25. Case Study: Fuel Cell System Development

The development of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) poses new challenges for engineers. Disciplines relevant for the development of FCEVs include mechanics (e.g., drivetrain elements), electrics/electronics (e.g., electric motors), software (e.g., fuel cell controls), and chemistry (e.g., chemical processes in fuel cells). A systems engineering approach is essential for such interdisciplinary development work and begins at the vehicle level and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration for development tasks such as the balancing of several elements in the powertrain level considering battery capacity, fuel cell system power management, and packaging. In the case at hand, the development of modular fuel cell systems for use in a range of different vehicle types from passenger cars to heavy-duty trucks employs systems engineering principles to define the fuel cell system with the superordinate powertrain and vehicle systems in mind.