Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a novel method to optimise the weight and size distribution of components in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). This innovation aims to enhance vehicle efficiency and facilitate commercial adoption.
The new method optimises the weight, cost, and range of FCEVs by recommending the optimal size for the radiator and thermal energy storage (TES) unit. This approach addresses the challenge of managing the heat generated by fuel cells, which traditionally requires large radiators, thereby increasing vehicle weight and size.
IIT Bombay's team, led by Prof Prakash C. Ghosh and Prime Minister's Research Fellow (PMRF) Nadiya Philip, proposed a compact radiator coupled with a TES unit. This setup uses paraffin wax as a phase change material (PCM) to store thermal energy, significantly reducing radiator size and maintaining a constant coolant temperature.
The study combines Electrical Energy Storage (EES) systems with TES units and employs pinch analysis to determine the optimal sizes for radiators, fuel cells, EES, and TES components. This integration could potentially reduce the radiator size in heavy-duty vehicles by up to 2.5 times, optimising weight, volume, cost, and range according to manufacturers' needs.
Future steps include lab-scale experiments and real-time vehicle testing to validate the proposed thermal management system's effectiveness under various driving conditions. (Source: ET)
