Comparative analysis of powertrain architectures for fuel cell light commercial vehicles in terms of performance and durability

At the present time, the critical climate situation has raised awareness about the importance of developing carbon-free technologies. In this context, fuel cell systems (FCS) have become one of the key technologies in the pathway to decarbonization. Given that road transport is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this paper focuses on a specific segment of this sector: light commercial vehicles (LCVs). The current market situation shows that LCV manufacturers have not yet decided what is the appropriate powertrain architecture for this kind of vehicle. Thus, the current paper studies a wide range of possible FCS-based propulsive system designs, changing the size of the FCS, electric battery and H₂ tank. These propulsive system architectures are analyzed concerning the performance of the vehicle, in terms of consumption and range, and the durability of its FCS. The evaluation of these different designs will be highly valuable for the LCV industry and manufacturers, as it allows to understand the optimal powertrain solution. The study demonstrates that a significant increase in range can be achieved with only a minor penalty in hydrogen consumption. Additionally, the research indicates that it is feasible to employ one of the most durable FCS designs while meeting LCV mission requirements with minimal consumption penalty. In conclusion, this paper provides valuable data to the ongoing research in this field, offering a detailed analysis of the impact of H₂ consumption, autonomy, and durability of the FCS across various vehicle architectures under typical LCV driving conditions.