Full Integration of a High-End Fuel Cell Powertrain into a European Long-Haul Tractor Unit

Authors

Dr. R. Döbereiner, Dipl.-Ing. J. Linderl, Dipl.-Ing. J. Pell, Dr. C. Rehrl, Dipl.-Ing. G. Schagerl, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) R. Steinek, K. Weingrill  BEng, AVL List GmbH, Graz:

Year

2023

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

AVL has developed a fuel cell truck over the past 2 years to demonstrate what aspects of fleet operator requirements need to be considered. In order to dispel doubts about the practicality and integrability of fuel cell hybrid powertrains in existing truck platforms, a European 4x2 tractor with sleeper cab and a wheelbase of 3.8 m was chosen as the development basis.

In this paper, we discuss specific chapters of the integration that required innovative approaches during implementation.

Failure modes and their impact on performance: Fuel cell and battery aging significantly affect vehicle performance and efficiency. They have a major impact on the definition of the operating strategy.

Influence of mechanical as well as recuperative braking on battery SOH: By knowing the ideal operating window of the mechanical braking system, the use of the service brake can be coordinated within the energy management system to achieve an optimal system balance.

Insulation resistance: The insulation resistance of PEM fuel cell systems is relatively low compared to other technologies. By design, the coolant is electrically connected to the high voltage (HV), which is the main path to ground in a fuel cell.

Vehicle Fleet Management: This creates the opportunity to increase vehicle availability by Predicative Maintenance, schedule workshop visits and reduce TCO costs. Looking further into the future, anomalies in the systems are detected from the data collected online using machine learning-based methods. Thus, measures are being initiated.

ISBN

978-3-9504969-2-5