Use of Fuel Cells on a Land Vehicle and its modelling with CAD System

The attainment of rational energy use can be obtained by using a co-generation system, which is a system able to produce thermal and electric power at the same time, or better through a trigenerative system able to produce the necessary cooling energy to air conditioning from "waste" thermal energy. If a system of electrical energy production gives consistent quality and quantity of thermal energy as a by-product, it is always convenient beyond that useful to recover it. In this way, both a higher efficiency of the whole system and an obvious reduction of the polluting emissions (otherwise produced if the thermal energy rate is generated in a separate manner) are obtained. Among the energy production systems that have the characteristic of "trigenerate" in addition to the production of primary energy in the shape of mechanical or electrical energy, fuel cells in tandem with heat pumps are undoubtedly among the more innovative energetic systems, in terms of energetic sustainability or environmental sustainability. These innovative fuel cell systems are the object of study of both research bodies and automotive constructors as an alternative to traditional internal combustion engines. In this paper, the analysis of these fuel cell systems, working in the propulsion and in the trigenerative order, in the low-power field is carried out, in terms of some significant parameters based on the use of the fuel, on its electric power conversion performance and above all on the environmental impact of the considered system. Then the determination of the said system is achieved in an application to a real case relative to land traction. Finally, through CAD modelling, the feasibility of rationally positioning the two energetic systems, the propulsive and the trigenerative ones, inside the vehicle, is highlighted.