Search Results (45)

To further enhance the economic performance of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), this study develops a model-adaptive model predictive control (MPC) strategy. This strategy leverages the dynamic relationship between proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) output characteristics and temperature to track its optimal operating temperature (OOT), addressing challenges of temperature control accuracy and high energy consumption in the PEMFC thermal management system (TMS). First, PEMFC and TMS models were developed and experimentally validated. Subsequently, the PEMFC power–temperature coupling curve was experimentally determined under multiple operating conditions to serve as the reference trajectory for TMS multi-objective optimization. For MPC controller design, the TMS model was linearized and discretized, yielding a predictive model adaptable to different load demands for stack temperature across the full operating range. A multi-constrained quadratic cost function was formulated, aiming to minimize the deviation of the PEMFC operating temperature from the OOT while accounting for TMS parasitic power consumption. Finally, simulations under Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) conditions evaluated the OOT tracking performance of both PID and MPC control strategies, as well as their impact on stack efficiency and TMS energy consumption at different ambient temperatures. The results indicate that, compared to PID control, MPC reduces temperature tracking error by 33%, decreases fan and pump speed fluctuations by over 24%, and lowers TMS energy consumption by 10%. These improvements enhance PEMFC operational stability and improve FCV energy efficiency. Full article

Driven by carbon neutrality and peak carbon policies, hydrogen energy, due to its zero-emission and renewable properties, is increasingly being used in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (H-FCVs). However, the high cost and limited durability of H-FCVs hinder large-scale deployment. Hydrogen internal combustion engine hybrid electric vehicles (H-HEVs) are emerging as a viable alternative. Research on the techno-economics of H-HEVs remains limited, particularly in systematic comparisons with H-FCVs. This paper provides a comprehensive comparison of H-FCVs and H-HEVs in terms of total cost of ownership (TCO) and hydrogen consumption while proposing a multi-objective powertrain parameter optimization model. First, a quantitative model evaluates TCO from vehicle purchase to disposal. Second, a global dynamic programming method optimizes hydrogen consumption by incorporating cumulative energy costs into the TCO model. Finally, a genetic algorithm co-optimizes key design parameters to minimize TCO. Results show that with a battery capacity of 20.5 Ah and an H-FC peak power of 55 kW, H-FCV can achieve optimal fuel economy and hydrogen consumption. However, even with advanced technology, their TCO remains higher than that of H-HEVs. H-FCVs can only become cost-competitive if the unit power price of the fuel cell system is less than 4.6 times that of the hydrogen engine system, assuming negligible fuel cell degradation. In the short term, H-HEVs should be prioritized. Their adoption can also support the long-term development of H-FCVs through a complementary relationship. Full article

Hydrogen mobility is expected to be a crucial element in decarbonizing fossil fuel-based transportation. In South Korea, hydrogen mobility has successfully formed an early market led by fuel cell passenger cars under strong support policies. Nevertheless, the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) market is still in its infancy, and current challenges must be overcome to achieve mass-market adoption. This study aims to identify the current challenges in the diffusion of FCVs in Korea. We identified the key challenges facing FCVs from a consumer perspective with data from the latest FCV customer survey. The data were applied to estimate ordered logit models of fuel cell car satisfaction and purchase intention. Significant challenges in Korea were identified from the perspective of vehicles, infrastructure, and renewable energy. Vehicle-related challenges include concerns about vehicle durability, such as recalls and repairs, and maintenance and repair costs. Infrastructure-related challenges include the fueling accessibility and fueling failures due to hydrogen refueling station facility failures, or hydrogen supply problems. Challenges related to renewable energy include the low proportion of hydrogen from renewable sources. To achieve the large-scale diffusion of FCVs, it is important to maintain support policies and attract new FCV demand, such as long-distance heavy-duty vehicles. Full article

Energy management strategy (EMS), as a core technology in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), profoundly influences the lifespan of fuel cells and the economy of the vehicle. Aiming at the problem of the EMS of FCVs based on a global optimization algorithm not being applicable in real-time, a rule extraction-based EMS is proposed for fuel cell commercial vehicles. Based on the results of the dynamic programming (DP) algorithm in the CLTC-C cycle, the deep learning approach is employed to extract output power rules for fuel cell, leading to the establishment of a rule library. Using this library, a real-time applicable rule-based EMS is designed. The simulated driving platform is built in a CARLA, SUMO, and MATLAB/Simulink joint simulation environment. Simulation results indicate that the proposed strategy yields savings ranging from 3.64% to 8.96% in total costs when compared to the state machine-based strategy. Full article

Climate change necessitates urgent action to decarbonize the transport sector. Sustainable vehicles represent crucial alternatives to traditional combustion engines. This study comprehensively compares four prominent sustainable vehicle technologies: biofuel-powered vehicles (BPVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and solar vehicles. We examine each technology’s history, development, classification, key components, and operational principles. Furthermore, we assess their sustainability through technical factors, environmental impacts, cost considerations, and policy dimensions. Moreover, the discussion section addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with each technology and assesses their social impact, including public perception and adoption. Each technology offers promise for sustainable transportation but faces unique challenges. Policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers must collaborate to address these challenges and accelerate the transition toward a decarbonized transport future. Potential future research areas are identified to guide advancements in sustainable vehicle technologies. Full article

Energy management methods (EMMs) utilizing sensing, communication, and networking technologies appear to be one of the most promising directions for energy saving and environmental protection of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). In real-world driving situations, EMMs based on driving cycle information are critical for FCVs and have been extensively studied. The collection and processing of driving cycle information is a fundamental and critical work that cannot be separated from sensors, global positioning system (GPS), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), intelligent transportation system (ITS) and some processing algorithms. However, no reviews have comprehensively summarized the EMMs for FCVs from the perspective of driving cycle information. Motivated by the literature gap, this paper provides a state-of-the-art understanding of EMMs for FCVs from the perspective of driving cycle information, including a detailed description for driving cycle information analysis, and a comprehensive summary of the latest EMMs for FCVs, with a focus on EMMs based on driving pattern recognition (DPR) and driving characteristic prediction (DCP). Based on the above analysis, an in-depth presentation of the highlights and prospects is provided for the realization of high-performance EMMs for FCVs in real-world driving situations. This paper aims at helping the relevant researchers develop suitable and efficient EMMs for FCVs using driving cycle information. Full article

Hydrogen has the physical and chemical characteristics of being flammable, explosive and prone to leakage, and its safety is the main issue faced by the promotion of hydrogen as an energy source. The most common scene in vehicle application is the longitudinal wind generated by driving, and the original position of hydrogen concentration sensors (HCSs) did not consider the influence of longitudinal wind on the hydrogen leakage trajectory. In this paper, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software STAR CCM 2021.1 is used to simulate the hydrogen leakage and diffusion trajectories of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) at five different leakage locations the longitudinal wind speeds of 0 km/h, 37.18 km/h and 114 km/h, and it is concluded that longitudinal wind prolongs the diffusion time of hydrogen to the headspace and reduces the coverage area of hydrogen in the headspace with a decrease of 81.35%. In order to achieve a good detection effect of fuel cell vehicles within the longitudinal wind scene, based on the simulated hydrogen concentration–time matrix, the scene clustering method based on vector similarity evaluation was used to reduce the leakage scene set by 33%. Then, the layout position of HCSs was optimized according to the proposed multi-scene full coverage response time minimization model, and the response time was reduced from 5 s to 1 s. Full article

Global energy and environmental issues are becoming increasingly serious, and the promotion of clean energy and green transportation has become a common goal for all countries. In the logistics industry, traditional fuels such as diesel and natural gas can no longer meet the requirements of energy and climate change. Hydrogen fuel cell logistics vehicles are expected to become the mainstream vehicles for future logistics because of their “zero carbon” advantages. The GREET model is computer simulation software developed by the Argonne National Laboratory in the USA. It is extensively utilized in research pertaining to the energy and environmental impact of vehicles. This research study examines four types of logistics vehicles: hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), electric vehicles, LNG-fueled vehicles, and diesel-fueled vehicles. Diesel-fueled logistics vehicles are currently the most abundant type of vehicle in the logistics sector. LNG-fueled logistics vehicles are considered as a short-term alternative to diesel logistics vehicles, while electric logistics vehicles are among the most popular types of new-energy vehicles currently. We analyze and compare their well-to-wheels (WTW) energy consumption and emissions with the help of GREET software and conduct lifecycle assessments (LCAs) of the four types of vehicles to analyze their energy and environmental benefits. When comparing the energy consumption of the four vehicle types, electric logistics vehicles (EVs) have the lowest energy consumption, with slightly lower energy consumption than FCVs. When comparing the nine airborne pollutant emissions of the four vehicle types, the emissions of the FCVs are significantly lower than those of spark-ignition internal combustion engine logistics vehicles (SI ICEVs), compression-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine logistics vehicles (CIDI ICEVs), and EVs. This study fills a research gap regarding the energy consumption and environmental impact of logistics vehicles in China. Full article

Due to its advantages of high efficiency, high power density at low temperature, fast start-up and zero emission, fuel cells are of great significance in automobile drive application. A car powered by electricity generated by an on-board fuel cell device is called a fuel cell vehicle (FCV). Fuel cells have a large demand for heat dissipation, and the layout space of automotive cooling modules is limited. Based on this situation, a parallel arrangement of multiple radiators is proposed. Using numerical simulation means to verify and optimize the designed multiple circuits cooling system (MCCS), from the original layout scheme based on the Taguchi method to establish the objective function of the reliability design of the MCCS, select A2/B1/C1/D2/E1/F1. In the scheme, the outlet temperature of the fuel cell is finally reduced to 75.8 °C. The cooling performance is improved, and the spatial layout of the individual cooling components can also be optimized. The whole vehicle experiment was carried out under four working conditions of full power idling charging, half power idling charging, constant speed of 40 km/h and constant speed of 80 km/h, to verify the cooling performance of the MCCS and to prove the effectiveness of the MCCS designed in this paper. Full article

As a fuel for power generation, high-pressure hydrogen gas is widely used for transportation, and its efficient storage promotes the development of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). However, as the filling process takes such a short time, the maximum temperature in the storage tank usually undergoes a rapid increase, which has become a thorny problem and poses great technical challenges to the steady operation of hydrogen FCVs. For security reasons, SAE J2601/ISO 15869 regulates a maximum temperature limit of 85 °C in the specifications for refillable hydrogen tanks. In this paper, a two-dimensional axisymmetric and a three-dimensional numerical model for fast charging of Type III, 35 MPa, and 70 MPa hydrogen vehicle cylinders are proposed in order to effectively evaluate the temperature rise within vehicle tanks. A modified standard k-ε turbulence model is utilized to simulate hydrogen gas charging. The equation of state for hydrogen gas is adopted with the thermodynamic properties taken from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database, taking into account the impact of hydrogen gas’ compressibility. To validate the numerical model, three groups of hydrogen rapid refueling experimental data are chosen. After a detailed comparison, it is found that the simulated results calculated by the developed numerical model are in good agreement with the experimental results, with average temperature differences at the end time of 2.56 K, 4.08 K, and 4.3 K. The present study provides a foundation for in-depth investigations on the structural mechanics analysis of hydrogen gas vessels during fast refueling and may supply some technical guidance on the design of charging experiments. Full article

With ever-growing energy demands and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon emission reduction has attracted worldwide attention. This article establishes a bottom-up method using regional data from 2010 to 2020 to quantify the carbon reduction effects of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in the fuel cycle. From this, a generalized Bass model with outstanding performance was created (with a goodness-of-fit of 99.7%) to forecast CO₂ emission reduction potential in 2030 and 2050. The results are as follows: (1) there are regional differences in the fuel cycle carbon reduction effects of NEVs in all six regions, with the Central China power grid having the strongest ability to reduce emissions, while the Northeast and Northwest grids have relatively low carbon reduction effects. (2) Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have the strongest CO₂ emission reduction effect, while fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have the most potential. (3) Under the baseline scenario, the carbon reduction of NEVs will be 2992 million tons in 2030 and reach 11,559 million tons in 2050, which is far from carbon neutrality. Further, policy implications, including the tailoring of policies to specific regions and upgrading the energy mix, are proposed to reduce further carbon emissions. Full article

Issues related to the reduction of the environmental impact of means of road transport by the use of electric motors powered by Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are presented in this article. The overall functional characteristics of electric vehicles are presented, as well as the essence of the operation of a fuel cell. On the basis of analyzing the energy conversion process, significant advantages of electric drive are demonstrated, especially in vehicles for urban and suburban applications. Moreover, the analyzed literature indicated problems of controlling and maintaining fuel cell power caused by its highest dynamic and possible efficiency. This control was related to the variable load conditions of the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) engine. The relationship with the conventional dependencies in the field of vehicle dynamics is demonstrated. The final part of the study is related to the historical outline and examples of already operating fuel cell systems using hydrogen as an energy source for energy conversion to power propulsion vehicle’s engines. In conclusion, the necessity to conduct research in the field of methods for controlling the power of fuel cells that enable their effective adaptation to the temporary load resulting from the conditions of vehicle motion is indicated. Full article

In this paper, an energy consumption generation method is proposed to accurately calculate the energy consumption of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). A specific driver drives on a route (from Jilin University to FAW Volkswagen) for 331 working days (1 April 2020 to 28 July 2021) and collects more than 40,000 s of naturalistic driving data by means of a GPS receiver (FRII-D). To accurately calculate the energy consumption data of FCVs under actual driving cycles, naturalistic driving data mining is first studied. The principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm is used to reduce the dimension of the extracted driving cycle characteristic parameters, the K-means algorithm is used for driving cycle clustering, and the LVQ is used for driving cycle identification. Then, the characteristic parameters correlated to energy consumption are obtained based on the FCV model and regression analysis method. In addition, an energy consumption generation method is designed and proposed based on the characteristic parameters and identification results. Furthermore, the proposed energy consumption generation method can accurately calculate the energy consumption of FCVs, which also provides a reference for further research on the efficient energy management of FCVs. Full article

Compared to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have been developing since the early 2000s due to their efficiency and environmental advantages. However, unlike the battery industry which has already achieved economies of scale, the scale of fuel cell manufacturing is still in its early stage in China. In this exploratory study, using the case of BYD, we identify and analyze the key economic and environmental factors that might facilitate and propel the adoption of FCVs in China. Utilizing quantitative (i.e., the statistically descriptive method) and qualitative (i.e., a semi-structured interview and Porter’s model) reasoning, this study finds that by systematically addressing two factors, (i) customers’ misperceptions about the safety and environmental friendliness of FCVs and (ii) lack of technical competencies in the upstream and downstream of the FCV industry’s value chain in general and for BYD in particular, the sustainable development and adoption of FCVs in China can be achieved. Full article

In extremely cold environments, the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) waste heat utilization subsystem can only exchange a small amount of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) waste heat into the warm air circuit for cab heating, which has poor adaptability to extremely cold environments. The first step in this study was to build a test bench for the waste heat utilization subsystem of fuel cell vehicles. Secondly, the PEMFC heating capacity and liquid–liquid exchanger heat transfer capacity were analyzed using experimental data to assess the ability of FCV waste heat utilization subsystems with different rated powers to adapt to extremely cold environments. Then, the optimization mathematical model of the liquid–liquid exchanger was established, and the heat transfer performance of the liquid–liquid exchanger was orthogonally optimized based on the Taguchi method. Finally, the optimized liquid–liquid exchanger was installed in the waste heat utilization subsystem for experimental tests. The results show that when the ambient temperature is −20 °C, −25 °C or −30 °C, in the optimized waste heat utilization subsystem, the inlet and outlet temperatures of the PEMFC are reduced, and the power consumption of the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) is reduced by 57.6% and 48% and 34.3%, respectively, improving the utilization rate of PEMFC waste heat, and thereby improving the adaptability of FCV in extremely cold environments. Full article