NVH analysis of fuel cell with consideration of driving maneuvers in FCV

Several studies show that the output performances (voltage, power etc.) of Fuel Cells (FC) are influenced by the exposure to vibrations. These effects vary based on the amplitude and the frequency composition of the affecting acceleration. In Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV), due to the absence of internal combustion engine and the introduction of auxiliary components in the FC system and powertrain, the vibration sources, characteristics and transfer paths are very different compared to conventional vehicles. FCs are thus expected to experience novel and complex vibration phenomena caused by components and road roughness. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the vibrations experienced by the FCs in regard to driving manoeuvres. Through measurements with an FCV in different driving scenarios (roller test bench, paved road and sett pavements), this paper identifies vibration sources and analyses the vibration characteristics of the FC. Furthermore, the contributions of these vibration sources on the overall vibration of FC are quantified. The results show, that the low frequency components (below 50 Hz) mainly comes from road excitation, while high frequency components (350-1500 Hz) comes from on-board components. The vibration of these components is caused by rotating parts and the gas flow pulse (H2 valve). H2 pump has the highest contribution on the vibration of FC.