Designing Functional Safety Architecture for FCEV Vehicles

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles (H2ICEs) are expected to have significant growth in the future due to the implementation of stringent emission norms. FCEVs have a unique role in the future of transportation as they produce no emissions. Instead of relying on a battery for electricity, FCEVs generate power through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell stack, emitting only pure water in the exhaust. This makes them a reliable solution to the global warming problem. Additionally, refueling the hydrogen tank of an FCEV takes less than five minutes, unlike charging a battery. However, it is crucial to ensure the safety of fuel cell vehicles against high-pressure hydrogen gas and high voltage. Therefore, a functional safety architecture for FCEVs must be developed. This paper aims to describe one of the design approaches for the functional safety architecture of the hydrogen storage control unit (HSCU) in accordance with the ISO26262 standard and GTR13 standard.