IE-DRIVE HD100 heavy-duty PEM fuel cell system

The IE-DRIVE HD100 is a heavy-duty PEM fuel cell system from Intelligent Energy, a hydrogen fuel cell power system for buses, trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. It is engineered to deliver up to 100 kW of continuous zero-emission power for demanding automotive and industrial applications. A single fuel cell module houses the PEM fuel cell stack and the majority of the balance of plant, which limits system complexity and installation effort.

The module package contains the fuel cell stack, low-pressure hydrogen management, an air compressor module, an internal water module and the control system. The heat exchanger and the exhaust and intake filter are packaged separately, and Intelligent Energy supplies the heat exchanger and exhaust system so that the customer receives a near-complete solution ready for integration. The stack is an evaporatively cooled design with metallic pressed-plate bipolar construction and no separate cooling plates. The maker lists a smaller heat exchanger, high power density and long life among the benefits.

For the integrator, the key figures are as follows. The maximum net output is 100 kW. The output voltage range is 250–400 V, and the net current output reaches 440 A, which defines the busbar and DC-DC converter sizing on the vehicle side. Peak efficiency is 55%, meaning that this share of the hydrogen energy leaves the system as electrical energy at its best operating point. The datasheet also gives a power ramp-up rating for load transients and the hydrogen fuel flow at a reference power, stated at beginning of life and at end of life, so tank and supply sizing should take the end-of-life flow into account.

The fuel cell module has a mass of 285 kg, excluding the condenser and the DC-DC converter. Its dimensions and volume are listed in the specifications. Nominal operating ambient temperature is -20–40 °C, with derated operation possible beyond that range and a wider storage and shipment range, both given in the datasheet.

Integration follows the StaSHH (Standardisation of Heavy-Duty Hydrogen) interface standard, which supports compatibility with a range of vehicle platforms. The system runs on gaseous hydrogen of grade D under the ISO hydrogen fuel quality standard, supplied at the gauge pressure range stated in the datasheet. The modular one-box design is scalable to multi-megawatt installations by combining systems.

The system has been developed with road-use certification in mind. The sources do not list any completed certifications, so buyers should confirm the approval status with the maker for their application.

Typical applications are heavy-duty road vehicles such as coaches, buses and trucks; material handling equipment such as forklifts and port vehicles; off-highway vehicles in mining, agriculture and construction; rail and marine propulsion; and stationary and mobile power, including hybrid generators, emergency backup units and multi-megawatt hydrogen power plants.