Extending the cruising distance of fuel cell vehicles by active motor-generator loss control

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K04335
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21010:Power engineering-related
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: KATO Shuhei 日本大学, 生産工学部, 准教授 (40802294)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 野村 新一 明治大学, 理工学部, 専任准教授 (90401520)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 水素燃料電池自動車 / 電気自動車 / 回生失効 / フェード現象

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims at a breakthrough in increasing the cruising range by 50%, which is one of the major challenges of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that are expected to be developed. This goal is achieved by reducing bulky electrical components through a proposed method that actively controls motor-generator losses, and by loading additional hydrogen fuel into the empty space.
In this study, we measured the temperature rise of the motor generator at zero power generation. It was also demonstrated that the temperature rise width in the braking time-series pattern for about 15 minutes simulating the continuous downhill Hakone Pass was lower than the temperature rise width during continuous high-efficiency drive operation at 100% load.

Free Research Field

パワーエレクトロニクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は開発が期待されている水素燃料電池自動車の大きな課題の１つとなっているブレーキ性能向上を解決するだけでなく、広く電動発電機に関わる回転機器のブレーキ機能安全性向上にも応用可能である。例えば本研究は風力発電機の倒壊防止用緊急ブレーキや電車緊急ブレーキなどへ応用可能なため、非常に大きな波及効果が期待できる。