Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power System—Development Perspectives for Hybrid Topologies

Abstract

In recent years, the problem of environmental pollution, especially the emission of greenhouse gases, has attracted people’s attention to energy infrastructure. At present, the fuel consumed by transportation mainly comes from fossil energy, and the strong traffic demand has a great impact on the environment and climate. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) use hydrogen energy as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, taking into account the dual needs of transportation and environmental protection. However, due to the low power density and high manufacturing cost of hydrogen fuel cells, their combination with other power supplies is necessary to form a hybrid power system that maximizes the utilization of hydrogen energy and prolongs the service life of hydrogen fuel cells. Therefore, the hybrid power system control mode has become a key technology and a current research hotspot. This paper first briefly introduces hydrogen fuel cells, then summarizes the existing hybrid power circuit topology, categorizes the existing technical solutions, and finally looks forward to the future for different scenarios of hydrogen fuel cell hybrid power systems. This paper provides reference and guidance for the future development of renewable hydrogen energy and hydrogen fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles.