Design, integration, and trade-off analyses of gasoline-fueled polymer electrolyte fuel cell systems for transportation.

Prototype fuel-cell-powered vehicles have recently been demonstrated in Japan, Europe, and North America. Conceptual designs and simulations of fuel-cell-powered vehicles have also been published [1-3]. Many of these simulations include detailed vehicle performance models, but they use relatively simplistic fuel-cell power system models. We have developed a comprehensive model of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) power system for automotive propulsion. This system simulation has been used to design and analyze fuel-cell systems and vehicles with gasoline (or other hydrocarbons) as the on-board fuel. The major objective of this analysis is to examine the influence of design parameters on system efficiency and performance, and component sizes