Title: Design and investigation of a fuel cell car prototype

Authors: A.K.M. Mohiuddin; Mohamed Fadhil Bin Chemani; Mohd Baihaqi Bin Zakaria

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur 53100, Malaysia ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur 53100, Malaysia ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur 53100, Malaysia

Abstract: A hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that uses hydrogen as its on-board fuel for motive power. One of the ways to achieve it is by converting the chemical energy from the reaction between hydrogen and a fuel cell into electrical energy. The purpose of this work is to design and develop a fuel cell car model by implementing polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) types of fuel cell as the source of power to propel the prototype car. This fuel cell has the capability to propel the electric motor by performing chemical reaction and converting chemical energy stored in hydrogen gas into useful electrical energy. In the developed fuel cell car prototype, the PEM fuel cell alone is used as the power source for the electric motor without the aid of any other power source such as a battery associated with it. Experimental investigations were carried out to investigate the characteristics of the fuel cell used and the performance of the fuel cell car prototype. The power it develops, voltage, current and speed it produces under different load conditions are among the parameters that were investigated.

Keywords: PEM fuel cells; vehicle prototypes; polymer electrolyte membranes; vehicle performance; hydrogen vehicles; vehicle design; vehicle modelling; power source; electric motors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVSMT.2014.066506

International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing, 2014 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.321 - 333

Published online: 30 Dec 2014 *

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