IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v9y2021i6p604-d515073.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Simple and Safe Strategy for Improving the Fuel Economy of a Fuel Cell Vehicle

Author

Listed:
  • Nicu Bizon

    (Faculty of Electronics, Communication and Computers, University of Pitesti, 1 Targul din Vale, 110040 Pitesti, Romania
    ICSI Energy Department, National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies, 1 Uzinei, 240050 Ramnicu Valcea, Romania
    Doctoral School, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Phatiphat Thounthong

    (Renewable Energy Research Centre (RERC), Department of Teacher Training in Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technical Education, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, 1518 Pracharat 1 Road, Wongsawang, Bangsue, Bangkok 10800, Thailand
    Group of Research in Electrical Engineering of Nancy (GREEN), University of Lorraine, 2 Avenue de la Forêt de Haye, 54518 Vandeuvre lès Nancy CEDEX, F-54000 Nancy, France)

Abstract

A new real-time strategy is proposed in this article to optimize the hydrogen utilization of a fuel cell vehicle, by switching the control references of fueling regulators, based on load-following. The advantages of this strategy are discussed and compared, with advanced strategies that also use the aforementioned load-following mode regulator of fueling controllers, but in the entire loading range, respectively, with a benchmark strategy utilizing the static feed-forward control of fueling controllers. Additionally, the advantages of energy-storage function in a charge-sustained mode, such as a longer service life and reduced size due to the implementation of the proposed switching strategy, are presented for the dynamic profiles across the entire load range. The optimization function was designed to improve the fuel economy by adding to the total power of the fuel utilization efficiency (in a weighted way). The proposed optimization loop will seek the reference value to control the fueling regulator in real-time, which is not regulated by a load-following approach. The best switching threshold between the high and low loading scales were obtained using a sensitivity analysis carried out for both fixed and dynamic loads. The results obtained were promising—(1) the fuel economy was two-times higher than the advanced strategies mentioned above; and (2) the total fuel consumption was 13% lower than the static feed-forward strategy. This study opens new research directions for fuel cell vehicles, such as for obtaining the best fuel economy or estimating fuel consumption up to the first refueling station on the planned road.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicu Bizon & Phatiphat Thounthong, 2021. "A Simple and Safe Strategy for Improving the Fuel Economy of a Fuel Cell Vehicle," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-29, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:9:y:2021:i:6:p:604-:d:515073
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/9/6/604/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/9/6/604/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chen, Yong-Song & Yang, Chih-Wei & Lee, Jiunn-Yih, 2014. "Implementation and evaluation for anode purging of a fuel cell based on nitrogen concentration," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1519-1524.
    2. Priya, K. & Sathishkumar, K. & Rajasekar, N., 2018. "A comprehensive review on parameter estimation techniques for Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell modelling," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 121-144.
    3. Bizon, Nicu, 2018. "Optimal operation of fuel cell/wind turbine hybrid power system under turbulent wind and variable load," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 196-209.
    4. Steinberger, Michael & Geiling, Johannes & Oechsner, Richard & Frey, Lothar, 2018. "Anode recirculation and purge strategies for PEM fuel cell operation with diluted hydrogen feed gas," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 572-582.
    5. Bizon, N., 2011. "Nonlinear control of fuel cell hybrid power sources: Part I - Voltage control," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(7), pages 2559-2573, July.
    6. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Efficient fuel economy strategies for the Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Systems under variable renewable/load power profile," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 1-1.
    7. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Hybrid power sources (HPSs) for space applications: Analysis of PEMFC/Battery/SMES HPS under unknown load containing pulses," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 14-37.
    8. Sulaiman, N. & Hannan, M.A. & Mohamed, A. & Ker, P.J. & Majlan, E.H. & Wan Daud, W.R., 2018. "Optimization of energy management system for fuel-cell hybrid electric vehicles: Issues and recommendations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 2061-2079.
    9. Matraji, Imad & Laghrouche, Salah & Jemei, Samir & Wack, Maxime, 2013. "Robust control of the PEM fuel cell air-feed system via sub-optimal second order sliding mode," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 945-957.
    10. Ettihir, K. & Boulon, L. & Agbossou, K., 2016. "Optimization-based energy management strategy for a fuel cell/battery hybrid power system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 142-153.
    11. Nicu Bizon & Alin Gheorghita Mazare & Laurentiu Mihai Ionescu & Phatiphat Thounthong & Erol Kurt & Mihai Oproescu & Gheorghe Serban & Ioan Lita, 2019. "Better Fuel Economy by Optimizing Airflow of the Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Systems Using Fuel Flow-Based Load-Following Control," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-17, July.
    12. Zhang, Tong & Wang, Peiqi & Chen, Huicui & Pei, Pucheng, 2018. "A review of automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cell degradation under start-stop operating condition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 249-262.
    13. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Fuel saving strategy using real-time switching of the fueling regulators in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Chang, Yafei & Qin, Yanzhou & Yin, Yan & Zhang, Junfeng & Li, Xianguo, 2018. "Humidification strategy for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells – A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 643-662.
    15. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Real-time optimization strategies of Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Systems based on Load-following control: A new strategy, and a comparative study of topologies and fuel economy obtained," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C), pages 444-460.
    16. Daud, W.R.W. & Rosli, R.E. & Majlan, E.H. & Hamid, S.A.A. & Mohamed, R. & Husaini, T., 2017. "PEM fuel cell system control: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 620-638.
    17. Olatomiwa, Lanre & Mekhilef, Saad & Ismail, M.S. & Moghavvemi, M., 2016. "Energy management strategies in hybrid renewable energy systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 821-835.
    18. Onori, Simona & Tribioli, Laura, 2015. "Adaptive Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle supervisory controller design for the plug-in hybrid GM Chevrolet Volt," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 224-234.
    19. Wang, Ya-Xiong & Ou, Kai & Kim, Young-Bae, 2017. "Power source protection method for hybrid polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell/lithium-ion battery system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 381-391.
    20. Li, Gaopeng & Zhang, Jieli & He, Hongwen, 2017. "Battery SOC constraint comparison for predictive energy management of plug-in hybrid electric bus," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 578-587.
    21. Bizon, Nicu & Thounthong, Phatiphat, 2018. "Real-time strategies to optimize the fueling of the fuel cell hybrid power source: A review of issues, challenges and a new approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 1089-1102.
    22. Nicu Bizon & Valentin Alexandru Stan & Angel Ciprian Cormos, 2019. "Optimization of the Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power System Using the Control Mode of the Required Load Power on the DC Bus," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, May.
    23. Han, Jaeyoung & Yu, Sangseok & Yi, Sun, 2017. "Adaptive control for robust air flow management in an automotive fuel cell system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 73-83.
    24. Zhang, Hongtao & Li, Xianguo & Liu, Xinzhi & Yan, Jinyue, 2019. "Enhancing fuel cell durability for fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicles through strategic power management," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C), pages 483-490.
    25. Ioan-Sorin Sorlei & Nicu Bizon & Phatiphat Thounthong & Mihai Varlam & Elena Carcadea & Mihai Culcer & Mariana Iliescu & Mircea Raceanu, 2021. "Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles—A Brief Review of Current Topologies and Energy Management Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-29, January.
    26. Fu-Cheng Wang & Yi-Shao Hsiao & Yi-Zhe Yang, 2018. "The Optimization of Hybrid Power Systems with Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-19, July.
    27. Bizon, Nicu, 2018. "Effective mitigation of the load pulses by controlling the battery/SMES hybrid energy storage system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 459-473.
    28. Barzegari, Mohammad M. & Alizadeh, Ebrahim & Pahnabi, Amir H., 2017. "Grey-box modeling and model predictive control for cascade-type PEMFC," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 611-622.
    29. Ramos-Paja, Carlos Andrés & Spagnuolo, Giovanni & Petrone, Giovanni & Mamarelis, Emilio, 2014. "A perturbation strategy for fuel consumption minimization in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: Analysis, Design and FPGA implementation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 21-32.
    30. Pan, Z.F. & An, L. & Wen, C.Y., 2019. "Recent advances in fuel cells based propulsion systems for unmanned aerial vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 473-485.
    31. Rabbani, Abid & Rokni, Masoud, 2013. "Effect of nitrogen crossover on purging strategy in PEM fuel cell systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1061-1070.
    32. Bizon, N., 2011. "Nonlinear control of fuel cell hybrid power sources: Part II - Current control," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(7), pages 2574-2591, July.
    33. Fu-Cheng Wang & Kuang-Ming Lin, 2018. "Impacts of Load Profiles on the Optimization of Power Management of a Green Building Employing Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.
    34. Bizon, Nicu, 2017. "Energy optimization of fuel cell system by using global extremum seeking algorithm," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 458-474.
    35. Bizon, Nicu & Radut, Marin & Oproescu, Mihai, 2015. "Energy control strategies for the Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Source under unknown load profile," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 31-41.
    36. Das, Vipin & Padmanaban, Sanjeevikumar & Venkitusamy, Karthikeyan & Selvamuthukumaran, Rajasekar & Blaabjerg, Frede & Siano, Pierluigi, 2017. "Recent advances and challenges of fuel cell based power system architectures and control – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 10-18.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Fuel saving strategy using real-time switching of the fueling regulators in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Real-time optimization strategies of Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Systems based on Load-following control: A new strategy, and a comparative study of topologies and fuel economy obtained," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C), pages 444-460.
    3. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Efficient fuel economy strategies for the Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Systems under variable renewable/load power profile," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Nicu Bizon & Mihai Oproescu, 2018. "Experimental Comparison of Three Real-Time Optimization Strategies Applied to Renewable/FC-Based Hybrid Power Systems Based on Load-Following Control," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-32, December.
    5. Nicu Bizon & Alin Gheorghita Mazare & Laurentiu Mihai Ionescu & Phatiphat Thounthong & Erol Kurt & Mihai Oproescu & Gheorghe Serban & Ioan Lita, 2019. "Better Fuel Economy by Optimizing Airflow of the Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Systems Using Fuel Flow-Based Load-Following Control," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Bizon, Nicu, 2019. "Hybrid power sources (HPSs) for space applications: Analysis of PEMFC/Battery/SMES HPS under unknown load containing pulses," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 14-37.
    7. Nicu Bizon & Valentin Alexandru Stan & Angel Ciprian Cormos, 2019. "Optimization of the Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power System Using the Control Mode of the Required Load Power on the DC Bus," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, May.
    8. Nicu Bizon & Mircea Raceanu & Emmanouel Koudoumas & Adriana Marinoiu & Emmanuel Karapidakis & Elena Carcadea, 2020. "Renewable/Fuel Cell Hybrid Power System Operation Using Two Search Controllers of the Optimal Power Needed on the DC Bus," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-26, November.
    9. Hou, Junbo & Yang, Min & Ke, Changchun & Zhang, Junliang, 2020. "Control logics and strategies for air supply in PEM fuel cell engines," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    10. Bizon, Nicu & Thounthong, Phatiphat, 2018. "Real-time strategies to optimize the fueling of the fuel cell hybrid power source: A review of issues, challenges and a new approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 1089-1102.
    11. Bizon, Nicu, 2017. "Energy optimization of fuel cell system by using global extremum seeking algorithm," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 458-474.
    12. Quan, Shengwei & Wang, Ya-Xiong & Xiao, Xuelian & He, Hongwen & Sun, Fengchun, 2021. "Feedback linearization-based MIMO model predictive control with defined pseudo-reference for hydrogen regulation of automotive fuel cells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    13. Bizon, Nicu, 2018. "Effective mitigation of the load pulses by controlling the battery/SMES hybrid energy storage system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 459-473.
    14. Chen, Kui & Laghrouche, Salah & Djerdir, Abdesslem, 2019. "Degradation model of proton exchange membrane fuel cell based on a novel hybrid method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    15. Ioan-Sorin Sorlei & Nicu Bizon & Phatiphat Thounthong & Mihai Varlam & Elena Carcadea & Mihai Culcer & Mariana Iliescu & Mircea Raceanu, 2021. "Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles—A Brief Review of Current Topologies and Energy Management Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-29, January.
    16. Nicu Bizon & Phatiphat Thounthong, 2020. "Energy Efficiency and Fuel Economy of a Fuel Cell/Renewable Energy Sources Hybrid Power System with the Load-Following Control of the Fueling Regulators," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-22, January.
    17. Wang, Yujie & Sun, Zhendong & Chen, Zonghai, 2019. "Energy management strategy for battery/supercapacitor/fuel cell hybrid source vehicles based on finite state machine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    18. Kandidayeni, M. & Macias, A. & Boulon, L. & Kelouwani, S., 2020. "Investigating the impact of ageing and thermal management of a fuel cell system on energy management strategies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    19. Li, Yuehua & Pei, Pucheng & Ma, Ze & Ren, Peng & Huang, Hao, 2020. "Analysis of air compression, progress of compressor and control for optimal energy efficiency in proton exchange membrane fuel cell," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    20. Sun, Zhendong & Wang, Yujie & Chen, Zonghai & Li, Xiyun, 2020. "Min-max game based energy management strategy for fuel cell/supercapacitor hybrid electric vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:9:y:2021:i:6:p:604-:d:515073. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.