Setting Development Targets for Fuel Cells and Systems for Heavy-Duty Trucks Using a Comprehensive Model-Based Approach

Abstract

For a carbon-neutral society to be realized, widespread use of fuel cells for transportation applications would be effective. The widespread use of fuel cells, in turn, requires improvements in the durability and energy conversion efficiency when fuel cells are used in high-load, long-time use applications, such as heavy-duty trucks (HDTs), construction machinery, railroads, and ships. Enhancing their durability and efficiency would require improving the performance of fuel cells and appropriately assigning performance targets to the hybrid system configuration, including batteries and radiators, and the control system. However, the performance target for each component remains unclear. This is due to the lack of a comprehensive study to reasonably assign the requisites for each component to achieve the system requirement, such as the durability and fuel economy targets of HDTs.Few studies have comprehensively proposed how individual components should be developed to satisfy the fuel cell system requirements. Cullen et al [1] discussed the development targets of fuel cell materials from the HDT requirements. Additionally, performance targets of individual components must be set to minimize the total cost, including durability and replacement, total fuel, and initial costs. Furthermore, a comprehensive model that can calculate the total cost of HDTs while accounting for the efficiency degradation due to long time use of fuel cells is also required.In this study, we propose a procedure to set the development targets of individual components by minimizing the total cost of HDTs. A mathematical model that combines a fuel cell performance model, degradation models, and a power management control model is employed to bridge the gap between the components’ properties and the system performance. Optimization using this model allows candidates to be found for the optimal I-V polarization curve, the system configuration of fuel cell stacks, batteries, and radiators, and their control algorithms. In the presentation, after showing the proposed procedure and the model, the development targets of the polarization curves, system configurations, and control specifications will be discussed. Reference [1] D. A. Cullen, et.al, NATURE ENERGY. 6, pp.462-474 (2021).