Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars
Due to the large quantities of carbon emissions generated by the transportation sector, cleaner automotive technologies are needed aiming at a green energy transition. In this scenario, hydrogen is pointed out as a promising fuel that can be employed as the fuel of either a fuel cell or an internal...
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1085 |
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author | Kirill Durkin Ali Khanafer Philip Liseau Adam Stjernström-Eriksson Arvid Svahn Linnéa Tobiasson Tatiana Santos Andrade Jimmy Ehnberg |
author_facet | Kirill Durkin Ali Khanafer Philip Liseau Adam Stjernström-Eriksson Arvid Svahn Linnéa Tobiasson Tatiana Santos Andrade Jimmy Ehnberg |
author_sort | Kirill Durkin |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Due to the large quantities of carbon emissions generated by the transportation sector, cleaner automotive technologies are needed aiming at a green energy transition. In this scenario, hydrogen is pointed out as a promising fuel that can be employed as the fuel of either a fuel cell or an internal combustion engine vehicle. Therefore, in this work, we propose the design and modeling of a fuel cell versus an internal combustion engine passenger car for a driving cycle. The simulation was carried out using the quasistatic simulation toolbox tool in Simulink considering the main powertrain components for each vehicle. Furthermore, a brief analysis of the carbon emissions associated with the hydrogen production method is addressed to assess the clean potential of hydrogen-powered vehicles compared to conventional fossil fuel-fueled cars. The resulting analysis has shown that the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is almost twice as efficient compared to internal combustion engines, resulting in a lower fuel consumption of 1.05 kg-H<sub>2</sub>/100 km in the WLTP driving cycle for the fuel cell vehicle, while the combustion vehicle consumed about 1.79 kg-H<sub>2</sub>/100 km. Regarding using different hydrogen colors to fuel the vehicle, hydrogen-powered vehicles fueled with blue and grey hydrogen presented higher carbon emissions compared to petrol-powered vehicles reaching up to 2–3 times higher in the case of grey hydrogen. Thus, green hydrogen is needed as fuel to keep carbon emissions lower than conventional petrol-powered vehicles. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:31:04Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-54958e276d524032b7cfe3f8c79efcd9 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1996-1073 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:31:04Z |
publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Energies |
spelling | doaj.art-54958e276d524032b7cfe3f8c79efcd92024-03-12T16:43:16ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732024-02-01175108510.3390/en17051085Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine CarsKirill Durkin0Ali Khanafer1Philip Liseau2Adam Stjernström-Eriksson3Arvid Svahn4Linnéa Tobiasson5Tatiana Santos Andrade6Jimmy Ehnberg7Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, SwedenDue to the large quantities of carbon emissions generated by the transportation sector, cleaner automotive technologies are needed aiming at a green energy transition. In this scenario, hydrogen is pointed out as a promising fuel that can be employed as the fuel of either a fuel cell or an internal combustion engine vehicle. Therefore, in this work, we propose the design and modeling of a fuel cell versus an internal combustion engine passenger car for a driving cycle. The simulation was carried out using the quasistatic simulation toolbox tool in Simulink considering the main powertrain components for each vehicle. Furthermore, a brief analysis of the carbon emissions associated with the hydrogen production method is addressed to assess the clean potential of hydrogen-powered vehicles compared to conventional fossil fuel-fueled cars. The resulting analysis has shown that the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is almost twice as efficient compared to internal combustion engines, resulting in a lower fuel consumption of 1.05 kg-H<sub>2</sub>/100 km in the WLTP driving cycle for the fuel cell vehicle, while the combustion vehicle consumed about 1.79 kg-H<sub>2</sub>/100 km. Regarding using different hydrogen colors to fuel the vehicle, hydrogen-powered vehicles fueled with blue and grey hydrogen presented higher carbon emissions compared to petrol-powered vehicles reaching up to 2–3 times higher in the case of grey hydrogen. Thus, green hydrogen is needed as fuel to keep carbon emissions lower than conventional petrol-powered vehicles.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1085hydrogen fuelhydrogen fuel cellfuel cell vehicleHFCVICEHICEV |
spellingShingle | Kirill Durkin Ali Khanafer Philip Liseau Adam Stjernström-Eriksson Arvid Svahn Linnéa Tobiasson Tatiana Santos Andrade Jimmy Ehnberg Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars Energies hydrogen fuel hydrogen fuel cell fuel cell vehicle HFCV ICE HICEV |
title | Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars |
title_full | Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars |
title_fullStr | Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars |
title_full_unstemmed | Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars |
title_short | Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars |
title_sort | hydrogen powered vehicles comparing the powertrain efficiency and sustainability of fuel cell versus internal combustion engine cars |
topic | hydrogen fuel hydrogen fuel cell fuel cell vehicle HFCV ICE HICEV |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1085 |
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