Comparison of A Prototype PEM Fuel Cell Powertrain Power Demand and Hydrogen Consumption Based on Inertia Dynamometer and On-Road Tests

Fuel cell vehicles (FCV) are being seriously viewed as a clean alternative for transportation as it uses hydrogen and emit zero harmful tailpipe emissions. Due to this greater interest, research on FCV at many levels is being performed in all parts of the world. A generic prototype FCV was developed locally as part of a continuous work on understanding the underlying mechanism and optimization of the FCV power train. The 104 kg FCV is driven by a 1.2 kW PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell and 360 W rated power of Brushed DC Maxon motor. This paper reports the simulation, experimental and validation tests of the prototype FCV using a custom made inertia dynamometer test bench. This test bench is equipped with data logger that is able to log voltage, current, speed and time. The test bench was designed to simulate actual of vehicle performance parameters such as energy flow, acceleration resistance, rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag. The overall power consumption and energy consumption of the FCV was analyzed as a final outcome.