Analysis of the operating characteristics of hydrogen PEM fuel cell and battery onelectric vehicle in different driving cycles

Abstract

Battery cost, short-range, and long charging time problems await effective solutions in electric vehicles, where the fight against pollutant emissions from vehicles comes to the fore. In order to solve these issues effectively, vehicles should be equipped with a compatible fuel cell. Therefore, in this study, a hydrogen-powered PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) and a battery-powered electric vehicle model were created with GT Suite simulation software. This simulation model vehicle was operated under FTP75, NEDC, and WLTC class 3 driving cycle conditions, and the performance analysis of the PEM fuel cell and the battery was conducted. Along with the contribution of PEMFC, an increase of 113% was calculated for the potential range of Fuel Cell Battery Electric Vehicle (FCBEV) on a single charge. Although the battery provides energy quickly at sudden vehicle accelerations, the fuel cell supplied the necessary energy with a delay. With the PEMFC, a total of 4224.23, 19386.9, and 13596.9 kW of energy were stored by charging the battery, and 0.885, 0.449, and 0.878 kg of hydrogen were consumed in the FTP 75, NEDC, and WLTC tests, respectively. Accordingly, NEDC is the driving cycle that stores the most energy and consumes the least hydrogen.