Effect of PEM Fuel Cell Technology Advancement on the Energy Efficiency of a Heavy-Duty Vehicle
Dursun, Beyza LU ; Johansson, Max ; Tunestal, Per LU
; Aronsson, Ulf
LU
; Eriksson, Lars
and Andersson, Oivind
LU
(2025)
17th International Conference on Engines and Vehicles for Sustainable Transport, ICE 2025
In SAE Technical Papers
- Abstract
Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs) are a promising solution for decarbonizing heavy-duty transport by combining hydrogen fuel cells with battery storage to deliver long range, fast refuelling, and high payload capacity. However, many existing simulation models rely on outdated fuel cell parameters, limiting their ability to reflect recent technological improvements and accurately predict system-level performance. This study addresses this gap by integrating a state-of-the-art, physics-based model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) into an open-source heavy-duty vehicle simulation framework. The updated model incorporates recent advancements in catalyst design and membrane conductivity, enabling improved... (More)
Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs) are a promising solution for decarbonizing heavy-duty transport by combining hydrogen fuel cells with battery storage to deliver long range, fast refuelling, and high payload capacity. However, many existing simulation models rely on outdated fuel cell parameters, limiting their ability to reflect recent technological improvements and accurately predict system-level performance. This study addresses this gap by integrating a state-of-the-art, physics-based model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) into an open-source heavy-duty vehicle simulation framework. The updated model incorporates recent advancements in catalyst design and membrane conductivity, enabling improved representation of electrochemical behavior and real-time compressor control. Model performance was evaluated over a realistic 120 km long-haul drive cycle. Compared to the traditional fuel cell model, the updated system demonstrated up to 20% lower hydrogen consumption, significantly reduced compressor power demand, and improved cooling performance due to higher stack efficiency. Peak fuel cell efficiency approached 59%. The findings highlight the critical importance of using up-to-date fuel cell models in FCHEV simulations to enable accurate energy predictions and optimal system design. This work supports more effective deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles through improved model fidelity and control strategy development.
(Less)
- author
- Dursun, Beyza
LU
; Johansson, Max
; Tunestal, Per
LU
; Aronsson, Ulf
LU
; Eriksson, Lars
and Andersson, Oivind
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-09-07
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- SAE Technical Papers
- publisher
- Society of Automotive Engineers
- conference name
- 17th International Conference on Engines and Vehicles for Sustainable Transport, ICE 2025
- conference location
- Capri, Italy
- conference dates
- 2025-09-14 - 2025-09-17
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105020259618
- ISSN
- 0148-7191
- DOI
- 10.4271/2025-24-0111
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2025 SAE International. All Rights Reserved.
- id
- 9d988a9a-3dc3-4160-896d-28795a7428fa
- date added to LUP
- 2025-12-19 11:30:44
- date last changed
- 2025-12-19 11:31:40
@misc{9d988a9a-3dc3-4160-896d-28795a7428fa,
abstract = {{<p>Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs) are a promising solution for decarbonizing heavy-duty transport by combining hydrogen fuel cells with battery storage to deliver long range, fast refuelling, and high payload capacity. However, many existing simulation models rely on outdated fuel cell parameters, limiting their ability to reflect recent technological improvements and accurately predict system-level performance. This study addresses this gap by integrating a state-of-the-art, physics-based model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) into an open-source heavy-duty vehicle simulation framework. The updated model incorporates recent advancements in catalyst design and membrane conductivity, enabling improved representation of electrochemical behavior and real-time compressor control. Model performance was evaluated over a realistic 120 km long-haul drive cycle. Compared to the traditional fuel cell model, the updated system demonstrated up to 20% lower hydrogen consumption, significantly reduced compressor power demand, and improved cooling performance due to higher stack efficiency. Peak fuel cell efficiency approached 59%. The findings highlight the critical importance of using up-to-date fuel cell models in FCHEV simulations to enable accurate energy predictions and optimal system design. This work supports more effective deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles through improved model fidelity and control strategy development.</p>}},
author = {{Dursun, Beyza and Johansson, Max and Tunestal, Per and Aronsson, Ulf and Eriksson, Lars and Andersson, Oivind}},
issn = {{0148-7191}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
note = {{Conference Abstract}},
publisher = {{Society of Automotive Engineers}},
series = {{SAE Technical Papers}},
title = {{Effect of PEM Fuel Cell Technology Advancement on the Energy Efficiency of a Heavy-Duty Vehicle}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/2025-24-0111}},
doi = {{10.4271/2025-24-0111}},
year = {{2025}},
}