Design of a real prototype of a hybrid fuel cell suv: Vehicle “Hércules”

Abstract

Hydrogen is becoming one of the most feasible energy vectors to succeed gasoline as fuel. It has the potential to be obtained from renewable energy sources, having almost a null impact on contamination. Oil wells are drying up and oil does not fulfil the ZEV (zero emission vehicle) program of contamination. These reasons lead to think that oil will pass the baton to hydrogen as the next energetic vector for automotive applications. In addition, hydrogen has the advantage of being used directly in fuel cells which have higher efficiency than internal combustion engines (ICE). Project Hércules consists of the construction of a real sport utility vehicle (SUV) prototype of a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) based in the model Santana 350. It will be fuelled by hydrogen obtained totally renewably by using an electrolyser fed by solar energy. This paper shows, in this framework, all the steps that are needed to be covered to specify the power of the fuel cell, battery and electric motor using the simulation tool ADVISOR™ to match the desired specifications.