Fuel Cell Electric Buses Research Articles

Analysis of maximum braking power for determination of energy storage device characteristics within fuel cell electric bus

The article describes development of hydrogen energetics over the 2014 to 2018 period. There are statistic data about significant influence of hydrogen vehicles on that energy sector. The development of this means of transport is funded by the governments in different countries and that means big prospects for that technology. Modern researches especially are targeted at optimal approach searching to drive the electrochemical generator (fuel cell) as an initial energy source in the united energy plant. The offered approach is based on the movement characteristics data which were obtained from operated on the real city route trolleybus. The preference is given to use the experimental data for further synthesis of the city fuel cell bus model.

Zero Emission Buses: State of the Industry and Deployment Best Practices

Like most US transportation sectors, public transit is transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. This presentation will provide a breakdown of the state of the zero-emission bus (ZEB) industry and share best practices for deploying zero-emission buses. The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) has collected US ZEB cumulative awards and sales data as well as product offerings available from bus manufacturers in the ZEB space. The results show a ten-fold increase in ZEB annual awards and sales from 2009 to 2017, with battery electric buses now making up about 6% of annual transit bus purchases. Product offerings by battery electric bus manufacturers show an increase in battery capacity and nominal range as newer models are unveiled, with vendor reported ranges averaging 200 miles. ZEBs include both battery electric and fuel cell electric technologies, with fuel cell electric buses offering ranges and refueling operations more similar to conventional bus technologies. Thus, best practices for deployment of a battery electric bus revolve around determination of expected real range in a given application and planning route service and charging operations to fit this range. Best practices for both ZEB technologies include evaluating infrastructure costs at scale. On-board energy storage capacity and nominal ranges for all ZEBs are expected to increase and improve over time. CTE is presently working with more than 60 transit agencies purchasing and deploying ZEBs.

Well-to-wheel environmental implications of fuel economy targets for hydrogen fuel cell electric buses in the United States

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle technology is emerging as a promising option for the electrification of school or transit buses. For fuel cell electric transit buses, the U.S. government has set the fuel economy target at 8 miles per diesel gallon equivalent (MPDGE). However, life-cycle environmental implications of the 8 MPDGE target are currently lacking in the literature. In addition, no comparable target exists for fuel cell electric school buses.This study shows that achieving the fuel economy target (8 MPDGE) for fuel cell electric transit buses is likely to result in reductions of overall energy consumption and air emissions on a well-to-wheel basis, in comparison with diesel buses. For fuel cell electric school buses, 13 MPDGE fuel economy is expected to bring comparable benefits to those of their transit bus counterparts, in terms of well-to-wheel energy use and air emissions reductions.When it comes to the life-cycle environmental performance of fuel cell electric school/transit buses, it is critical to acknowledge that results can vary significantly depending on duty cycles, geographical factors, hydrogen fuel production pathways, and regional electric grids. All of these factors introduce nested (multilayered) variations in comparisons of diesel and fuel cell electric buses.

Environmental sensor system for expanded capability of PEM fuel cell use in high air contaminant conditions

A novel device called the Environmental Sensor System has been designed and demonstrated to provide real time environmental air contaminant analysis and monitoring to allow fuel cell control systems to protect the integrity of the fuel cell from environmental contaminants. This is accomplished through continuous sampling of the ambient air used to provide oxygen to the fuel cell. Electrochemical sensors are used in this prototype device to monitor hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds. The air is monitored before and after the air filter to allow for preventative maintenance and emergency protection. The integration of this ancillary device will allow fuel cell systems to safely and reliably operate in high air contaminant conditions which previously would have resulted in stack poisoning from air contaminants. Preliminary demonstration of this technology to protect the stack on a fuel cell electric bus is reported.

Parameter sizing and stability analysis of a highway fuel cell electric bus power system using a multi-objective optimization approach

Although FC based electric buses are currently popular on urban streets or in short transit routes within large facilities, the version that is designed to operate on a highway, which has much higher dynamic requirements, is yet to be well developed. This research proposes to adopt the NSGA-II based multi-objective optimization scheme to optimize a fuel cell-battery-supercapacitor (SC) based FC power system (FCPS) that is specifically for a FC electric bus operating on the highway fuel economy cycle (HWFET). The optimization objectives are to minimize the FC's fuel consumption, the required battery and SC size and the battery degradation rate. More importantly, the optimization scheme is based on a combined energy management strategy (EMS) software parameter and hardware component sizing approach which is important for guaranteeing dynamically stable responses. This characteristic is achieved by imposing constraints that limit the transient time responses the DC-Bus capacitor voltage electrical parameters upon a generic step change in load power. Results demonstrate that dynamic stability can be guaranteed with proper software parameter and hardware components combinations without any trade-off requirements with the optimizer objectives. Moreover, the system mass and the battery degradation objectives are in trade-off but don't have any dependence to hydrogen consumption.

El Dorado fuel cell buses complete testing, ready for service throughout California

El Dorado National fuel cell electric buses, powered by Ballard FCveloCity®-HD modules, have successfully completed rigorous testing at the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center in Pennsylvania, under a programme established by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Supercritical cryo-compressed hydrogen storage for fuel cell electric buses

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) truck delivery and storage at dispensing sites is likely to play an important role in an emerging H2 infrastructure. We analyzed the performance of single phase, supercritical, on-board cryo-compressed hydrogen storage (CcH2) with commercially-available LH2 pump enabled single-flow refueling for application to fuel cell electric buses (FCEB). We conducted finite-element stress analyses of Type 3 CcH2 tanks using ABAQUS for carbon fiber requirement and Fe-Safe for fatigue life. The results from these analyses indicate that, from the standpoint of weight, volume and cost, 2-mm 316 stainless steel liner is preferred to aluminium 6061 alloy in meeting the required 15,000 charge-discharge cycles for 350–700 bar storage pressures. Compared to the Type 3, 350 bar, ambient-temperature H2 storage systems in current demonstration FCEBs, 500-bar CcH2 storage system is projected to achieve 91% improvement in gravimetric capacity, 175% improvement in volumetric capacity, 46% reduction in carbon fiber composite mass, and 21% lower system cost, while exceeding >7 day loss-free dormancy with initially 85%-full H2 tank.

Toyota begins sales of Sora fuel cell bus

Toyota Motor Corporation has commenced sales of its Sora fuel cell bus, the first fuel cell electric bus to receive vehicle type certification in Japan. Toyota expects to deploy more than 100 fuel cell buses, mainly within the Tokyo metropolitan area, ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Costa Rica's hydrogen transport ecosystem begins bus operation

The first hydrogen transportation ecosystem in Costa Rica reached operational status at the end of November, with completion of the last two remaining project commissioning milestones: the operational road tests of the fuel cell electric bus, and the refueling demonstration of the vehicle from the hydrogen plant at Ad Astra's facility near the city of Liberia, Guanacaste Province.

Van Hool hydrogen fuel cell tram-buses for Pau in 3Emotion

The EU-funded 3Emotion project will deploy eight hydrogen fuel cell powered Van Hool Exqui.City ‘tram-buses’ in Pau, in southwestern France, within two years. This will be the first hydrogen fuel cell electric bus deployment in France, and a world-first for a full Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system with 18 m (60 ft) articulated tram-buses. This is also the first time that hydrogen technology has been integrated as a power source in a tram-bus (or guided bus).

Fuel cell bus with Ballard power passes 25 000 h in service

A fuel cell electric bus powered by FCveloCity®-HD6 fuel cells made by Canadian-based Ballard Power Systems has achieved a new durability record, with more than 25 000 hours of revenue service with Transport for London (TfL) in the UK. This is equivalent to operating a bus on a 14 hour daily schedule, five days a week for nearly seven years with no significant maintenance to the fuel cell stack, a core component of the fuel cell engine.

Hydrogenics modules for Chinese fuel cell buses, trucks in Norway for ASKO

Canadian-based Hydrogenics has signed a Purchase and Licence Agreement for technology and fuel cells with Blue-G New Energy Science and Technology Corporation in China, under which it will deliver 1000 fuel cell units to Blue-G for integration into fuel cell electric buses. Hydrogenics has also been awarded a contract to deliver four hydrogen fuel cell systems to be integrated into Scania trucks owned and operated by Norwegian grocery wholesaler ASKO.

Consortium to deploy 20 commercial fuel cell buses in California

The Fuel Cell Electric Bus Commercialization Consortium (FCEBCC) is to deploy 20 hydrogen fuel cell powered buses in California, with 10 buses each to enter service with Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to the southeast of Los Angeles.

Comparative study of fuel cell, battery and hybrid buses for renewable energy constrained areas

Abstract Fuel cell- and battery-based public bus technologies are reviewed and compared for application in tropical urban areas. This paper scrutinizes the reported literature on fuel cell bus, fuel cell electric bus, battery electric bus, hybrid electric bus, internal combustion diesel bus and compressed natural gas bus. The comparison includes the capital and operating costs, fuel consumption and fuel cycle emissions. To the best of authors knowledge, this is the first study to holistically compare hydrogen and battery powered buses, which is the original contribution of this paper. Moreover, this is the first study to focus on supplying hydrogen and electricity from fossil resources, while including the associated emissions. The study shows that compressed natural gas and hybrid electric buses appear to be the cheapest options in terms of total cost of ownership, but they are unable to meet the EURO VI emissions' standard requirement. Only fuel cell based buses have the potential to achieve the emissions' standard when the fuel cycle based on fossil energy was considered. Fuel cell electric buses are identified as a technology allowing for the largest CO 2 emission reduction, making ∼61% decrease in annual emissions possible.

Dutch regions commit to scale up rollout of fuel cell electric buses

Dutch regions commit to scale up rollout of fuel cell electric buses

Giantleap project aims to extend PEM fuel cell lifetime for buses

The new Giantleap project – funded by the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking – aims to increase the availability and reduce the total cost of ownership of fuel cell electric buses, by increasing PEM fuel cell system lifetime and reliability.

Minimizing the costs of constructing an all plug-in electric bus transportation system: A case study in Penghu

The growth of worldwide environmental awareness has prompted numerous countries to focus on developing energy-conservation and carbon-reduction technology. The advancement of such technology enables the emergence of low-noise, low-polluting alternatives for bus systems, such as hybrid-electric, battery-electric, and fuel-cell electric buses (e-buses). For such buses to serve the existing schedules and lines operated by their conventional counterparts, reorganizing bus transportation systems is a major challenge and entails construction costs that comprise the costs of e-buses, battery capacity, chargers, and bus scheduling.To facilitate the development of environmentally friendly public transportation, this study proposes a model for simulating the operation and battery charging schedule of plug-in e-buses on the basis of an existing schedule and line network. The model was used to estimate the overall construction cost of converting the existent bus transportation system into an all plug-in e-bus one. Focusing on the bus transportation system in Penghu, an archipelago of Taiwan, this case study examined the effects of day- and nighttime charging requirements on the construction cost of an e-bus transportation system to improve the practicability of e-buses. It also applied a genetic algorithm to determine the minimum construction cost, which varied depending on the number of e-buses, level of battery capacity, number of chargers, and electricity costs. The optimized parameters involved the hourly residual battery capacity and battery charging times during the daytime operating hours. The results showed that although daytime charging involved electricity uses during peak hours and thus incurred additional costs, it contributed to the use of e-buses and an overall reduction in the construction cost. In summary, the proposed optimization method would successfully reduce the construction cost of the Penghu e-bus transportation system.

Comparison of Well-to-Wheel Efficiencies for Different Drivetrain Configurations of Transit Buses

The transportation sector, especially road transport, must reduce its energy consumption and emissions significantly. This requirement also applies to road-bound public transport, which uses mainly diesel buses. A reasonable measure for reaching this goal is to electrify the vehicle's drivetrain. During the past decade, several alternative technologies have evolved, namely, hybrid electric buses, fuel cell electric buses, and battery electric buses (BEBs). For a comparison of their energy efficiency, both the drivetrain's efficiency and the efficiency of the energy supply must be examined to determine well-to-wheel efficiency. This paper attempted to compare seven drivetrains for urban transit buses: diesel, natural gas, diesel–electric, hybrid electric (series and parallel), fuel cell electric, battery electric, and trolley bus. This comparison will become the main part of a more extensive model that supports decision making in bus procurement processes. The model will be as simple as possible. This factor makes it suitable also for the practitioner's use. Therefore, an analytic approach instead of a simulation tool was used. The model's outcomes were both total and specific energy consumption of four generic bus types operating on a dedicated bus line. The result of the study found that the trolley bus, closely followed by the BEB, was the most efficient, even when the share of renewable energy in electricity generation was low. The possibility to reduce specific energy consumption by increasing the occupation rate is outlined as well.

Driver Response to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses in a Real-World Setting

This study examined bus drivers' acceptance of fuel cell electric buses in Alameda–Contra Costa Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Of the 145 surveys issued, 47 drivers completed a written survey, for a 32% response rate. The study focused on a key attribute for potential success of alternative urban bus technology: the driver acceptance factor. Technology performance flaws that are undesirable or annoying to the bus drivers may also be disruptive to passengers. Furthermore, because of using the buses throughout their full duty cycle, drivers are in a unique position to identify key opportunities to improve the new technology options as they emerge and evolve. The study found that drivers, in general, rated the hydrogen fuel cell buses to be at the same or better performance than diesel buses for handling, ride quality, acceleration, and braking. For quiet operation, the drivers rated the new buses as excellent. When asked how they liked the experimental hydrogen fuel cell buses, drivers responded at just above neutral, with the most common response being “the same” as diesel buses followed by “much better.” Those drivers who said that they considered fuel economy when purchasing a vehicle liked the fuel cell buses more. Older drivers preferred the diesel buses, and male drivers preferred the new fuel cell buses. Perceptions of safety were mixed, with some drivers expressing safety concerns independent of how much training they had received.

A pressure regulator

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) truck delivery and storage at dispensing sites is likely to play an important role in an emerging H2 infrastructure. We analyzed the performance of single phase, supercritical, on-board cryo-compressed hydrogen storage (CcH2) with commercially-available LH2 pump enabled single-flow refueling for application to fuel cell electric buses (FCEB). We conducted finite-element stress analyses of Type 3 CcH2 tanks using ABAQUS for carbon fiber requirement and Fe-Safe for fatigue life. The results from these analyses indicate that, from the standpoint of weight, volume and cost, 2-mm 316 stainless steel liner is preferred to aluminium 6061 alloy in meeting the required 15,000 charge-discharge cycles for 350–700 bar storage pressures. Compared to the Type 3, 350 bar, ambient-temperature H2 storage systems in current demonstration FCEBs, 500-bar CcH2 storage system is projected to achieve 91% improvement in gravimetric capacity, 175% improvement in volumetric capacity, 46% reduction in carbon fiber composite mass, and 21% lower system cost, while exceeding >7 day loss-free dormancy with initially 85%-full H2 tank.