Dynamic Simulation of a Fuel Cell Bus: Investigating Inner States of Water Content, and Water Saturation in Different Layers

This article addresses the need for improved fuel cell performance in vehicles through comprehensive research, encompassing literature review, fuel cell modeling, data analysis, and power curve optimization. It begins by analyzing experimental data from fuel cell buses to calibrate a dynamic model, ensuring its precision. This dynamic model accounts for internal heat and mass transfer within fuel cells, simulating water content levels under specific conditions. The study concludes by optimizing fuel cell power output curves, aiming for consistent average power. Four modes were researched (Real operation, Steady, Two-point-steady, and Triangular mode). Dryness is eliminated, and the time of flooding is decreased by 61.6% in the steady mode compared to the real operation. Furthermore, the water content during the operation of Two-point-steady and Triangular mode did not experience dryness or flooding. This research introduces a dynamic model for enhancing automotive fuel cell operation, holding significant implications for the transportation sector’s adoption of fuel cell technology.