300+ kW Fuel Cell Systems for Long-Haul Truck Applications: What Improvements Can Be Expected with this Next Generation of Fuel Cell Systems?

Authors

M. Walters, M. Zubel, M. Jesser, J. Ogrzewalla, A. Schloßhauer, D. Lückmann, T. Uhlmann, D. van der Put, M. Thewes, A. Koch, C. Speuser, T. Lüdiger; FEV, Aachen; M. Wick, J. Klütsch, Chair of Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion Systems, RWTH Aachen University:

Year

2023

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

The decarbonization of heavy-duty trucks has received significant global attention in recent years due to an increased need to reduce the carbon footprint from the transportation sector. Fuel cell electric trucks are expected to be deployed on a large scale starting in 2025. Initially, many fuel cell system suppliers will target a modular architecture with a peak system power of about 150 kW to be able to supply fuel cell systems to a broad range of applications. The required installed power per vehicle will then be scaled by the number of fuel cell systems.

A single higher power system is the next step for fuel cell systems in long-haul truck applications to further improve competitiveness while more efficiently utilizing installation space for high power applications.

FEV has been able to establish extensive cost benchmarks and cost forecasts through completed and ongoing fuel cell system developments. It has also gained extensive experience in the development of next generation fuel cell stacks and balance of plant components.

This experience is combined in a comprehensive study demonstrating how such future 300+ kW_net fuel cell systems for long-haul truck applications could look like. Vehicle and fuel cell system level simulations combined with cost projections show an optimal layout in terms of stack and system sizing to achieve the most favorable total cost of ownership. The results are compared to state-of-the art fuel cell propulsion systems using multiple systems per vehicle, and the advantages of the single system approach are pointed out. These result in cost advantages of about 6 €/kW and efficiency improvements of up to 1.6%.

ISBN

978-3-9504969-2-5