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PEMFC Electrochemical Degradation Analysis of a Fuel Cell Range-Extender (FCREx) Heavy Goods Vehicle after a Break-In Period

Yang, Jia-Di; Suter, Theo; Millichamp, Jason; Owen, Rhodri E; Du, Wenjia; Shearing, Paul R; Brett, Dan JL; (2024) PEMFC Electrochemical Degradation Analysis of a Fuel Cell Range-Extender (FCREx) Heavy Goods Vehicle after a Break-In Period. Energies , 17 (12) , Article 2980. 10.3390/en17122980. Green open access

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Abstract

With the increasing focus on decarbonisation of the transport sector, it is imperative to consider routes to electrify vehicles beyond those achievable using lithium-ion battery technology. These include heavy goods vehicles and aerospace applications that require propulsion systems that can provide gravimetric energy densities, which are more likely to be delivered by fuel cell systems. While the discussion of light-duty vehicles is abundant in the literature, heavy goods vehicles are under-represented. This paper presents an overview of the electrochemical degradation of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell integrated into a simulated Class 8 heavy goods range-extender fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle operating in urban driving conditions. Electrochemical degradation data such as polarisation curves, cyclic voltammetry values, linear sweep voltammetry values, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy values were collected and analysed to understand the expected degradation modes in this application. In this application, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack power was designed to remain constant to fulfil the mission requirements, with dynamic and peak power demands managed by lithium-ion batteries, which were incorporated into the hybridised powertrain. A single fuel cell or battery cell can either be operated at maximum or nominal power demand, allowing four operational scenarios: maximum fuel cell maximum battery, maximum fuel cell nominal battery, nominal fuel cell maximum battery, and nominal fuel cell nominal battery. Operating scenarios with maximum fuel cell operating power experienced more severe degradation after endurance testing than nominal operating power. A comparison of electrochemical degradation between these operating scenarios was analysed and discussed. By exploring the degradation effects in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, this paper offers insights that will be useful in improving the long-term performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells in heavy-duty vehicle applications and the design of hybridised powertrains.

Type: Article
Title: PEMFC Electrochemical Degradation Analysis of a Fuel Cell Range-Extender (FCREx) Heavy Goods Vehicle after a Break-In Period
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.3390/en17122980
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en17122980
Language: English
Additional information: © 2024 by the Authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: PEMFC; HGV; FCHEV; PEMFC degradation; drive cycles
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Chemical Engineering
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10193673
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