A Comparative Study of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Hybridization with Battery or Supercapacitor

This paper deals with the conception and the achievement of a hybrid power source using a fuel cell combined with a battery or a supercapacitor. In which, the fuel cell supplies the main power to the drive system; while the battery or the supercapacitor is used as an auxiliary power source. This gives the benefit that the regenerative energy is stored in battery or supercapacitor during the deceleration and it is transferred back to the drive system during the acceleration when compared to electric vehicles solely powered by a fuel cell. Different energy storage devices, such as fuel cell, battery, and supercapacitor are compared., and then several structures of fuel cell-based electric vehicles are analyzed in the paper. Following that a conventional topology based on fuel cell and battery using a DC/DC converter with the connection between the fuel cell and the inverter, and a floating voltage topology powered by fuel cell and supercapacitor without any DC/DC converters are chosen for the simulation analysis. Simulation results show that power variations of the fuel cell in floating voltage topology can be smoother, and its rated power is downsized, which can extend the fuel cell lifetime and take full advantages of the fuel cell and the supercapacitor

Economic and Policy Challenges of the Energy Transition in CEE Countries

With the announcement of the European Green Deal, which defines a set of policy initiatives aimed at achieving a 50–55% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and making Europe climate neutral in 2050, the challenge of energy transition becomes even more critical. The transformation of national energy systems towards sustainability is progressing throughout all Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, yet the goals and results are different. Most EU Member States have made substantial progress towards meeting their long-term commitments of emissions reductions. However, some bloc members have struggled to meet their obligations. An effective energy transition requires the introduction of appropriately designed policy instruments and of robust economic analyses that ensure the best possible outcomes at the lowest costs for society. In this context, this Special Issue aims to bring into the discussion the challenges that CEE countries have to face and overcome while undergoing energy transition