A Review of Fuel Cell System Technology: From Fuel Cell Stack to System Integration

Abstract

Review A Review of Fuel Cell System Technology: From Fuel Cell Stack to System Integration Weiqun Ren 1,*, Jun Shen 2, Xuebing Li 1, and Changqing Du 2 1 Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd., 10 Dongfeng Avenue, Wuhan, China 2 Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China * Correspondence: renweiqun@tsinghua.org.cn; Tel.: +86-139-1820-4209 Received: 14 October 2022 Accepted: 8 November 2022 Published: 18 December 2022 Abstract: The technology of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) is the ultimate direction of clean energy vehicle development, and commercial vehicles are the most important application area for fuel cell commercialization. This paper summarizes the key components, technologies and development trends of the fuel cell stack, fuel cell system and vehicle integration at home and abroad, and points out that key materials (such as bipolar plates and membrane electrodes), key system components (such as air compressors and ejectors), high-power modular integration technologies, and fuel cell control technologies are the main factors influencing the commercialization of FCVs. Particularly, we put the main fouce on variable ejector or multi-stage ejector technology, integrated and optimized control technology, and multi-energy cooperative control technology due to their crucial roles in meeting the industrial development of FCVs in China. Furthermore, some guidance opinions are also provided for reference about the development and industrialization of FCVs.

Disruptive Innovation for Automotive Industry and the Solutions for Enterprise Innovation System Reengineering

“…It also includes Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which can be using outside electric power from plug-in charging. FCV uses Fuel Cell System (FCS) to transfer the chemical energy from H 2 and O 2 into electric energy, and the vehicle is directly driven by electric motor(s) using electric power from FCS and/or batteries [6]. All three types are using control system, electric motor(s) and batteries as shown in Figure 1, which can be using the extra recovery energies from brake when deceleration and/or downhill.…”

Current Progress in Automobile Design and Manufacturing

“…The technology of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the ultimate direction of clean energy vehicle development, and commercial vehicles are the most important application area for fuel cell commercialization. Ren et al [5] from Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Company reviewed the fuel cell system technology from fuel cell stack to system integration. They summarized the key components, technologies and development trends of the fuel cell stack, fuel cell system and vehicle integration in different countries, and pointed out that key materials (i. e., bipolar plates and membrane electrodes), key system components (i. e., air compressors and ejectors), high-power modular integration technologies, and fuel cell control technologies are the main factors influencing the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles.…”