System issues with designing a large hydrogen passenger vehicle

Project summary

Conducted in collaboration with JLR.

The goal of this project is to explore how to size, design and operate a pure-electric hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for large off-road capable passenger vehicles. This includes the fuel cell system, hydrogen storage system, thermal management system, hybrid battery and power electronics, and their optimisation for performance, efficiency, environmental range, robustness and mass. One of the challenges is the thermal management of the fuel cell, which generates low grade heat compared to an internal combustion engine, putting additional load on the cooling system, especially when used in hot climate, off road, uphill, or for towing purposes.

The largest, heaviest and most energy intensive passenger cars tend to be all wheel drive SUVs, which can be difficult to fully electrify as BEVs whilst also maintaining ICE-levels of vehicle performance. The fuel cell propulsion system has the strong potential to address these limitations by offer a lighter powertrain, with better environmental range, faster refuelling and longer range, depending on the overall sizing, design, integration and operating strategy. The objective of this research will be to investigate the following two key interrelated technical opportunities and their potential to newly develop pure-electric hydrogen fuel cell propulsion for the largest passenger cars; novel approaches for heat rejection and cooling system design; novel approaches for fuel cell propulsion system sizing, integration and principles of control for power, range, efficiency and robustness.