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Applied Sciences
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Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems
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Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024 | Viewed by 1759

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pedro Piqueras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CMT-Clean Mobility & Thermofluids, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Interests: fuel cell technology; heterogeneous catalysis; membrane technology; air management; physical models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Enrique Sanchis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CMT-Clean Mobility & Thermofluids, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Interests: fuel cell technology; heterogeneous catalysis; membrane technology; air management; physical models
Dr. Marcos López

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CMT-Clean Mobility & Thermofluids, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Interests: fuel cell technology; electric vehicles; fuel cell degradation; model development; life cycle assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global concern over climate change has led governments to set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This focus has driven the development of innovative technologies to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, are promising but present a challenge due to their intermittent nature, which highlights the need for effective energy storage solutions. Here, green hydrogen, generated from renewable sources, emerges as a viable solution, serving as a high-density energy carrier for storing and transporting energy. In this context, fuel cells are gaining relevance as a clean and efficient alternative to internal combustion engines, especially in transportation.

Fuel cells are characterized by their high efficiency in converting the chemical energy of the fuel into electricity, outperforming internal combustion engines. Compared to other alternatives such as batteries, they offer higher energy density, which allows storing more energy in less space and facilitates faster recharges. This makes them ideal for vehicles with hybrid propulsion systems that combine fuel cells and electric motors. However, the widespread adoption of this technology faces challenges in terms of cost, infrastructure, and technological maturity.

In road transportation, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are positioning themselves as a viable option. Among the types of fuel cells, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are the most widely used in hybrid propulsion systems, thanks to their low operating temperature and fast start-up. FCEVs offer advantages such as a longer range and faster refueling times than battery electric vehicles, but they face challenges such as a high production cost, and the need for hydrogen refueling infrastructure and sustainable hydrogen production.

In railway, maritime, and air transportation, fuel cells offer a significant ecological alternative. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions in trains and decrease maritime and atmospheric pollution in maritime transportation. Although they are still in the early stages of being introduced in aviation, they could reduce the environmental impact of short-haul flights. However, the adoption of fuel cells in these sectors faces challenges such as insufficient hydrogen supply infrastructure and having an energy density that still does not match conventional fuels, especially in air transportation. Despite these challenges, continued advances in research and development promise to overcome these barriers, paving the way for a more sustainable energy transition in transportation.

This Special Issue encourages works from both industry and academia focused on the analysis of efficiency improvements and pollutant emission formation and control in decarbonized powertrain platforms. These include (but are not limited to):

  • Research on the production and storage of green hydrogen;
  • Studies on the integration of renewable energy sources;
  • Development and optimization of fuel cells;
  • Fuel cell modeling and simulation;
  • Development of innovative materials for fuel cells;
  • Applications of fuel cells in transportation;
  • Economic and environmental evaluation;
  • Life cycle analysis and sustainability;
  • Advances in hydrogen refueling infrastructure;
  • Socioeconomic and market aspects;
  • Safety and risk aspects of hydrogen use;
  • Innovations in hybrid propulsion systems;
  • Future prospects and emerging technologies.

Dr. Pedro Piqueras
Dr. Enrique José Sanchis
Dr. Marcos López
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable transportation
  • green hydrogen
  • fuel cell technology
  • proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs)
  • fuel cell electric vehicles
  • innovative materials
  • decarbonized powertrains
  • hybrid propulsion systems
  • energy storage solutions
  • renewable energy integration
  • infrastructure development
  • economic and environmental assessments

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

34 pages, 7483 KiB  
Article
Characteristic Investigation of a Novel Aircraft SOFC/GT Hybrid System under Varying Operational Parameters
by Takudzwa Martin Mashamba, Jiale Wen, Catalina Spataru, Yiwu Weng and Xiaojing Lv
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 3504; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083504 - 21 Apr 2024
Viewed by 466
Abstract
In this study, the implementation of a solid oxide fuel cell–gas turbine hybrid engine for primary propulsion and electric power generation in aircraft is investigated. The following three parameters, which are crucial in attaining optimal performance at any point in the flight profile, [...] Read more.
In this study, the implementation of a solid oxide fuel cell–gas turbine hybrid engine for primary propulsion and electric power generation in aircraft is investigated. The following three parameters, which are crucial in attaining optimal performance at any point in the flight profile, were identified: the oxygen-to-carbon ratio of the catalytic partial oxidation reformer, the fuel utilization factor of the fuel cell, and the airflow split ratio at the outlet of the high-pressure compressor. The study assesses the impact of varying these parameters within specified ranges on the performance of the hybrid system. At the design point, the system yielded a total power output of 1.96 MW, with 102.5 kW of electric power coming from the fuel cell and 7.9 kN (1.86 MW) of thrust power coming from the gas turbine. The results indicate that varying the oxygen-to-carbon ratio affected the fuel cell’s fuel utilization and resulted in a slight decrease in gas turbine thrust. The fuel utilization factor primarily affected the power output of the fuel cell stack, with a minor impact on thrust. Notably, varying the airflow split ratio showed the most significant influence on the overall system performance. This analysis provides insights into the system’s sensitivities and contributes to the development of more sustainable aircraft energy systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems)
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18 pages, 4153 KiB  
Article
Online Model Adaption for Energy Management in Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)
by Ricardo Novella, Benjamín Plá, Pau Bares and Douglas Pinto
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 3473; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083473 - 20 Apr 2024
Viewed by 460
Abstract
The growing interest in low-impact mobility technologies has elevated the significance of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the automotive sector. Given the complexity of the resulting powertrain, the need for an effective energy management strategy (EMS) becomes essential to optimize efficiency and [...] Read more.
The growing interest in low-impact mobility technologies has elevated the significance of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the automotive sector. Given the complexity of the resulting powertrain, the need for an effective energy management strategy (EMS) becomes essential to optimize efficiency and energy consumption in vehicles with diverse energy sources. Model-based control is the main approach to address the EMS in electrified vehicles. In particular, fuel cell power is commonly represented through a 1D look-up table using the current demand as input to simplify the implementation in a vehicle control unit. Uncertainties that may be implemented in maps due to simplifying hypotheses, dynamics, ageing, etc., can be propagated to powertrain control, motivating the adoption of adaptive look-up tables for FC modelling. In this study, an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is proposed to adapt the look-up table to actual FC behaviour by measuring its power and gradually correcting calibration errors, drift, and ageing. Subsequently, a standard equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) is employed to control the FCEV. The fuel cell model is calibrated with experimental data from an FCEV. The results demonstrate that the adaptive strategy outperforms the base calibration. Following an extensive simulation campaign, an improvement of 1.1% in fuel consumption was observed. Remarkably, after just one hour of operation, there was a notable 85% reduction in fuel cell power estimation error, even when the EMS was initially fed a biased look-up table. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems)
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17 pages, 6335 KiB  
Article
Overcoming the Trade-Off between Methanol Rejection and Proton Conductivity via Facile Synthesis of Crosslinked Sulfonated PEEK Proton Exchange Membranes
by Stef Depuydt, Lucy Traub, Gilles Van Eygen, Santosh Kumar, Georg Held and Bart Van der Bruggen
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 3089; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14073089 - 07 Apr 2024
Viewed by 517
Abstract
In this work, homogeneous, thin-film proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with superior proton conductivities and high methanol rejection were fabricated via a facile synthesis procedure. Sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) was crosslinked via a Friedel–Crafts reaction by α,α′-dichloro-p-xylene, a non-hazardous and hydrophobic compound. PEMs [...] Read more.
In this work, homogeneous, thin-film proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with superior proton conductivities and high methanol rejection were fabricated via a facile synthesis procedure. Sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) was crosslinked via a Friedel–Crafts reaction by α,α′-dichloro-p-xylene, a non-hazardous and hydrophobic compound. PEMs with varying crosslinking and sulfonation degrees were fabricated to overcome the traditional trade-off between methanol rejection and proton conductivity. The sulfonation of PEEK at 60 °C for 24 h resulted in a sulfonation degree of 56%. Those highly sulfonated backbones, in combination with a low membrane thickness (ca. 20 µm), resulted in proton conductivities superior to Nafion 117. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy proved it was possible to control the crosslinking degree via the crosslinking time and temperature. The PEMs with the highest crosslinking degree showed better methanol rejection compared to the commercial benchmark. The introduction of the crosslinker created hydrophobic membrane sections, which reduced the water and methanol uptake. Subsequently, the membrane became denser due to the crosslinking, hindering the solute permeation. Those two effects led to lower methanol crossovers. This study proved the successful fabrication of PEMs overcoming the trade-off between proton conductivity and methanol rejection, following a facile procedure using low-cost and non-hazardous materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems)
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