The fuel cell electric vehicles: The highlight review

Transportation sector is the important sector and consumed the most fossil fuel in the world. Since COVID-19 started in 2019, this sector had become the world connector because every country relies on logistics. The transportation sector does not only deal with the human transportation but also relates to logistics. Research in every country has searched for alternative transportation to replace internal combustion engines using fossil fuel, one of the most prominent choices is fuel cells. Fuel cells can use hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen can be fed to the fuel cells to provide electric power to drive vehicles, no greenhouse gas emission and no direct combustion required. The fuel cells have been developed widely as the 21st century energy-conservation devices for mobile, stationary, and especially vehicles. The fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen as fuel were also called hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or hydrogen electric vehicles. The fuel cells were misconceived by several people that they were batteries, but the fuel cells could provide electric power continuously if their fuel was provided continuously. The batteries could provide electric power as their only capacities, when all ions are released, no power could be provided. Because the fuel cell vehicles play important roles for our future transportation, the overall review for these vehicles is significantly interesting. This overall review can provide general and technical information, variety of readers; vehicle users, manufacturers, and scientists, can perceive and understand the fuel cell vehicles within this review. The readers can realize how important the fuel cell technologies are and support research around the world to drive the fuel cell vehicles to be the leading vehicles in our sustainable developing world.     

The impact of fuel cell vehicle deployment on road transport greenhouse gas emissions: The China case

Considerable attention has been paid to energy security and climate problems caused by road vehicle fleets. Fuel cell vehicles provide a new solution for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, especially those from heavy-duty trucks. Although cost may become the key issue in fuel cell vehicle development, with technological improvements and cleaner pathways for hydrogen production, fuel cell vehicles will exhibit great potential of cost reduction. In accordance with the industrial plan in China, this study introduces five scenarios to evaluate the impact of fuel cell vehicles on the road vehicle fleet greenhouse gas emissions in China. Under the most optimistic scenario, greenhouse gas emissions generated by the whole fleet will decrease by 13.9% compared with the emissions in a scenario with no fuel cell vehicles, and heavy-duty truck greenhouse gas emissions will decrease by nearly one-fifth. Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of hydrogen production will play an essential role when fuel cell vehicles' fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions are calculated; therefore, hydrogen production pathways will be critical in the future.     

Modeling of the Ballard-Mark-V proton exchange membrane fuel cell with power converters for applications in autonomous underwater vehicles

This paper studies the transient response of the output voltages of a Ballard-Mark-V 35-cell 5 kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack with power conversion for applications in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) under load changes. Four types of pulse-width modulated (PWM) dc-dc power converters are employed to connect to the studied fuel cell in series for converting the unregulated fuel cell stack voltage into the desired voltage levels. The fuel cell model in this paper consists of the double-layer charging effect, gases diffusion in the electrodes, and the thermodynamic characteristic; PWM dc-dc converters are assumed to operate in continuous-conduction mode with a voltage-mode control compensator. The models of the study's fuel cell and PWM dc-dc converters have been implemented in a Matlab/SIMULINKTM environment. The results show that the output voltages of the studied PEMFC connected with PWM dc-dc converters during a load change are stable. Moreover, the model can predict the transient response of hydrogen/oxygen out flow rates and cathode and anode channel temperatures/pressures under sudden change in load current.     

A fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle for low altitude surveillance missions

Boeing Research & Technology Europe has designed, developed and subsequently bench and flight tested, in a wide range of different operative conditions, an electric Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) powered by a hybrid energy source. The energy source features a 200 W_e Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell system fed by a chemical hydride hydrogen generator that produces highly pure hydrogen at the fuel cell operating pressure from the controlled hydrolysis of Sodium Borohydride (NaBH₄), resulting in 900 Wh of energy from 1 L of chemical solution. Equipped also with high specific energy Lithium Polymer batteries, this fuel cell powered UAV is able to achieve flight durations close to 4 h.This paper summarizes the aircraft and systems design, the results of the bench and flight tests along with the main challenges faced during this development and the lessons learned for future optimization.     

A review of fuel cell based hybrid power supply architectures and algorithms for household appliances

Nowadays, renewable power system solutions are widely investigated for residential applications. Grid-connected systems including energy storage elements are designed. Advanced research is actually focused on improving the reliability and energy density of renewable systems reducing the whole utility cost. Source and load modeling, power architectures and algorithms are only a few topics to be addressed. Designers have to carefully deal with each subtopic prior to design efficient renewable energy systems. In the literature, each topic is separately discussed and the lack of a unique reference guide is clear to power electronics designers. In this paper, each design step including source and load modeling, hybrid supply architectures and power algorithms, is carefully addressed. A review of existing solutions is presented. The correlation between each topic is deeply analyzed. Guidelines for system design are given. This paper can be referenced as a detailed review of renewable energy system design issues and solutions.     

Efficiencies of hydrogen storage systems onboard fuel cell vehicles

Energy efficiency, vehicle weight, driving range, and fuel economy are compared among fuel cell vehicles (FCV) with different types of fuel storage and battery-powered electric vehicles. Three options for onboard fuel storage are examined and compared in order to evaluate the most energy efficient option of storing fuel in fuel cell vehicles: compressed hydrogen gas storage, metal hydride storage, and onboard reformer of methanol. Solar energy is considered the primary source for fair comparison of efficiencies for true zero emission vehicles. Component efficiencies are from the literature. The battery powered electric vehicle has the highest efficiency of conversion from solar energy for a driving range of 300 miles. Among the fuel cell vehicles, the most efficient is the vehicle with onboard compressed hydrogen storage. The compressed gas FCV is also the leader in four other categories: vehicle weight for a given range, driving range for a given weight, efficiency starting with fossil fuels, and miles per gallon equivalent (about equal to a hybrid electric) on urban and highway driving cycles.     

Energy management of PEM fuel cell/ supercapacitor hybrid power sources for an electric vehicle

This paper presents the utilization of a supercapacitor (SC) as an auxiliary power source in an electric vehicle (EV), composed of a proton electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) as the main energy source. The main weak point of PEMFC is slow dynamics because one must limit the fuel cell current slope in order to prevent fuel starvation problems, to improve its performance and lifetime. The very fast power response and high specific power of a supercapacitor can complement the slower power output of the main source to produce the compatibility and performance characteristics needed in a propulsion system. DC-DC converters connected to the hybrid source ensure a constant voltage value in inverters inputs. After an architecture presentation of the hybrid energy source, two parallel-type configurations are explored in more detail. For each of them, the energy flow control and management, validated simulation shows the performance obtained in this configuration. The hybrid source management is based primarily on the intervention of the supercapacitor in fugitives' schemes such as slopes, different speeds and rapid acceleration. Secondly, the PEMFC intervenes to guarantee the power in permanent regime. Finally, simulation results considering energy management are presented and illustrated the hybrid energy source benefits.     

Successful pathway for locally driven fuel cell electric vehicle adoption: Early evidence from South Korea

South Korea is an outstanding pioneer of fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology, an industry that is fundamental to the hydrogen ecosystem. This study aims to explore possible pathways for the successful adoption of FCEV in the local region. By using the fuzzy-set quality comparative analysis (fs/QCA) method, we identify three auspicious pathways based on the 16 regional cases in Korea. We find that, first, a large number of hydrogen (H₂) stations will lead to successful FCEV adoption (H₂ STATION→FCEV). Second, the combination of high levels of greenhouse gases(GHGs) and the local government-driven future construction plans of H₂ stations can also be a remarkable pathway (GHGs1 PLAN→FCEV). Lastly, a combination of high levels of GHGs and subsidies can be another compelling pathway (GHGs1 SUBSIDIES→FCEV). This study provides early evidence of FCEVs adoption and can be of use to latecomer countries to the hydrogen economy.     

Development and experimental characterization of a fuel cell powered aircraft

This paper describes the characteristics and performance of a fuel cell powered unmanned aircraft. The aircraft is novel as it is the largest compressed hydrogen fuel cell powered airplane built to date and is currently the only fuel cell aircraft whose design and test results are in the public domain. The aircraft features a 500 W polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell with full balance of plant and compressed hydrogen storage incorporated into a custom airframe. Details regarding the design requirements, implementation and control of the aircraft are presented for each major aircraft system. The performances of the aircraft and powerplant are analyzed using data from flights and laboratory tests. The efficiency and component power consumption of the fuel cell propulsion system are measured at a variety of flight conditions. The performance of the aircraft powerplant is compared to other 0.5–1 kW-scale fuel cell powerplants in the literature and means of performance improvement for this aircraft are proposed. This work represents one of the first studies of fuel cell powered aircraft to result in a demonstration aircraft. As such, the results of this study are of practical interest to fuel cell powerplant and aircraft designers.     

Economic energy management strategy design and simulation for a dual-stack fuel cell electric vehicle

This paper presents the design and simulation validation of two energy management strategies for dual-stack fuel cell electric vehicles. With growing concerns about environmental issues and the fossil energy crisis, finding alternative methods for vehicle propulsion is necessary. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems are now considered to be one of the most promising alternative energy sources. In this work, the challenge of further improving the fuel economy and extending the driving range of a fuel cell vehicle is addressed by a dual-stack fuel cell system with specific energy management strategies. An efficiency optimization strategy and an instantaneous optimization strategy are proposed. Simulation validation for each strategy is conducted based on a dual-stack fuel cell electric vehicle model which follows the new European driving cycle (NEDC). Simulation results show that a dual-stack fuel cell system with proposed energy management strategies can significantly improve the fuel economy of a fuel cell vehicle and thus lengthen the driving range while being able to keep the start-stop frequency of the fuel cell stack within a reasonable range.     

The effect of battery temperature on total fuel consumption of fuel cell hybrid vehicles

In order to consider the effect of battery temperature on the total fuel consumption when a Pontryagin's Minimum Principle (PMP)-based power management strategy is applied to a fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV), this paper designates the battery temperature as a second-state variable other than the battery state of charge (SOC) and defines a new costate for the battery temperature in the control problem. The PMP-based power management strategy is implemented in a computer simulation and the relationship among the final values of the two state variables and the total fuel consumption is illustrated based on the simulation results. This relationship is defined as an optimal surface in this research. Using the optimal surface, it can be concluded that considering the battery temperature effect in the PMP-based power management strategy improves the fuel economy of the FCHV. Potential fuel economy gains attributed to consideration of the battery temperature effect are also determined based on the optimal surfaces.     

A mobile off-grid platform powered with photovoltaic/wind/battery/fuel cell hybrid power systems

Cross utilization of photovoltaic/wind/battery/fuel cell hybrid-power-system has been demonstrated to power an off-grid mobile living space. This concept shows that different renewable energy sources can be used simultaneously to power off-grid applications together with battery and hydrogen energy storage options. Photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy are used as primary sources and a fuel cell is used as backup power. A total of 2.7 kW energy production (wind and PV panels) along with 1.2 kW fuel cell power is supported with 17.2 kWh battery and 15 kWh hydrogen storage capacities. Supply/demand scenarios are prepared based on wind and solar data for Istanbul. Primary energy sources supply load and charge batteries. When there is energy excess, it is used to electrolyse water for hydrogen production, which in turn can either be used to power fuel cells or burnt as fuel by the hydrogen cooker. Power-to-gas and gas-to-power schemes are effectively utilized and shown in this study. Power demand by the installed equipment is supplied by batteries if no renewable energy is available. If there is high demand beyond battery capacity, fuel cell supplies energy in parallel. Automatic and manual controllable hydraulic systems are designed and installed to increase the photovoltaic efficiency by vertical axis control, to lift up & down wind turbine and to prevent vibrations on vehicle. Automatic control, data acquisition, monitoring, telemetry hardware and software are established. In order to increase public awareness of renewable energy sources and its applications, system has been demonstrated in various exhibitions, conferences, energy forums, universities, governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Turkey, Austria, United Arab Emirates and Romania.     

The spread of fire from adjoining vehicles to a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

Two vehicle fire tests were conducted to investigate the spread of fire to adjacent vehicles from a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) equipped with a thermal pressure relief device (TPRD) : – 1) an HFCV fire test involving an adjacent gasoline vehicle, 2) a fire test involving three adjoining HFCV assuming their transportation in a carrier ship. The test results indicated that the adjacent vehicles were ignited by flames from the interior and exterior materials of the fire origin HFCV, but not by the hydrogen flames generated through the activation of TPRD.     

Fuel economy of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

On the basis of on-road energy consumption, fuel economy (FE) of hydrogen fuel cell light-duty vehicles is projected to be 2.5–2.7 times the fuel economy of the conventional gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) on the same platforms. Even with a less efficient but higher power density 0.6 V per cell than the base case 0.7 V per cell at the rated power point, the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are projected to offer essentially the same fuel economy multiplier. The key to obtaining high fuel economy as measured on standardized urban and highway drive schedules lies in maintaining high efficiency of the fuel cell (FC) system at low loads. To achieve this, besides a high performance fuel cell stack, low parasitic losses in the air management system (i.e., turndown and part load efficiencies of the compressor–expander module) are critical.     

Drive-train simulator for a fuel cell hybrid vehicle

The model formulation, development process, and experimental validation of a new vehicle powertrain simulator called LFM (Light, Fast, and Modifiable) are presented. The existing powertrain simulators were reviewed and it was concluded that there is a need for a new, easily modifiable simulation platform that will be flexible and sufficiently robust to address a variety of hybrid vehicle platforms. First, the structure and operating principle of the LFM simulator are presented, followed by a discussion of the subsystems and input/output parameters. Finally, a validation exercise is presented in which the simulator's inputs were specified to represent the University of Delaware's fuel cell hybrid transit vehicle and “driven” using an actual drive cycle acquired from it. Good agreement between the output of the simulator and the physical data acquired by the vehicle's on-board sensors indicates that the simulator constitutes a powerful and reliable design tool.     

Energy management of a fuel cell hybrid ultra-energy efficient vehicle

This paper focuses on energy management in an ultra-energy efficient vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell with rated power of 1 kW. The vehicle is especially developed for the student competition Shell Eco-marathon in the Urban Concept category. In order to minimize the driving energy consumption a simulation model of the vehicle and the electric propulsion is developed. The model is based on vehicle dynamics and real motor efficiency as constant DC/DC, motor controllers and transmission efficiency were considered. Based on that model five propulsion schemes and driving strategies were evaluated. The fuel cell output parameters were experimentally determined. Then, the driving energy demand and hydrogen consumption was estimated for each of the propulsion schemes. Finally, an experimental study on fuel cell output power and hydrogen consumption was conducted for two propulsion schemes in case of hybrid and non-hybrid power source. In the hybrid propulsion scheme, supercapacitors were used as energy storage as they were charged from the fuel cell with constant current of 10 A.     

The effect of driving cycles and H2 production pathways on the lifecycle analysis of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle: A case study in South Korea

This study focuses on the simulation and analysis on the fuel economy of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, data collection and modeling to estimate greenhouse gas emission during its lifecycle. Since regenerative braking is a velocity related process, a car which is equipped with it can be significantly affected by the driving cycle. Therefore, the influence of five driving patterns on the fuel economy of a FCEV is investigated. Further prediction of life cycle emission is carried out by several hydrogen production pathways. The results indicate that the mileage of this FCEV for 1 complete charging can be extended by as much as 7% in fast shift driving mode with energy recovery of 30% during braking. The results also prove that hydrogen produced by natural gas in an on-site manner can reduce the lifecycle emission by more than 50%, comparing to that by Naphtha.     

Development,analysis and assessment of fuel cell and photovoltaic powered vehicles

This paper deals with a new hybridly powered photovoltaic- PEM fuel cell – Li-ion battery and ammonia electrolyte cell integrated system (system 2) for vehicle application and is compared to another system (system 1) that is consisting of a PEM fuel cell, photovoltaic and Li-ion battery. The paper aims to investigate the effect of adding photovoltaic to both systems and the amount of hydrogen consumption/production that could be saved/generated if it is implemented in both systems. These two systems are analyzed and assessed both energetically and exergetically. Utilizing photovoltaic arrays in system 1 is able to recover 177.78 g of hydrogen through 1 h of continuous driving at vehicle output power of 98.32 kW, which is approximately 3.55% of the hydrogen storage tank used in the proposed systems. While, using the same photovoltaics arrays, system 2 succeeds to produce 313.86 g of hydrogen utilizing the ammonia electrolyzer system 2 appeared to be more promising as it works even if the car is not in operation mode. Moreover, the hydrogen produced from the ammonia electrolyzer can be stored onboard, and the liquefied ammonia can be used as a potential source for feeding PEM fuel cell with hydrogen. Furthermore, the effects of changing various system parameters on energy and exergy efficiencies of the overall system are investigated.     

Health-aware frequency separation method for online energy management of fuel cell hybrid vehicle considering efficient urban utilization

Frequency separation methods (FSMs) are frequently used to implement energy management of fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV), due to their flexible online implementation and resilience under diverse driving environments. However, predefined static rules of FSM generally result in inefficient operation of FCHV and rapid deterioration of sources. Additionally, allocated limits of storage devices are likely to be violated in the conventional FSM. With this inspiration, the paper proposes a novel health-aware FSM (HFSM) to appropriately distribute the traction power among energy sources of FCHV with efficient urban utilization. The power separation rules of HFSM are tuned in an instantaneous manner to concurrently realize the fuel economy, lifespan extension and allocated storage limits. Within HFSM, an online optimizer is formulated, which introduces the concept of soft/hard limitations and rationalized cost structure to adequately quantify the fuel consumption and health degradation of fuel cell. An adaptive droop adjustment is then integrated with HFSM to consistently realize the storage limitations. Compared to conventional FSM, considerable improvements in the fuel economy and fuel cell service life are observed over an extended iterative loop of standard urban driving cycles.