Abstract: In order to improve the dynamic response characteristic of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell（PEMFC） air system and avoid the occurrence of problems such as local lack of gas and the decrease in its output performance, the air system has flow and pressure coupling problems. In this paper, PID, feedforward decoupling control and model predictive control（MPC）are used to control the air system, and the effectiveness of the control algorithm is verified through simulation and bench testing. The results show that the two control algorithms have better control effects compared with PID, the air flow and air pressure can quickly follow the set value, and the output performance of the PEMFC engine is stable.