System design and optimization of the world´s fastest hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

The Buckeye Bullet 2 is the world´s fastest hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, with a certified FIA record of 487.433 km/hr (302.877 mi/hr). This paper provides the basic details of the overall vehicle and focuses on the design, testing, and optimization of the propulsion system. A unique fuel cell system was designed, tested, and integrated to produce over 500 kW of power, more than twice of its original rating. A unique pressure control is required to run the cathode system at maximum pressure during the race, and to manage the transient pressure pulses that occur when the race vehicle manual transmission is shifted. This causes rapid changes in the consumption of reactants, leading to severe pressure spikes that were limited with a custom tuned pressure relief system for the anode and cathode.