Control Strategy for the dc-dc Converter in the Drive Train of a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle in order to Improve its Autonomy

Conventional vehicles have the advantage of offering good performance and a long range, but they are polluting and emit greenhouse gases, as well as low energy efficiency. In this respect, interest in electric vehicles is growing. Fuel economy is highly dependent on the on-board energy storage system (ESS) of the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Batteries are the main energy storage devices in FCEVs. The design of the battery and the connected inverter play an important role in energy saving and state of charge (SOC), directly influencing the range of the vehicle. In this paper, the control of the Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) bus feeding the electric motor taking into account the effect of the parameters on vehicle performance and energy consumption has been investigated. Following the tests, we determined the various energy consumptions of the vehicle as well as its range, according to the driving cycle used New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).