Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.3
2.5
Journals
Applied Sciences
Special Issues
Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems
applsci-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Applied Sciences Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

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 2025 | Viewed by 6733

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

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 2614 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Simulation of the Operating Characteristics of Cell Layers in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
by Xuan-Vien Nguyen
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(8), 4462; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084462 - 17 Apr 2025
Viewed by 99
Abstract
In this study, a three-dimensional numerical simulation of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with dimensions of 6 cm × 6 cm on the anode side and 5 cm × 5 cm on the cathode side (active area) was conducted to determine the [...] Read more.
In this study, a three-dimensional numerical simulation of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with dimensions of 6 cm × 6 cm on the anode side and 5 cm × 5 cm on the cathode side (active area) was conducted to determine the performance characteristics of the cell electrodes. The performance characteristics of each SOFC unit cell were investigated through numerical simulations. 3.5a COMSOL Multiphysics software was used to solve the model. The effects of the operating conditions, fuel concentration, and electrode porosity on the electrochemical performance of the SOFC electrodes were examined. In addition, an experiment was conducted to investigate the operating cell performance at 600, 700, and 750 °C. The results indicate that a higher electrode porosity can improve fuel mass transfer, resulting in an almost uniform H2 concentration at a porosity of 0.75 when the model was investigated with electrode porosities of 0.25, 0.375, 0.55, and 0.75. The simulation results also reveal that the performance of the voltage distribution on electrode surfaces is improved when the input operating temperature of the fuel cell is increased at different temperatures (650, 700, and 750 °C). At the operating temperature of 750 °C, it can be seen from the experimental results that the highest current and voltage of the cell were 587.4 mA·cm−2 and 1.12 V, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5539 KiB  
Article
Matching and Control Optimisation of Variable-Geometry Turbochargers for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Systems
by Matt L. Smith, Alexander Fritot, Davide Di Blasio, Richard Burke and Tom Fletcher
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(8), 4387; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084387 - 16 Apr 2025
Viewed by 155
Abstract
The turbocharging of hydrogen fuel cell systems (FCSs) has recently become a prominent research area, aiming to improve FCS efficiency to help decarbonise the energy and transport sectors. This work compares the performance of an electrically assisted variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT) with a fixed-geometry [...] Read more.
The turbocharging of hydrogen fuel cell systems (FCSs) has recently become a prominent research area, aiming to improve FCS efficiency to help decarbonise the energy and transport sectors. This work compares the performance of an electrically assisted variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT) with a fixed-geometry turbocharger (FGT) by optimising both the sizing of the components and their operating points, ensuring both designs are compared at their respective peak performance. A MATLAB-Simulink reduced-order model is used first to identify the most efficient components that match the fuel cell air path requirements. Maps representing the compressor and turbines are then evaluated in a 1D flow model to optimise cathode pressure and stoichiometry operating targets for net system efficiency, using an accelerated genetic algorithm (A-GA). Good agreement was observed between the two models’ trends with a less than 10.5% difference between their normalised e-motor power across all operating points. Under optimised conditions, the VGT showed a less than 0.25% increase in fuel cell system efficiency compared to the use of an FGT. However, a sensitivity study demonstrates significantly lower sensitivity when operating at non-ideal flows and pressures for the VGT when compared to the FGT, suggesting that VGTs may provide a higher level of tolerance under variable environmental conditions such as ambient temperature, humidity, and transient loading. Overall, it is concluded that the efficiency benefits of VGT are marginal, and therefore not necessarily significant enough to justify the additional cost and complexity that they introduce. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fuel Cell Renewable Hybrid Power Systems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

33 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
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1964
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

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
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1481
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

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 - 7 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1812
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop