Another major advantage for FCEVs is that they have the potential to utilize renewable energy solutions on a larger scale and increase the adoption of sustainable power sources faster. They also provide necessary enhancements to the operational and performance gaps found in existing batteries. In general, FCEVs can prove to be more effective than BEVs for a driving style that mainly consists of long-distance travel, such as commercial trucks. Furthermore, the payload-bearing capacity of an FCEV is more than a BEV on account of fuel cell powertrains being significantly lighter, thus allowing engineers to increase the energy capacity without affecting the overall weight by much.
The biggest advantage that a lithium-ion battery has over the fuel cell is the ability to meet the powertrain dynamic demands. There may be many fuel cell configurations being developed right now for dynamic behaviour, however fuel cells are inherently meant for non-dynamic/static behaviour. With researchers in the lithium-ion battery industry working on solid-state cell solutions for mobility, there is hope for better dynamic behaviour from batteries soon.
So, is one better than the other in all cases?
The debate of using BEVs over FCEVs, or vice versa, should be tackled from a different perspective, as it is more a question of which solution is befitting for which transportation needs. BEVs can effectively serve a larger sector in the industry, but their shortcomings can be dealt with by sustainable FCEV solutions.
Lighter powertrains in FCEVs allow for an increase in energy capacity without affecting the overall weight, which in turn can allow for a better range. Fuel cells also exhibit higher payload-bearing capacity and quicker charging (or refuelling time), making it an attractive proposition for heavy-duty and long-distance applications.
The drawback of a fuel cell is that hydrogen is energy-intensive when it comes to production as well as storage, not to mention that the development of fuel cells is still in its early stages, making it quite costly as compared to lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries exhibit much better dynamic behaviour than fuel cells.
BEVs and FCEVs aren’t two sides of the same coin by any means. Instead, one needs to look at them as two different paths that can be taken to solve the same problem – tackling the challenges of sustainable mobility.
BEV and FCEV Efforts at Dorle Controls
At Dorle Controls, we develop model-based software for fuel cells as well as battery chemistries. On the development side, we are working on SOC estimation algorithms using Kalman filters, cell balancing algorithms, as well as the thermal modelling and management of both these energy sources. Integration of fuel cell controller with the BMS controller on a CAN architecture is in focus, as is the verification and validation of batteries through charging and discharging tests. We can also help you out with rapid control prototyping for battery systems using RaptorDev tools.
To know more about our software development capabilities for battery-specific requirements, write to info@dorleco.com.