A power system combining batteries and supercapacitors in a solar/hydrogen hybrid electric vehicle

In this paper, a solar/hydrogen hybrid power system, which reduces the required hydrogen fuel cell power output by combining batteries and supercapacitors in an electric vehicle, is presented. It is shown that this combination can minimise vehicle costs in terms of capital outlay, weight, and fuel. The supercapacitors provide instantaneous peak power as the fuel cell responds to power demand over a few seconds. The batteries and fuel cell in conjunction provide extended peak power supply. The batteries and supercapacitors absorb fuel cell shut-off lag and regenerated power. The design is modelled using PSIM, and tested by simulating a likely driving scenario. The conclusion reached is that combining batteries and supercapacitors in a fuel cell power system could be an effective and cost-efficient means of providing power for an electric transport system.