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A fuel cell system (FCS) in a long-haul truck requires an energy storage system (ESS) as a buffer and a device for continuous braking capability, such as a brake resistor (BR). Hence, the complexity of the high-voltage direct current (DC)-link (HVDC) increases due to the high number of power sinks and sources. At the same time, this fact enables a great potential to improve the truck efficiency. In this paper, we address the requirements of the HVDC and present a straightforward parametrizable energy management strategy (EMS) with low computation effort. The rule-based approach continuously evaluates the sinks and source balance to overcome the system complexity and protect the battery from overcharging and deep discharging. With the usage of different characteristic curves, we explicitly utilize the battery capacity to increase the total efficiency of the fuel cell long-haul truck (FCLHT).

Along with the European Union’s objective of further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, manufacturers of agricultural machines want to make their contribution and highlight potential fuel savings. The research project “EKoTech - Efficient fuel use in agricultural technology”, funded by the German Ministry of Agriculture, involves well-known manufacturers and research facilities. The essential objective of this project is to identify savings realized since 1990 and savings potentials until 2030. Further aims are the development of a method and a tool for the evaluation of efficiency measures in process chains and the formulation of recommendations for manufacturers, operators and research facilities. A comprehensive search of fuel consumption and power requirement data of relevant machines and processes provides the database. Additionally typical region-specific operational structures, machine equipment and process chains define model farms.