Estimating impact of Vehicle-to-Grid operation on automotive fuel cell performance

Abstract

In a future scenario electric vehicles (EV) could be operated in Vehicle to Grid (V2G) mode to support the national and renewable energy electricity grid by providing ancillary services such as peak shaving and frequency regulation. While developing financial models to price these services it is important to include the impact of Vehicle to Grid operation on the power-delivery components of these Electric Vehicles. Considerable amount of academic research has been focused on understanding the impact of Vehicle to Grid operation on Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). However, information about the impact of Vehicle to Grid operation on the fuel cells (FCs) of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) and Fuel Cell Range Extender Electric Vehicles (FCREEVs) is scarce.

Long term tests are required to asses the impact of Vehicle to Grid operation on these fuel cells. The fuel tank volume limitation of the TU Delft Hyundai FCEV does not allow for long term Vehicle to Grid experiments using the operational Vehicle to Grid set-up at the TU Delft Green Village site. Furthermore, there exist limited control over the power management strategy programmed in the Hyundai FCEV; the power management strategy defining the load cycle it’s Fuel Cell undergoes in Vehicle to Grid operation. This study therefore proposes a method to conduct simulated long term Vehicle to Grid experiments on a laboratory test bench. The method has also been applied, and the impact of simulated Vehicle to Grid operation on the Fuel Cell of the PEMFC test bench estimated. Most importantly, the experimental conditions simulated on the laboratory test-bench were derived from data recorded in the Hyundai FCEV during actual Vehicle to Grid operation. Simulated Vehicle to Grid operation under three aging cycles: high constant load (CC1), low constant load (CC2) and cyclic load (CC3), was found to cause a performance loss in the range of 31.4 μV h 1 to 40.9 μV h 1, 62.5 μV h 1 to 63.9 μV h 1 and 36.1 μV h 1 to 92.4 μV h 1 respectively.