A safe region method to quantitatively evaluate the safety of fuel cell operating states

The operation of fuel cell (FC) necessitates ensuring safety across various aspects. The high coupling of state parameters poses challenges in pinpointing potential risks implicit in the state, rendering failures difficult to prevent. Existing FC failure analysis methods could qualitatively overview the evolution of failures or establish parameter thresholds, but fall short in safety assessment of the operating state. In this paper, a novel safety region method is developed. This method considers both safety and operational constraints concerning output voltage, air pressure, water transfer, and heat dissipation, translating these constraints into boundary surfaces. In the safety region, the safety distance serves as an indicator to characterize risk tolerance level, quantifying the safety of operating states and forming a series of safety contour maps. Finally, the power contours are depicted on the safety contour map, the optimal direction and goal are proposed to improve safety during FC operation.