PEM Fuel Cell

Represents a PEM Fuel Cell modelled with the Amphlett static polarisation curve, computed by AmphlettStaticModel, a .NET port of the OPEM static model.

DWSIM.UnitOperations.UnitOperations.PEMFC_Amphlett
Assembly DWSIM.UnitOperations.dll · Object ← BaseClass ← UnitOpBaseClass ← PEMFuelCellUnitOpBase ← PEMFC_Amphlett

At a glance

Port	Index	Connected in the example
Inlet, material	0	H2
Inlet, material	1	Air
Outlet, material	0	Exhaust
Outlet, energy	1	FC-1 power

Example

This code runs on every build of this site, and the output below is what it printed.

Python

fs = (Flowsheet.Create("FuelCellExample")
      .WithCompounds("Hydrogen", "Oxygen", "Nitrogen", "Water")
      .WithPropertyPackage(PropertyPackages.PengRobinson))

h2 = (fs.AddMaterialStream("H2")
      .At(Q.Celsius(70.0), Q.Bar(2.0))
      .SetCompoundMolarFlow("Hydrogen", 0.05))      # mol/s
air = (fs.AddMaterialStream("Air")
       .At(Q.Celsius(70.0), Q.Bar(2.0))
       .SetCompoundMolarFlow("Oxygen", 0.05)
       .SetCompoundMolarFlow("Nitrogen", 0.188))
exhaust = fs.AddMaterialStream("Exhaust")
power = fs.AddEnergyStream("FC-1 power")

fc = fs.AddPEMFuelCell("FC-1")
fc.Object.CreateConnectors()                 # the canvas creates the ports on first draw

# Amphlett model inputs (OPEM names); the stack runs at the last current of the sweep
p = fc.Object.InputParameters
p["N"].Value = 100.0                         # cells in the stack
p["A"].Value = 50.6                          # active area, cm2
p["i-start"].Value = 0.1                     # A
p["i-stop"].Value = 40.0                     # A
p["i-step"].Value = 0.1                      # A

fc.ConnectFeed(h2, 0).ConnectFeed(air, 1).ConnectProduct(exhaust, 0)
# electric power leaves through outlet port 1
fc.ConnectEnergyProduct(power, 1)

fs.AutoLayout()
fs.Solve()

r = fc.Object.OutputParameters
print(f"Current            = {r['I'].Value:.1f} A")
print(f"Stack voltage      = {r['V'].Value:.2f} V")
print(f"Electric power     = {power.Object.EnergyFlow:.3f} kW")
print(f"Heat released      = {r['Ph'].Value / 1000:.3f} kW")
print(f"Hydrogen used      = {0.05 - exhaust.Object.Phases[0].Compounds['Hydrogen'].MolarFlow:.5f} mol/s")
print(f"Nitrogen in exhaust = {exhaust.Object.Phases[0].Compounds['Nitrogen'].MolarFlow:.3f} mol/s")
print(f"Mass in / out      = {h2.MassFlowKgPerSecond + air.MassFlowKgPerSecond:.6f} / {exhaust.MassFlowKgPerSecond:.6f} kg/s")

Output

Current            = 39.9 A
Stack voltage      = 51.41 V
Electric power     = 2.051 kW
Heat released      = 2.856 kW
Hydrogen used      = 0.02068 mol/s
Nitrogen in exhaust = 0.188 mol/s
Mass in / out      = 0.006967 / 0.006967 kg/s

DWSIM 10.2.11.0, generated 2026-10-08.

Properties

IDs accepted by GetPropertyValue, SetPropertyValue, the sensitivity analysis, the optimizer, the Adjust block and dynamic events. Units are SI; pass another unit system to GetPropertyValue to get them converted.

ID	Name	Unit (SI)	Input
i-start		A	yes
i-stop		A	yes
i-step		A	yes
A		cm2	yes
l		cm	yes
lambda			yes
R		ohm	yes
JMax		A/cm2	yes
N			yes
I		A	result
P		W	result
Ph		W	result
EFF			result
V		V	result
VE		V	result

Learn more

• User guide

  ---

  • PEM Fuel Cell

• FluentAPI

  ---

  • 15 - PEM Fuel Cell

API members

Public members declared by this class. Inherited members are documented on the base classes.

Constructors

PEMFC_Amphlett(): Initializes a new default instance with Amphlett-model input parameters.

Initializes a new default instance with Amphlett-model input parameters.

C#VB.NET

public PEMFC_Amphlett()

Public Sub New()

Properties

Prefix: Gets or sets the default name prefix for this unit operation.

Gets or sets the default name prefix for this unit operation.

C#VB.NET

public override string Prefix { get; set; }

Public Overrides Property Prefix As String

Methods

AddDefaultInputParameters(): Populates the input parameter dictionary with default Amphlett model values.

Populates the input parameter dictionary with default Amphlett model values.

C#VB.NET

public override void AddDefaultInputParameters()

Public Overrides Sub AddDefaultInputParameters()

Calculate(object): Performs the Amphlett PEM fuel-cell calculation.

Performs the Amphlett PEM fuel-cell calculation.

Parameter	Type	Description
args	Object

C#VB.NET

public override void Calculate(object args = null)

Public Overrides Sub Calculate(args As Object = Nothing)

CloneXML(): Creates a deep copy via XML serialization.

Creates a deep copy via XML serialization.

C#VB.NET

public override object CloneXML()

Public Overrides Function CloneXML() As Object

GetDisplayDescription(): Returns the display description for this unit operation.

Returns the display description for this unit operation.

C#VB.NET

public override string GetDisplayDescription()

Public Overrides Function GetDisplayDescription() As String

GetDisplayName(): Returns the display name for this unit operation.

Returns the display name for this unit operation.

C#VB.NET

public override string GetDisplayName()

Public Overrides Function GetDisplayName() As String

GetIconBitmapBytes(): Returns the icon bitmap as a byte array.

Returns the icon bitmap as a byte array.

C#VB.NET

public override byte[] GetIconBitmapBytes()

Public Overrides Function GetIconBitmapBytes() As Byte()

GetReport(IUnitsOfMeasure, CultureInfo, string): Generates a plain-text report of the fuel-cell results.

Generates a plain-text report of the fuel-cell results.

Parameter	Type	Description
su	IUnitsOfMeasure
ci	CultureInfo
nf	String

C#VB.NET

public override string GetReport(IUnitsOfMeasure su, CultureInfo ci, string nf)

Public Overrides Function GetReport(su As IUnitsOfMeasure, ci As CultureInfo, nf As String) As String

PopulateEditorPanel(object): Populates the cross-platform editor panel with controls.

Populates the cross-platform editor panel with controls.

Parameter	Type	Description
ctner	Object

C#VB.NET

public override void PopulateEditorPanel(object ctner)

Public Overrides Sub PopulateEditorPanel(ctner As Object)

ReturnInstance(string): Creates and returns a new instance for deserialization.

Creates and returns a new instance for deserialization.

Parameter	Type	Description
typename	String

C#VB.NET

public override object ReturnInstance(string typename)

Public Overrides Function ReturnInstance(typename As String) As Object