Research Article
Robust control of the PEM fuel cell hydrogen recirculation system using backstepping sliding mode control with RBF neural network
Chain | Vol.3, Issue 3, 2026 |
pp. 434-452
The dynamic behavior of hydrogen gas in the anode recirculation loop of a proton exchange
membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is governed by coupled flow‑pressure interactions within
the ejector, supply manifold, and stack channels, making precise pressure regulation
a critical challenge for system efficiency, stability, and lifetime. Ensuring adequate
anode fuel supply and stable hydrogen supply pressure requires meticulous control
of the gas handling system. This study proposes a single‑ejector‑based backstepping
sliding mode controller (BSMC) for PEMFC hydrogen recirculation systems. To compensate
for the unknown gas flow disturbance induced by periodic purging, a radial basis function
(RBF) neural network is integrated with the BSMC, which adaptively corrects the control
law under different system states. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed
RBF‑compensated BSMC effectively mitigates purge‑induced pressure fluctuations. The
controller achieves a maximum tracking error of 8.173 kPa, a mean absolute error of
0.17 kPa, and a root mean square error of 0.53 kPa. Consequently, the proposed control
strategy offers superior stability and robustness compared to conventional proportional‑integral‑derivative
(PID) controllers under step load current variations, variable pressure targets, and
periodic purge disturbances.
DOI: 10.23919/CHAIN.2026.000021 Cited: 0 Download: 1
