Direct-hydrogen-fueled proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell system for transportation applications: Conceptual vehicle design report pure fuel cell powertrain vehicle

Abstract

This report documents a portion of the results of the project entitled "Direct-Hydrogen-Fueled Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell System for Transportation Applications" performed by Ford Motor Company, under contract DE-AC02-94CE50389. The project objective was to design, fabricate, and test a 50-kW direct hydrogen fueled proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system including onboard hydrogen storage, efficient lightweight fuel cell, gas management system, and complete system controls that can be economically mass produced and comply with all safety, environmental, and consumer requirements for vehicle applications for the 21 st century. Specifically, this report presents conceptual designs for a pure (no power augmentation) fuel cell-powered vehicle based on three different vehicle classes, namely, small car, midsize car, and full-size van.Dr. Djong-Gie Oei, project manager at Ford, prepared the report with contributions from Ford staff, namely,