HYSYS - Fuel-Cell Hybrid Vehicle System Component Development
Overview
Background & policy context:
Fuel-cell drive-trains for road transport applications are seen as the most promising technology for sustainable mobility, especially when fuelled with hydrogen. Until now, intensive research and development has led to significant improvements of fuel-cell (FC) technology. However, market introduction of fuel-cell vehicles (FCV) has not yet been achieved due to several reasons. One very important point is the availability of reliable series components which can be mass-produced at a low cost.
This is a prerequisite for competitive fuel-cell vehicles. On the other hand, hybridisation of cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) is also a viable option for future transport. Hybrid (ICE) electric vehicles (HEV) could help to bridge the gap until hydrogen FCVs are available on the general market. FCVs and HEVs both need low cost e-drive components.
Thus there is a need to achieve synergy between these two technologies in order to use scale effects for the cost reduction of e-drive components. With this background, the project aims at the development of low-cost components for FCV hybrids and ICE hybrids in Europe. Automotive industries, suppliers, universities and research institutes are cooperating in a common effort to make the necessary steps forward.
Objectives:
Project goals were:
- Improvement of fuel cell system components for market readiness
- Improvement of electric drive train components (Synergies FC and ICE-hybrids)
for market readiness - Optimisation of system architecture for low energy consumption,
high performance, high durability and reliability - Optimisation of energy management
- Development of low cost components for mass production
- Validation of component and system performance on FC Vehicles
Project targets were:
- Low cost automotive electrical turbochargers for air supply
with high efficiency and high dynamics - Low cost humidifiers with high packaging density
- Low cost hydrogen sensors for automotive use
- Effective low cost hydrogen supply line
- High efficient, high power density drive train
- Low cost high power Li-Ion batteries
- Enhanced FC-drive train efficiency
Methodology:
The project was structured in technical subprojects directed to three different areas of research:
Research on Standardisation and Requirements
In the sub-project 2000, all research aimed at requirements and standardisation, identification of common components and modular design, interfaces, simulation, Safety Aspects, identification of synergies with ICE-Hybrid and comparison of e-storage technologies is comprised.This sub-project has a strong link with the other sub-projects where the detailed component and system specifications are elaborated.
Research on System Components:
Aimed at the development of innovative system components such as air supply, humidification, H2- sensors, hydrogen supply line, e-motors and batteris. This is the main focus of the project HySYS. Based on input and exchange with SP2000, the detailed system specifications are elaborated in these research activities.
Research on System level:
All system related research and the work to integrate the improved components in a base fuel cell system and the validator vehicles is done in the SP5000. Energy management and system control strategies and necessary software work is also done in SP5000. As with the system components, the detailed FC-system-specifications and vehicle specification are elaborated in this SP as well.
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