Energetic Macroscopic Representation of a Partial Power Converter based Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

The Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle is one of the solutions envisaged reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Generally, a fuel cell is connected to a second energy source, such as a battery. The connection is realized using an interleaved boost converter. In recent years, a new converter candidate has emerged in the literature: the partial power converter. This converter is intended to connect the fuel cell to the other parts of the vehicle instead of the classical boost converter. Simulations are needed to assess the energetic performance of the partial power converter integrated to the vehicle. A comparison with the boost converter is performed with the same constant efficiency. This study demonstrates a theoretical reduction of 4% of the losses to the advantage of the partial power converter.