Qualification of the safety levels of hydrogen vehicles

Since its creation in 1989, our design office has cultivated a high technical level in the field of digital multi-physics simulation. In parallel with our digital simulation activities, we are able to offer a wide range of physical tests (sub-system and complete vehicle). Thanks to this expertise, our teams have been able to develop strong relationships with the major players in mobility (automotive, trucks, and railway). Today, our investments are focused on innovative validation methodologies that reduce development times and costs.

Soft mobility solutions are starting to flourish as the anti-pollution standards on particulate emissions are being tightened and the decline of thermal engines is forecast. Electric vehicles are the subject of a great deal of research in order to accelerate their deployment and reduce their cost. In Europe, the focus is on developing the hydrogen sector in all of its aspects (production, storage, transport, distribution, mobile application) in order to maintain technological expertise.

A hydrogen vehicle is an electric vehicle that uses a fuel cell to transform the hydrogen stored on board into electricity to supply the engine with energy. Compared to a battery-powered electric vehicle, hydrogen has the following advantages:

• Superior autonomy
• Shorter recharge time
• Higher energy density (mass and volume)

The major obstacles to the rapid democratisation of hydrogen through means of transport remain the additional costs of the vehicle when purchasing it, as well as of hydrogen when recharging. Batteries and hydrogen constitute two complementary technological bricks. Combined, they can cater for a wide variety of use through parameterising the battery capacity, the power of the fuel cell, and the capacity of the hydrogen tanks (possible architectures: range extender, mid-power, full power).