Fuel-Cell Hybrid Powertrain: Toward Minimization of Hydrogen Consumption

In this paper, the powertrain sizing of a fuel-cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) is investigated. The goal is to determine the fuel-cell system (FCS) size, together with the energy storage system (ESS) size, which leads to the lowest hydrogen consumption. The power source (FCS + ESS) capabilities should also respect the vehicle driveability constraints. Batteries and supercapacitors are considered as ESSs. The power management strategy is a global optimization algorithm respecting charge sustaining of the ESS. The impacts of the driving cycle (urban, outer urban, and highway), ESS technology, and vehicle driveability constraints on hydrogen consumption are analyzed in detail.