Abstract
As any hybrid drive train, fuel cell hybrid propulsion systems need an Energy Management Strategy (EMS) to define the distribution of the power demand over the primary power source and the storage. An analytical derived EMS, minimizing the fuel consumption of a FCHEV without compromising its driveability, is presented. As the EMS is derived analytically, a minimum in fuel consumption can be mathematically guaranteed, given the validity of the models used. As models only approximate reality, an on road evaluation of the proposed EMS is a relevant validation. Therefore, the proposed EMS is implemented in a small fuel cell hybrid distribution van for validation and evaluation of its real-time properties. This paper reflects on these road tests, evaluates the main properties of the proposed EMS and discusses related design considerations.
KEYWORDS – Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FCHEV), Energy Management Strategy (EMS), Road Tests