Abstract
This paper presents the development of a control strategy for a fuel cell and supercapacitor hybrid power system for application in a city driving bus. This aims to utilise a stable fuel cell power output during normal operation whilst allowing variations to the power output based on the supercapacitor state-of-charge. This provides flexibility to the operation of the system, protection against over-charge and under-charge of the supercapacitor and gives flexibility to the sizing of the system components. The proposed control strategy has been evaluated using validated Simulink models against real-world operating data collected from a double-decker bus operating in London. It was demonstrated that the control strategy was capable of meeting the operating power demands of the bus and that a wide range of degrees of hybridisation are viable for achieving this. Comparison between the degree of hybridisation proposed in this study and those in operational fuel cell (FC) hybrid buses was carried out. It was found that the FC size requirement and FC variation can be significantly reduced through the use of the degree of hybridisation identified in this study.
Highlights
The London bus network is the largest road transportation network in the UK and is an essential part of the public transportation network [1]
The literature review that follows focuses on fuel cell (FC)/SC hybrids as these are most relevant to the work presented here
The results suggest a significant variation to the FC output is beneficial in terms of the hydrogen consumption
Summary
The London bus network is the largest road transportation network in the UK and is an essential part of the public transportation network [1]. The aim of the work presented here is to limit the transient response of the FC power output and to assess the possible sizing solutions for a FC/SC hybrid power plant against real-world load profiles. This approach allows for the assessment of the potential for downsizing the FC stack. The development of the control strategy to include protection offers novelty in its application to real-world data and the impact this has on the sizing of the system components This highlights the viability of using SCs as the energy storage medium even for long drive cycles and for significant downsizing of the FC used. Further to this the wide range of possible sizing solutions shows the flexibility available to the designer
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