An Evaluation of Turbocharging and Supercharging Options for High-Efficiency Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

Abstract

Mass-produced, off-the-shelf automotive air compressors cannot be directly used for boosting a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) application in the same way that they are used in internal combustion engines, since the requirements are different. These include a high pressure ratio, a low mass flow rate, a high efficiency requirement, and a compact size. From the established fuel cell types, the most promising for application in passenger cars or light commercial vehicle applications is the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), operating at around 80 °C. In this case, an electric-assisted turbocharger (E-turbocharger) and electric supercharger (single or two-stage) are more suitable than screw and scroll compressors. In order to determine which type of these boosting options is the most suitable for FCV application and assess their individual merits, a co-simulation of FCV powertrains between GT-SUITE and MATLAB/SIMULINK is realised to compare vehicle performance on the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) driving cycle. The results showed that the vehicle equipped with an E-turbocharger had higher performance than the vehicle equipped with a two-stage compressor in the aspects of electric system efficiency (+1.6%) and driving range (+3.7%); however, for the same maximal output power, the vehicle’s stack was 12.5% heavier and larger. Then, due to the existence of the turbine, the E-turbocharger led to higher performance than the single-stage compressor for the same stack size. The solid oxide fuel cell is also promising for transportation application, especially for a use as range extender. The results show that a 24-kWh electric vehicle can increase its driving range by 252% due to a 5 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack and a gas turbine recovery system. The WLTP driving range depends on the charge cycle, but with a pure hydrogen tank of 6.2 kg, the vehicle can reach more than 600 km.

Energy Management System Design for Good Delivery Electric Trike Equipped with Different Powertrain Configurations

“…Many studies have been conducted regarding the use of range extenders for electric vehicles. Kerviel et al show that the use of the range extender is truly promising [14]. It was confirmed by Brito et al when they developed and assessed an engine to be used as a range extender for electric vehicles [15].…”

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles; Current Status and Future Prospect

“…The rotational energy produced is then either used to propel a vehicle or focused through a generator and converted into electrical energy. An FC acts much in the same way as an ICE in that chemical energy is directly converted into electrical energy in the FC, but in an environmentally friendly process [7][8][9][10][11][12]. Unlike a battery that drains while it is used to power electrical components, internal combustion engines and fuel cells act as continually operational power sources as long as fuel is being provided to them [13].…”

Safe and Efficient Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Control Using Successive Linearization Based Model Predictive Control Validated on Real Vehicle Data

“…Various test scenarios have recently been reported which rely on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) as the validation drive cycle for the control of a fuel cell vehicle [13][14][15]. The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) also developed in 2015 has been used as the validation drive cycle for several studies concerning fuel cell control [16,17].…”