Floating voltage fuel cell drive system
Research Project, 2018
Fuel cell technology, with its advantages of high energy density, fast refuel, and possibility to produce from renewable energy, becomes a promising solution for electric vehicles. However, the output voltage of fuel cells is variable (up to 30%) with the load current. Thus, a conventional fuel cell drive system requires a two-stage converter topology with a ‘constant voltage’ DC bus in between. The first-stage is a DC-DC converter to regulate the output of the fuel cells to the constant DC voltage. The second-stage is a 3-phase DC/AC drive inverter to generate AC power for the motor. The DC voltage is usually maintained by Li-ion batteries. The capacity of the batteries depends on the power matching of the fuel cells and the motor.
The technical challenges to be addressed in the project include: (1) how to maintain the required power output of the motor with the floating DC voltage; and (2) how to dimension the energy storage for given fuel cell power and motor power.
Participants
Yujing Liu (contact)
Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering
Qian Xun
Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering
Collaborations
Powercell Sweden
Gothenburg, Sweden
Volvo Cars
Göteborg, Sweden
Funding
Swedish Energy Agency
Project ID: 44935-1
Funding Chalmers participation during 2018
Related Areas of Advance and Infrastructure
Sustainable development
Driving Forces
Transport
Areas of Advance
Energy
Areas of Advance