- Putting Fuel Cell Trucks on the Road Together
The working group Thermal Energy Systems at the Institute of Thermodynamics and the Institute for Mobile Machinery and Commercial Vehicles of the Technical University of Braunschweig, together with the partners’ MAN Truck SE, Shell, and Anleg GmbH, are researching solutions for emission-free heavy goods vehicles of tomorrow.
Together, an emission-free long-distance truck will be developed, which will comply with the statutory CO2 reduction regulations.
In order to achieve the goal of an emission-free heavy transporter, the partners want to use a fuel cell system. In contrast to battery-electric drives, it can meet the requirements of a heavy commercial vehicle in long-distance transport with regard to the necessary range of more than 500 kilometers, an engine power of more than 300 kW and a short refueling time. As part of this joint project, a truck will be developed over the next three years. The associated hydrogen infrastructure focuses on a scalable filling station solution that is to be tested on public roads.
Presentation of the funding certificate to the project partners by the Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer. Picture credits: Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure
A challenge: the cooling system
The responsibilities of the two institutes of the TU Braunschweig include the development of all thermal components from battery cooling to cab air conditioning. In addition, they energetically study the hydrogen refueling process and test it in the developed filling station system. In addition, the two institutes are involved in the development of powertrain energy management in the vehicle. “In particular, the realization of the cooling system is a challenge in this context,” said the project manager of the Institute of Thermodynamics, Dr. med. Nicholas Lemke and dr. Wilhelm Tegethoff.
The research results should contribute to accelerating fuel cell and hydrogen technology in commercial vehicles. The joint project is funded by the Federal Government within the “National Innovation Program Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology” with a total of 8.5 million euros. The share of TU-Braunschweig in the volume of funding is expected to be around 800,000 euros.
Source: TUB
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