Simulation of the operation of a fleet of materials handling and transport vehicles, powered by fuel cells

Abstract The aim of this paper is to study the dynamic behaviour of hydrogen technology in a company in which material handling and transportation is used as part of the production cycle at a business in the logistics sector, located in Madrid, Spain. The company owns a fleet of 38 vehicles of four different types powered by fuel cells, which are sufficient to handle and transport 36,000 pallets a week. Using the number of vehicles, the energy consumption and the work cycles for each type of vehicle as the main input variables, TRNSYS software was used to simulate this type of system to ascertain the dimensions of the hydrogen infrastructure. By simulating numerous configurations, we obtained the infrastructure that was most suitable for supplying the fleet and guaranteeing its autonomous operation for a five-day period. The results of the simulation are expressed in terms of the time variation of the energy consumed by the electrolysis system and the compressor, as well as the pressure and volume of the gas in the storage tank. From this it can be deduced that establishing the dimensions of the component elements means the entire system reaches a stable dynamic operation in a timeframe equivalent to 17% of the simulation horizon, with the operational and financial advantages that this entails. This is because the electrolysis system that is required operates continuously during that time, and the power consumed by the electrolysers is the system's main operational variable. The procedure employed for this study can be replicated in other similar situations by adjusting the input variables and any specific requirements.