.

Photograph of EDLC 4
 2.Research background
My previous research has focused on
developing
an electric wheelchair using a fuel cell.

DC Motors

Electric wheelchair Fuel cell

5
 The original system

DC
MOTOR
Motors
Driven
Circuit DC
MOTOR
Fuelcell
Fuel cell PEM
Motor DC
type
Maximum 200 type
Power 90
power W.
Rated W.
2
output
Rated 24V.
voltage 4V.
voltage 6
 3. 　 Problems of the previous
research.
 3.1 Fuel cell voltage is not constant.

30 Real
Voltage
Ideal
Output voltage (V)

Voltage
25

20

15

0
0 5 10 15
Output current (A)
7
3.2 　 Fuel cells have a very slow
dynamic response.
I

Load

T
I

Fuel
Cell

t1 t2 t3 t4
T

8
 3.3 　 A fuel cell shuts itself down and
it will be 　
　　　　 damaged if it is shutdown
many times.
30 Voltage 200

25 150
Power

Output power (W)

Output voltage (V)

20
100

15
50

0 0
0 5 10 15
Output current (A)

9
 3.3 　 A fuel cell shuts itself down and
it will be 　
　　　　 damaged if it is shutdown
many times.

Damage!!!

Fuel cell

10
4. 　 The objective of this
research
4.1 　 To design a power electronics
interface
　 between a fuel cell and a motor
driven Fuel
unit.
Cell Motor
Driven
unit

Energy
Buffer
device
EDLC

4.2 　 To manage power flow in the

system.
11
 5. System design
configuration
1st Step
3rd Step 2ndStep

DC Chopper
Bi-Directional
converter
Q1 Q3 Q5

Motor

Oxygen + - - +
M M
Blower
Left Right

Electric Fuel Cell Stack Q2 Q4 Q6

valve

Hydrogen
Absorbing EDLC Final
Alloys
Step

Hydrogen
Bi-Directional
Flow Control
converter Control

Air Flow
Control Motor Control

Central Control &Power

Flow Management Unit
12
 6.Research process
 6.1 Experimental study of Fuel cell
characteristics.
Open circuit

40

35
Rohm
30
Fuel cell voltage(V)

Zone A
25
Rconc IFC
Zone B
C RLOAD
20 　　 R VFC
act
15
Zone C

10
VM
5

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Fuel cell current(A)

13
 6.2 　 Designing Bi-
directional Converter.

Fuel cell
Energy
Buffer
device

EDLC
(Electric Double layer capacitor)

14
6.3 　 To experiment an oxygen flow
and hydrogen 　　
　　　 flow. Hydrogen pressure=0.025MP a(constant) V B =8V
V B =12V
160
V B =16V
V B =20V
140

120 Motor
Output power(W)

Humidity=75.8%
O
Oxygen 100
Temperature=16.3 C

Blower
80

60

Electric Fuel Cell Stack

40 valve

20
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hydrogen flow rate(l/ m)
Hydrogen
Absorbing Alloys

15
6.4 　 To design the central
control and
　 power flow
management
 To investigate unit.
all operations
conditions.
 To design control system.
 To simulate the system by using
computer programming.
 To make the real system.
 To experiment the real system.

16
 7. 　 Expected outcome
 The electric wheelchair will be able to
run by using fuel cell for stabilization
of power.
 The system of the electric wheelchair
can save energy as much as
possible.
 The system has high efficiency power
conversion.

17
 8. 　 Conclusion
 To study the characteristics of
fuel cell.
 To improve the system for
stabilization.
 To manage power in the system
for saving as much power as
possible.
 To improve the efficiency of
power conversion system.
 Knowledge whish is obtained
from this study can be 18
I will welcome your
comments and
criticisms.

Thank you

19