Fuel economy and overall efficiency optimization of a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle in a European Extra-Urban Drive Cycle (EUDC)

The overall performance of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is specifically related to the total fuel consumption during a load cycle (eg NEDC, EUDC, WLTP, FTP, etc.). This reveals the importance of fuel economy strategies in defining the system performance. In approaching a performance strategy for fuel economy, both fuel and air flow will be considered in order to operate the fuel cell system (FCS) efficiently. The system is based on a Load-Following (LFW) controller for load tracking and also a Global Extremum Seeking (GES) algorithm used to minimize fuel consumption. The load following control will ensure the charging sustained mode for the Energy Storage System (ESS), improving their lifetime. The objective of this research paper is to analyze the performance of an FCEV and to implement an energy management strategy for fuel economy in a European Extra-Urban Drive Cycle (EUDC) with the aim of extending the lifetime of the ESS and maximizing of the vehicle’s overall efficiency.