Minimizing Energy Consumption and Powertrain Cost of Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles with Consideration of Different Driving Cycles and SOC Ranges

Hydrogen consumption is an important performance indicator of fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs). Previous studies have investigated fuel consumption minimization both under different driving cycles and using various power management strategies. However, different constrains on battery state of charge (SOC) ranges can also affect fuel consumption dramatically. In this study, we develop a power-source sizing model based on the Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle (PMP) to minimize the fuel consumption of FCHVs, considering different driving cycles (i.e., FTP-72 and US06) and SOC ranges (conservative 50–60% and aggressive 20–80%). The different driving cycles and SOC ranges present the real-world circumstances of driving FCHVs to some extent. Fuel consumptions are compared both under different driving cycles and using different SOC ranges. The simulation results show an effective power size map, with outlines of an ineffective sizing zone and an inefficient sizing zone based on vehicle performance requirements (e.g., maximum speed and acceleration) and fuel consumption, respectively. Based on the developed model, an optimal power-source size map can be determined while minimizing both fuel consumption and powertrain cost as well as considering different driving cycles and SOC ranges.