Experimental tests of an air-cooling hydrogen fuel cell hybrid electric scooter

Abstract

A system integration of a novel proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)-powered hybrid scooter was conducted to assess its performance. The fuel cell/lithium ion battery hybrid electric scooter system was composed of an air-cooled and self-humidified 2.3 kW PEMFC stack, a lithium ion battery, a low-pressure metal hydride canister set, a quick connector, a DC–DC converter, a hub motor, and an electronic control unit. PEMFCs have the benefit of a rapid start-up, low operating temperatures, and high power densities, making them ideal power sources for electric vehicles. Most recent fuel cell vehicle designs have used fuel cell hybrids architectures because of their enhanced fuel economy, superior performance at cold starts, ability to capture regenerative braking energy, and reduced system costs. Similarly, this study configured a lithium ion battery as the secondary energy source because of its rapid discharge capability. The PEMFC provided the scooter with a continuous electricity supply, and a 9.2 A h and 48.92–50.05 V lithium ion battery powered the scooter when a sudden burst of electric energy was required for stepping out, speeding up, or climbing. However, the hybrid system presented a unique challenge for the multiple energy sources to work together effectively. A modified ECE40 test and a USABC dynamic stress test were conducted to assess the performance of the hybrid scooter. Besides, in the dyno test, the maximum speed of the scooter was 53.2 km/h, and the distance between refueling was 63.5 km when the scooter's speed was fixed at 30 km/h. In the future, the main objectives are to extend the range, reduce the weight of the scooter, and increase the hydrogen use of the fuel cell.