Motivation and objectives
Fuel cell systems require a precisely controlled cathode air supply for efficient operation, the design of which significantly determines efficiency, dynamic performance, and long-term stability. Due to the specific requirements of fuel cells – such as low temperature tolerances, high humidity sensitivity, and fluctuating load profiles – the compressor, turbine, and electric motor in the charging unit must be optimally coordinated. At the same time, future mobility applications require extended operating ranges for the air supply, which is why measures to expand the operating range are being numerically evaluated and investigated with regard to their influence on efficiency, pressure ratio, and thermal loads. The ARIEL project addresses these challenges through an interdisciplinary examination of the entire air supply chain.
To this end, TFD is developing and testing an electric fuel cell charging system, whose components are being examined under realistic conditions on the institute's own test bench. The focus here is particularly on the experimental validation of numerically identified measures for characteristic map expansion, the dynamic behavior of the air supply system, and the interactions between the compressor, recuperation, and fuel cell. The findings will be used to derive optimized control and design strategies and are expected to result in a fully validated, near-series charging system. ARIEL is thus making a decisive contribution to the further development of efficient cathode air supply systems and, consequently, to the performance of hydrogen-based fuel cell drives.
Responsible Institute
The project is managed by the Institute for Turbomachinery and Fluid Dynamics.
Partner institutions
The project is supported by the Technical University of Braunschweig.
The project is supported by Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.
The project is supported by Volkswagen AG.
