Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2013, Mechanical Engineering

The work presented within this thesis consists of the validation of a supervisory controller and vehicle simulator for the ECO Saver IV demonstration bus being developed as part of the National Fuel Cell Bus Program (NFCBP). The goal of the NFCBP is to develop fuel cell transit buses such that a U.S. industry for fuel cell bus technology can be established through both technology innovation and increased public awareness of fuel cell vehicles. The use of fuel cells in vehicles is desirable due to their high efficiencies and zero emissions, allowing the transportation sector to rely less heavily on petroleum and carbon based fuels that emit hazardous greenhouse gases. The ECO Saver IV, as designed by the DesignLine Corporation through a contract with the Center for Transportation and the Environment, is a battery dominant fuel cell hybrid bus that takes advantage of the benefits of hybridization in conjunction with the benefits of the fuel cell. The team of researchers at The Ohio State University (OSU) Center for Automotive Research (CAR) served as a subcontractor to develop a supervisory controller and fuel cell hybrid bus simulator, modeled after the chosen powertrain architecture. The validation performed involved the use of software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop simulations, where the results were compared to baseline model-in-the-loop simulations. The driving conditions of the intended application of the demonstration bus, i.e., integration into the OSU Campus Area Bus Services (CABS) fleet, were taken into consideration through the development of real-world drive cycles that were representative of actual CABS bus routes. A new driver model was developed that solved issues related to tracking distance, velocity and road grade to enable the use of real-world drive cycles. The results of the validation are to be used in the final phases of development and construction of the ECO Saver IV fuel cell hybrid transit bus to prove the effectiveness of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Shawn Midlam-Mohler Dr. (Advisor); Yann Guezennec Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Automotive Engineering; Engineering; Mechanical Engineering