A Self-Validating Method via the Unification of Multiple Models for Consistent Parameter Identification in PEM Fuel Cells

Mathematical models are used for simulating the electrochemical phenomena of proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cells. They differ in the scale, modeling variables, precision in specific features, and the required parameters. Often, the input parameters are not measurable and need to be estimated by minimizing the error between the model output and experimental data; however, the estimated parameters could differ from one model to another, hence provoking uncertainty about the correct values and the model’s suitability for simulating the real phenomenon. To address these issues, we introduced a self-validating methodology using three different mathematical models: The first set of parameters was estimated with a semi-empirical (SE) model; then, it was used for computing several points of the polarization curve (PC). The SE parameters and points were used to estimate a second set of parameters and to compute a single point of the PC with a macro-homogeneous (MH) model. The parameters and concentration profiles from the MH solution were used to estimate the last set of parameters with the reaction–convection–diffusion (SP-RCD) model, increasing the detail of the simulation. The SP-RCD parameters were returned to the MH model to recover the complete PC. The proposed methodology requires a few data points to consistently recover the same PC from the three models through estimating parameters in one model and validating them in the others. As output, the method provides complete information about several variables and the physical properties of the catalysts. In addition to the consistent simulation, the numerical results are consistent with those reported in the literature, thus validating the proposed method.