Digital Twin of Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicle: a detailed modelling approach of the hydrogen powertrain and the auxiliary systems

The transport sector is today a major source of pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicles are a solution to reduce its environmental impact, thanks to the zero pollutant tailpipe emissions and longer driving ranges if compared with full electric vehicles. A Digital Twin of a FCHEV is developed in this study, through the assessment of models of mechanical and thermal systems within the vehicle. The Simulink/Simscape model here presented is able to support both the design choices and the test of control strategies. The results obtained allow characterizing the impact of the auxiliary systems on the driving range, whose relative value ranges from 28% to 40% of the overall energy demand depending on the ambient temperature, and the range is between 430 km and 356 km respectively for mild and cold temperature.

Investigation on Energy Flow Characteristics of Fuel Cell System Based on Real Vehicle Tests

For fuel cell hybrid vehicles, the energy distribution mechanism of the fuel cell and power battery should reasonably allocate the power output of the fuel cell and power battery, optimize the efficiency of both and control the power battery SOC to fluctuate within a reasonable range. To test the energy flow and operation characteristics of the powertrain of two hybrid car models on the market, two test vehicles (called vehicle A and vehicle B in this paper) are tested on an AIP 4WD chassis dynamometer under constant power and the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle-Passenger cycle condition, respectively. The test results show that vehicle A has a smaller power battery SOC variation interval and a lower variable rate than vehicle B. The cumulative power battery output energy of vehicle B is more significant than that of vehicle A. More importantly, the current rare public test reports of fuel cell vehicles make this study very valuable. This paper has important reference significance for the energy flow characteristics and energy management strategy of existing fuel cell hybrid vehicles.