Design and analysis of fuel cell vehicle-to-grid (FCV2G) system with high voltage conversion interface for sustainable energy production

Abstract

This study proposes the more effective use of fuel cell (FC) vehicles by providing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies that provide the integration of transportation and electricity networks. The main objective of the current study is to develop an FCV2G system with a high voltage conversion interface for the integration of low voltage FC energy units to utility-grids. To transfer the energy from the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) to the grid/homes with high efficiency, a single-switch high voltage conversion DC-DC converter is proposed, designed and implemented in the FCV2G system. The FCV2G with the proposed converter is analyzed for different operating modes in order to validate the smooth energy transfer with maximum power extraction capability. In the performance section, an FC in the rating of 20 kW (based on Pininfarina Sintesi model) is located in the energy generation unit of FCV2G, and a dynamic load profile is operated for 24 h period. The generated energy from FCV is supplied to consumer loads and electric grids in the rating of 220 Vrms/50 Hz. In the analysis section, during low load consumption, the FCV both meets the energy need of the load, and the excess energy is supplied into the grid. In cases where the homes' energy consumption is higher than the power rating produced by the FCV, the load absorbs the maximum power generated by the FCV and meets the power difference needing from the grid. In the designed model, FCV supplies a 44.06 kW h energy to consumer loads/grids per a day. After the system analysis, economic aspects are supported through energy and profit analysis of the FCV2G system. The results verify that the purchased price from grid-electricity significantly reduces to lower values for daily operation.