Development of a fuel cell hybrid low-speed electric vehicle testing facility

Low-speed electric vehicles, powered by an electric motor, produce no emissions and travel at speeds below 40 km/h. These vehicles are designed to complement primary vehicles for local neighborhood transportation.; The fuel cell hybrid electric system has the ideal characteristics needed to power these low-speed vehicles. This type of system can attain a much longer range and a shorter recharge/refuel time when compared with electric vehicles powered solely by batteries.; To optimize these modern vehicles and the fuel cell power system for a given driving environment, the hybrid power system and vehicle must be tested under specific road cycles developed from realistic traffic patterns before mass-production begins. A testing apparatus known as a "dynamometer" is usually chosen for testing purposes.; Dynamometers are used to isolate and quantify a vehicle torque, power output, and dynamics from overall vehicle performance. When combined with drive cycle simulations, dynamometer testing can serve as an effective evaluation tool in vehicle design and optimization. The results from dynamometer testing provide useful information for the theoretical models and guide the design of the vehicle and the fuel cell power system. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...