Comparison of different control strategies for PEM fuel cells thermal management system for Zero Emission Ship (ZEUS) onboard power generation

The present paper aims to analyse the thermal coupling of PEM fuel cells fed by hydrogen, stored in metal hydride tanks for maritime applications, considering the first Italian zero emissions ship with hydrogen PEM fuel cells propulsion (ZEUS), launched in 2022. A dynamic model is developed, and the integrated propulsion system is analysed in different operative conditions, considering the transitory that can be experimented during navigation (i.e., from harbour to cruise speed). The behaviour of the fuel cells in dynamic conditions is investigated, considering two different control systems, based on PID and Model Predictive Control approaches.