Energy management of multi fuel cell vehicles

Power train electrification is currently one of the best solutions in order to design cleaner vehicles. Nevertheless, the internal combustion engine is still essential to ensure high vehicle autonomy (over 500 km) and fast re-fuel (under 5 minutes). To obtain a commercially-competitive electric vehicle, important progress must still be realized concerning the energy storage and especially the batteries (power density, lifetime, and cost). Moreover, the total lifetime of the batteries must be considered due to the pollution that can be caused by the waste materials (lithium, nickel, cadmium ?). In order to reduce the problems linked to batteries, Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) may be considered as a promising solution.
Nevertheless, the normal efficiency of a single fuel cell is not constant on the operating power range. When the system has more than one Fuel Cells, the lifetime and operating point can be optimized with a power sharing algorithm.
The internship will be realized at the Hydrogen Research Institute (HRI).The HRI’s members have access to world-class, unique equipment and laboratories to characterize and develop advanced materials for energy applications, as well as energy systems based on renewable energies. HRI is the head of the NSERC Strategic Network H2Can, the largest Canadian research network on hydrogen as an energy vector. For the excellence of its research activities the HRI was awarded the Academic Award of Excellence by the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell association in June 2012. The HRI is a participant in the Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence of the US Department of Energy. The Hydrogen Research Institute is also a member of the Quebec Centre for Functional Materials and of the International Association for Hydrogen Safety HySafe.

Faculty Supervisor:

Loic Boulon

Student:

Jorge Chavira Rodelo

Partner:

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

University:

Program:

Globalink