Design of LQR-Based Optimal PID controller for Fuel Cell Energy Systems with Real-Time Implementation

It is appropriate to focus on sustainable energy microgrids, with an intention to meet the 2050 target of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Fuel cells (FCs) have emerged as a promising source of renewable energy, particularly for microgrids. However, the voltage of FCs is low and needs to be boosted to match the DC bus in a stable DC microgrid operation. In this study, we propose a DC/DC boost converter as a solution to increase the voltage of the FCs and reduce stress on components. The novel topology is modeled and evaluated by using MATLAB/Simulink Software. The proposed approach is designed based on Linear-Quadrature Regulator-based PID (LQR-PID) controller as a robust control to ensure that the FC system operates at the optimal reference under the occurrences of load changing. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed controller, the test system is simulated under different load conditions. Simulation results show the superiority of the proposed LQR-PID controller compared to the Conventional PID Controller (CPID). For the validation of the proposed controller, Control Hardware-in-the-loop (C-HIL) microcontroller implementation has been carried out. This method shows the viability of the proposed controller's real-time implementation by using Simulink over a Texas Instruments Digital Signal Processor C2000.