Multi-Criteria Optimal Design for FUEL Cell Hybrid Power Sources

This paper presents the development of a global and integrated sizing approach under different performance indexes applied to fuel cell/battery hybrid power systems. The strong coupling between the hardware sizing process and the system supervision (energy management strategy EMS) makes it hard for the design to consider all the possibilities, and today’s methodologies are mostly experience-based approaches that are impervious to technological disruption. With a smart design approach, new technologies are easier to consider, and this approach facilitates the use of new technologies for transport applications with a decision help tool. An automotive application with a hybrid fuel cell (PEMFC)/battery (Li-Ion) is considered to develop this approach. The proposed approach is based on imbricated optimization loops and considers multiple criteria such as the fuel consumption, reliability, and volume of the architecture, in keeping with industry expectations to allow a good trade-off between different performance indexes and explore their design options. This constitutes a low computational time and a very effective support tool that allows limited overconsumption and lifetime reduction for designed architecture in extreme and non-optimal use. We obtain, thanks to this work, a pre-design tool that helps to realize the first conception choice.