Economical Component Sizing and Energy Management for a Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Battery Powertrain

High cost is an obstacle to applying a hydrogen fuel cell-battery powertrain to road transport. Proper component sizing (CS) and energy management strategy (EMS) can reduce the cost. Many researchers exploit optimization-method to manage CS and EMS. However, the mechanism for economical CS and EMS is seldom explored. To bridge the gap, three principles of economical CS are presented: (1) Give the responsibility for energy performance (such as driving range) to the hydrogen fuel cell system (HFCS) instead of the battery. (2) Put the demand for high power on the battery instead of the HFCS. (3) Downsize the rated power of the HFCS and the capacity of the battery to the utmost but avoid the depletion of the state of charge of the battery. The mathematical models of the above principles are established to size the components. For economical EMS, a thermostat EMS is recommended. The operating point of the HFCS is determined by the life-cycle range of a vehicle. A case study of a hydrogen sightseeing car is conducted to expound the proposed method.