Jeffrey Wishart

From Common Energy UVic

Pointing at the fuel cell stack in the IESVic fuel cell-battery hybrid scooter

My research is focused on state-of-the-art hybrid vehicle powertrain architectures, including internal combustion engine-battery hybrids as well as novel technologies such as fuel cells and ultracapacitors that will be components of the next-generation hybrid vehicles. The goal of the research is to determine the performance capabilities of the various designs, and perform mathematical optimizations to achieve the optimal design from the possible configurations.

The performance is gauged by modelling of the components and the systems as a whole, and conducting simulations using simulation software packages. A custom-built dynamometer allows for experimental validation of the theoretical results. The two main vehicle types being investigated are scooters and commercial vehicles. Two battery-powered scooters have been purchased and one has been transformed into a fuel cell-battery hybrid scooter; the scooters have been modelled and will be tested soon. The commercial vehicles are being studied as part of a collaboration with a Lower Mainland company called Azure Dynamics that manufactures hybrid powertrains for commercial vehicles. My research group has been contracted to perform modelling and control strategy development.

I am also involved in the pilot Hybrid Fuel Cell Bus Project with BC Transit. BC Transit hopes to have over 20 fuel cell-battery hybrid buses in operation for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games in Vancouver. The buses are scheduled to service the Whistler region during the event in order to demonstrate fuel cell technology and to hasten the commercialization of fuel cell technology.

Keywords: Hybrid vehicle, fuel cell stack, fuel cell system, design optimization, modelling

[edit] Colleagues

Fellow graduate student:

• Leon Zhou

IESVic members:

• Lawrence Pitt, PhD
• Andrew Rowe, PhD
• Ned Djilali, PhD

[edit] Relevant Links

Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria (IESVic)

Ballard Power Systems

National Renewable Laboratory ADVISOR Site

Azure Dynamics Corporation

BC Transit Website: Fleet: Path to Purchase

Media:Interview_CBC_AllPointsWest.ogg

[edit] Published Papers

Canadian Journal of Physics, Volume 78, Number 11, 2000: On transition radiation Image:CJOP2000.pdf

First International Green Energy Conference 2005: Optimization of a fuel cell sytem based on empirical data of a PEM fuel cell stack and the generalized electrochemical model Image:IGEC-1.pdf

2006 ASME Design Automation Conference: Optimization of a PEM fuel cell system for low-speed hybrid electric vehicles Image:DAC2006.pdf

Journal of Power Sources, Volume 161, Issue 2, 2006: Optimization of a PEM Fuel Cell System Based on Empirical Data and a Generalized Electrochemical Semi-Empirical Model Image:JOPS2006.pdf

2007 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conference: Review, Modelling, and Simulation of Two-mode Hybrid Vehicle Architecture Image:IDETC2007.pdf