Modeling and optimal control of fast filling process of hydrogen to fuel cell vehicle

•The lumped parameters thermodynamic model for the filling process is developed.•The variable pressure switching point strategy is adopted for different initial states.•A multi-objective optimization model is proposed considering energy consumption, filling time and SOC.•The application of the optimization algorithm on the real-time pre-cooling system control is proposed. Due to the rapid compression of hydrogen and the Joule-Thompson effect specific to hydrogen during the fast filling process, the internal temperature of the cylinder rises sharply which may lead to hidden safety hazards. In this study, a high-pressure hydrogen filling process is considered, and a simple mathematical model of a cascade storage system of a hydrogen refilling station is developed to analyze the temperature rise in hydrogen cylinders under different working conditions. The results show the pressure switching coefficient has a great impact on the filling time, and the pre-cooling of hydrogen has a significant impact on the temperature rise and the states of charge (SOC) within cylinder. Herein, a multi-objective iterative optimization algorithm is proposed to calculate the above two controllable variables (pressure switching coefficient, pre-cooling temperature of hydrogen) with the objectives of faster refueling, lower energy consumption and higher SOC within cylinders in cascade hydrogen refueling. Besides, this method could significantly decrease energy consumption, improve SOC and allow acceptable refueling time.