The Combined Electro-Thermo-Chemical Cycle and its Benefits over Battery-Electric Powertrains

Authors

Leonid TARTAKOVSKY, David DISKIN, Yonah KUHR, Ido Yohai BEN-HAMO, Sabrina SPATARI
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Summary

The use of electric vehicles is being encouraged and incentivized worldwide in attempt to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and to improve air quality in cities. In this study, we examine other option instead of battery electrical vehicles to face the above challenges. The new thermodynamic cycle composed of a fuel cell, internal combustion engine (ICE) and thermochemical recuperation for waste heat, and is called the combined electro-thermo-chemical (CETC) cycle. Both fuel cell and ICE use hydrogen-rich reformate, which is reformed using the waste heat of both fuel cell and ICE. In that way, the current infrastructure of liquid fuels can be used to fuel the CETC driven vehicle. In addition, using electro-fuels such as methanol will result in reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The performance of the CETC cycle was analyzed with integrated approach of finite-time and finite speed thermodynamics. This approach enables to connect between power and efficiency of the cycle, which is important for the optimization of the vehicle energy demand.
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