Abstract:

In this work, a fuel cell hybrid (FCH) mid-size car is modeled and simulated in Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR) by downsizing the fuel cell stack power by 30% with corresponding increase in the battery pack size to achieve equivalent performance in terms of fuel economy and better acceleration performance in comparison with 2017 Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). In order to model the downsized vehicle, the parameters are adopted from 2017 Toyota Mirai FCEV and are investigated for different standard driving cycles to verify the performance. The aim of this analysis is to understand the energy interactions of the fuel cell and batteries and to identify an optimal energy management. It is found that an estimated powertrain cost reduction of 26% and equivalent fuel economy of 67.67 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) is achieved for this class of fuel cell mid size car in comparison with benchmark vehicle. This work is believed to be the first of its kind to estimate the effect of downsizing the fuel stack power on the fuel economy, vehicle dynamic performance and powertrain cost.