Hydrogen Fuel Cells potentially offer a zero-emission propulsion technology for heavy commercial vehicles. Inherently a multi-physical design challenge, their development requires precise understanding of deployment conditions. Detailed simulation models, featuring physical modelling of technical systems, are useful in their development. Reducing cost and time spend can potentially be the result, as the need to conduct physical testing is reduced.

Claytex/Technia have created a high-fidelity Fuel Cell electric bus model, based on a hypothetical vehicle imagined from published research. Fuel Cell components from the Hydrogen Library from Dassault Systems are deployed, allied to a HVAC system from the Thermal Systems library from TLK.

Within a full multibody chassis, the power produced by the Fuel Cell is dependent on internal pressure and temperature. Representative physical ancillary systems coupled with detailed thermochemical modelling enables detailed transient effects on fuel cell performance to be captured. Fluid based individual air supply (aspiration), hydrogen (fuel), and cooling models are featured, with ancillary control hardware. A multizonal cabin model with independent zonal thermal properties combined with a multi-physics HVAC model provide a realistic current drain on the drive battery.

Such detail is important in understanding accurately the conditions the Fuel Cell will experience in operation. A model such as this has many real-world applications, such as component design and selection; concept evaluation; Fuel Cell degradation, maintenance, and durability analysis; accurate range estimation and controller development. Evaluation using the Standardized On Road Test (SORT) suburban drive cycle, applicable to bus studies, demonstrates the model’s capabilities.