Crashworthiness Evaluation of a Hydrogen Bus Fuel System

For the successful introduction of buses fueled by hydrogen, the safety of hydrogen buses is being discussed and investigated by governments and research institutes. This study is focused on evaluation approaches for hydrogen bus crashworthiness with hydrogen fuel systems located on the roof structure. Based on rollover safety regulations, the primary countermeasures are not only to ensure that there is no contact between the hydrogen fuel system and other parts of the vehicle or the ground, but also to confirm adequate occupant residual space for occupant protection during rollover accidents. Thus, the experimental concept to check safety countermeasures along with computational approaches and procedures are discussed with regards to the rollover test loading conditions in this study. A rollover test setup process was investigated and a hydrogen bus rollover test was performed. Furthermore, a hydrogen bus FE model has been developed and the structural response was verified. The results and conclusion provide the conceptual framework to evaluate hydrogen bus crashworthiness.