Future sustainable hydrogen mobility: advanced modelling and control strategies of H2ICE powertrains coupled with environmental impact and cost assessment

The ambitious targets set by the European Green Deal for a sustainable transition toward greener transportation solutions have underlined the need for new propulsion concepts. Among the possible solutions, Hydrogen-fuelled Internal Combustion Engines (H2ICEs) might play a pivotal role, allowing to decarbonize the sector in a smooth way. A sustainable transition couples environmental aspects with economic and social ones, therefore it is fundamental to evaluate the overall emissions of the vehicles, considering both carbon and pollutants lifecycle emissions while also evaluating the total expenses, to identify the best compromise between environmental sustainability and financial feasibility. This thesis is structured in two different parts: the first one shows how artificial neural networks techniques have been exploited to generate a fast running 0-D engine model capable to replicate a 1-D reference one. Starting from this model, an innovative torque-based control strategy for H2ICE-powerered powertrains has been developed. The latter (together with the engine model) has been integrated in a vehicle model and tested on reference homologation cycles the purpose being to assess the performance of the vehicle and the capability of the control structure to deliver the requested torque, while minimizing consumption and emissions without compromising reliability. In the second part, different hydrogen fuelled vehicles and a battery-electric one are compared in the current and future energetic scenarios in all EU-27 countries in terms of total lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions (considering vehicle production and energy generation/distribution), pollutant emissions (considering fuel/energy production, raw material extraction, exhaust and wear-associated emissions) and total cost of ownership with the aim of identifying the best powertrain configuration for each country.