🔋🚗 Fuel Cell–Battery Hybrid Electric Vehicle Simulation in MATLAB

The transition to sustainable mobility demands efficient and reliable power sources for electric vehicles (EVs). While batteries dominate today’s EVs, fuel cells offer a promising alternative for extended range and clean energy. In this blog, we explore a MATLAB/Simulink-based simulation of a fuel cell–battery-driven electric vehicle, showcasing how hybrid power management ensures stability and performance under dynamic conditions. 🌍⚡

MATLAB Simulation of Fuel cell Battery driven Electric Vehicle

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🔋 Fuel Cell & Battery Hybrid Setup

The simulated EV integrates:

• ⚡ Fuel Cell: 24 V, 1.26 kW rated unit supplying baseline power.

• 🔋 Battery Pack: 48 V system handling transient loads and acting as a backup.

• 🔄 Boost Converter with MPPT: Ensures maximum power extraction from the fuel cell.

This hybrid configuration combines steady fuel cell output with the flexibility of a battery, resulting in optimized energy flow for the EV.

⚙️ Power Electronics & Control Strategy

The EV uses an AC motor controlled via:

• 🔌 Voltage Source Converter (VSC) and inverter.

• 🧠 Switching logic from sensor feedback to regulate torque and speed.

• 🔍 Truth table–based control for motor drive signals.

This design guarantees smooth motor operation, stable speed, and efficient torque production. 🚗💨

🌡️ Impact of Fuel Cell Pressure

The simulation explores how fuel cell air pressure affects system performance:

• ✅ 1 atm (Nominal): Maximum fuel cell output (~2000 W).

• ⚠️ 0.5 atm (Reduced): Significant drop in fuel cell power.

• ❌ 0 atm (Loss): Fuel cell unable to supply energy.

These scenarios reveal the sensitivity of fuel cells to environmental conditions and emphasize the role of hybridization.

🔄 Dynamic Role of the Battery

The battery acts as a power buffer, ensuring continuous EV operation:

• 🔋 Charging: When fuel cell produces surplus energy.

• ⚡ Discharging: When fuel cell output falls short.

• 📉 SOC Monitoring: Tracks battery health and usage cycles in real time.

This seamless transition between charging/discharging guarantees uninterrupted motor performance.

🚗 Maintaining Motor Performance

Despite fluctuations in fuel cell output, the EV maintains:

• 🔄 Constant rotor speed

• ⚙️ Stable torque

• 📐 Back EMF consistency

This reliability is achieved through coordinated control of fuel cell, battery, and motor inverter, ensuring the EV’s driveability remains unaffected.

📊 Real-Time Parameter Monitoring

The MATLAB simulation monitors critical parameters for system analysis:

• 🔋 Fuel cell voltage, current, and power

• ⚡ Battery voltage, current, and SOC

• 🚗 Motor speed, torque, and back EMF

This comprehensive monitoring helps in identifying system behaviors, improving efficiency, and optimizing hybrid EV design.

🌍 Key Takeaways

• 🔋 Hybridization ensures reliability: Fuel cell supplies steady energy, while battery balances deficits.

• ⚡ MPPT boosts efficiency: Extracts maximum power under varying conditions.

• 🚗 Motor stability maintained: Smooth driveability despite fluctuating power supply.

• 🌡️ Environmental sensitivity: Fuel cell output varies significantly with air pressure.

• 📊 Full-system monitoring: Provides insights for performance optimization.

✨ Conclusion: This simulation demonstrates how fuel cell–battery hybrids can be modeled and controlled in MATLAB/Simulink to achieve efficient, reliable, and eco-friendly EV performance. It’s a step closer to developing future-ready electric vehicles powered by clean hydrogen and smart energy management. 🌱⚡🚗