SMART.H2

Smart monitoring of degradation and regeneration of truck H2 fuel cells using neural networks and impedance tomography

In the SMART.H2 project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the degradation and regeneration of truck H2 fuel cells is being investigated. Hydrogen/air polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) present promising potential for powering electric motors in heavy-duty vehicles. Compared to battery-electric drive systems, PEMFCs have a longer mileage per fuel charge and a shorter refuelling time. Furthermore, they are scalable for high engine power and have a higher system efficiency than combustion engines. PEMFC-based electric motors are free of local pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. Investigating the degradation and regeneration of PEMFCs not only increases our understanding of underlying deactivation processes under realistic operating conditions, but will also help to improve PEMFC lifespan, which will enable the technology to compete with conventional combustion engines.

The project is focused on the development of accelerated degradation tests and instrumental analytical and theoretical methods to identify causal relationships between specific operating conditions in heavy-duty vehicles and the degradation processes in fuel cells. The project has three aims:

1) The development and operation of a laboratory test stand on which single cells and small stacks of up to 2.5 kilowatts of power can be operated and various degradation influences can be investigated. Accelerated degradation tests and regeneration procedures will be developed by means of comparison with synchronous tests on fuel cell systems of up to 100 kilowatts in industrial test rigs.

2) The development and use of a method for the spatially resolved characterisation of fuel cell membrane unit degradation with the aim of using this method to develop a system for the onboard monitoring of fuel cell systems in vehicles.

The modelling of degradation with machine learning methods and the simulation of cells in actual driving operation with the aim of diagnosing degradation conditions in the vehicle itself, efficient controlling of the cells in driving operation, and developing regeneration cycles and procedures for already degraded cells.

Project lead: Prof. Maik Eichelbaum

Researchers: Susanne Thiel, M.Sc.

Project partners: MAN Truck & Bus SE, Prof. Frank Opferkuch (TH Nürnberg), Prof. Raimund Horn (TU Hamburg), Prof. Marc-Georg Willinger (TU München)

Funded by: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Funding period: 1 October 2022 - 30 April 2027