Strategies and evaluation of fuel economy in fuel cell hybrid vehicles

The operating points of a fuel cell system (FCS) in a fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) can be shifted to its high-efficiency region by using a battery. In FCHVs, power management strategies directly affect the total fuel consumption. Two types of power management strategies are presented in this paper and the concept of equivalent fuel consumption is applied to this study due to the difference between the initial and final SOC of the battery. The equivalent fuel consumption of each strategy is evaluated and compared to each other.