Fuel-Cell Hybrid Power System Preliminary Design Optimization for Ferry Application

The exploitation of hydrogen-based technologies for on-board power generation is having a significant impact on the shipping industry due to their potential to support the decarbonization. This paper proposes the modeling and optimization of a fuel-cell (FC) hybrid power system for the case study ferry in order to achieve the best performance on stack degradation over the vessel experimental missions cycle. The FC system degradation has a significant impact on hydrogen consumption, energy efficiency and machinery operational cost. The research target is to build a prescriptive digital twin to provide an holistic design of the fuel cell system. The simulations will consider power distribution between components proposing an energy management strategy during the preliminary design phase. By sizing the components to meet the energy demand of a real mission, this work aims to propose a feasible powertrain solution for the ferry under investigation. The results of this study could be valuable for the further development of fuel cell technology for the maritime industry and provide an effective tool in the sizing of the power generation system on board full electric propulsion vessels.