Energy Management Strategies for Forklifts Using Metal-Hydride Hydrogen Storage

Hydrogen fuel-cell forklifts are attracting increasing attention as low-noise and zero-emission alternatives to conventional forklifts. Owing to its high volumetric hydrogen density and favorable safety characteristics, metal-hydride storage shows strong potential for such applications. This work focuses on a hydrogen fuel-cell forklift using metal hydride-based hydrogen storage. A hybrid powertrain model with a PEMFC and battery is developed from thermodynamic and electrochemical formulations. Hydrogen desorption behavior in the storage tank and transient responses of both power sources are considered, and three energy management strategies are evaluated: rule-based, fuzzy logic, and adaptive fuzzy logic strategies. Under typical operating conditions, each strategy satisfies the forklift power demand in simulation. Compared with rule-based control, adaptive fuzzy logic control markedly suppresses fuel-cell power fluctuations. Compared with basic fuzzy logic control, the proposed adaptive strategy improves SOC retention and overall energy distribution. These findings may provide preliminary support for powertrain matching, hydrogen storage system parameter selection, and energy management design in hydrogen fuel-cell forklift applications.