Water management off-road Fuel cell system

Title: Water management solutions for off-road Fuel cell powertrainsystem
Background of thesis project:
Sustainability including climate change are the challenges ofour generation. Volvo’s contribution is to offer leading transport andinfrastructure solutions enabling societies to prosper in a sustainable way.Hydrogen based Fuel cell technology offers a sustainable solution for the off-roadsegment, but it comes with its own share of challenges.
A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) convertshydrogen and oxygen into electricity from an electrochemical reaction,resulting in water as a by-product. Efficient management of the produced water(liquid form) is crucial in high power off-road machines as discharging it inworksites can be cumbersome.
Description of thesis work:
The target of the thesis is to prove aworking concept of a by-product water management solution for fuel cells,conceptually and practically. The proof of concept of the solution can beconcluded with the implementation of the concept on a demonstration vehicle.
Details:
· Get familiar with fuel cell technology andunderstand the water production conditions.
· Perform a literature study on available watermanagement solutions.
· Develop simulation model to understand exhaustcharacteristics.
· Understand the needs and challenges of implementinga solution for off-road machines.
· Propose and develop a novel solution or adaptexisting solutions for off-road machines.
· Analyse the possibilities to use the steam/waterfor other purposes at machine and site level.

Suitable background of student:
Students pursuing their Masters in EnergyEngineering, Vehicle Engineering, Sustainability, or any related studies.
It is advantageous if you have prior experience intopics related to fuel cell and electrochemistry.
You should have an interest in innovation,curiosity to learn new things, good communicationskills and an eagerness to understand.

Thesis Level: Master
Language: Swedish or English
Starting date: 1/1/ 2023 or earlier
Number of students: 1-2
Tutor: Mano Rajendran and Johan Ask