Experimental Implementation of an Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Controller for Solar-Powered PEM Hydrogen Production

Abstract

This study presents an experimental validation of an adaptive fuzzy logic controller (AFLC) for solar-driven proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen production under dynamic operating conditions. The proposed solar-driven PEM hydrogen production system was accurately modeled and investigated under various operating conditions using the MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed controller, the AFLC strategy was experimentally investigated using a dSPACE DS1104 platform and compared with conventional Proportional–Integral (PI) and Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) approaches in terms of tracking accuracy, transient response, overshoot suppression, current ripple minimization, and overall hydrogen production stability. Under step-change solar irradiance conditions, the proposed AFLC exhibited superior MPPT performance, achieving improvements of 34.32% and 84.26% in power-tracking accuracy compared with the conventional FLC and PI controllers, respectively. The developed control architecture employs real-time feedback from electrolysis to regulate the duty cycle of the DC–DC converter controlled by maximum power point tracking (MPPT), ensuring precise power delivery to the PEM electrolysis despite fluctuating solar irradiance. Additionally, the solar hydrogen production system’s performance indices were computed. These indices are intended to assess the viability of the AFLC in comparison to the PI and FLC under the same solar irradiance conditions.