Proposal and Performance Evaluation of a Fuel Consumption System for H-Bikes, Considering the Shared-Cycle-Use Phase
摘要
Fuel cells (FCs) are power-supply devices that efficiently convert input fuel from chemical to electrical energy. Polymer electrolyte membrane FCs (PEMFCs) are used for co-generation systems and FC vehicles because they can be used at room temperature. In the future, PEMFCs will be used in small-scale applications such as mobile batteries and electrically power-assisted bicycles (E-bikes). This study focuses on the use of FC electrically power-assisted bicycles (H-bike). The use of FCs in mobility applications requires an additional power source. Li-ion batteries are the most commonly used chemical rechargeable batteries. However, they gradually deteriorate through repeated charging and discharging. In addition, the high frequency of battery replacement due to degradation is a critical factor increasing their environmental impacts. Their increased environmental impacts during production and use are expected to contribute to higher product prices in the future. This study focuses on degradation and fuel consumption, which are operational issues for H-bikes equipped with FC systems and metal hydride tanks during shared-used urban cycling. Among the multiple degradation factors, we focus on the degradation caused by the operating conditions and changes in the equipment configuration. First, the operating conditions are set up using various driving data obtained from actual measurements, and the degradation is evaluated by simulation using actual and experimental data. Thereafter, the environmental impact is determined based on an LCA. Finally, referring to the international standards for environmental impact indicators, a comparison with existing E-bikes is performed to quantitatively demonstrate the superiority of introducing H-bikes.