Master Thesis - Health-Aware Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy for Fuel Cell Hybrid Elect
Göteborg, SE, 417 15
Transport is at the core of modern society. Imagine using your expertise to shape sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions for the future. If you seek to make a difference on a global scale, working with next-gen technologies and the sharpest collaborative teams, then we could be a perfect match.
Background
Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs), characterized as a hybrid powertrain containing a Fuel Cell System (FCS) and an Energy Storage System (EES), are at the forefront of sustainable mobility, offering high efficiency and low emissions. A central challenge in this field is the development of energy management strategies that optimize both fuel economy and the longevity of key components, such as fuel cells and batteries.
Equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) is widely used approach for real-time energy management in FCEVs. By means of a delicate equivalence factor, ECMS attempts to minimize the equivalent energy consumption which is the sum of actual hydrogen consumption by the FCS and equivalent electricity one by the ESS. Consequently, ECMS enables compelling hydrogen and electricity efficiencies without compromising drivability.
Due to increasing requirements in a real FCHEV application, the existing ECMS functionalities need to be further refined and enhanced. First and foremost, energy efficiency should not be regarded as the sole optimization objective; the lifespans of powertrain components - particularly the fuel cell system (FCS) and energy storage system (ESS) - must be carefully preserved, as reflected by their state of health (SOH). Additionally, the charge sustainability of the ESS, typically measured by the state of charge (SOC), should be maintained within an appropriate range to ensure the reliable operation of all onboard auxiliary systems. Furthermore, the decoupling of transient power flows between the FCS and ESS provides greater flexibility for optimization, enabling the pursuit of more comprehensive and balanced performance outcomes.
What You Will Do
The research tasks in this thesis project are summarized as below:
- Conduct a comprehensive review and critical assessment of current ECMS-based energy management strategies for FCHEVs, including adaptive and health-conscious variants.
- Propose and develop alternative or improved ECMS-based solutions, which simultaneously co-optimize hydrogen consumption as well as FCS/ESS degradation and maintains ESS SoC within an appropriate range.
- Develop and implement efficient solution methods for the formulated ECMS problem to ensure that (quasi-)optimal results are achieved while meeting real-time computational requirements.
- Implement the proposed ECMS module on Volvo’s Global Simulation Platform (GSP), rigorously verify its effectiveness, and assess its advantages.
- (Optional) Prepare a conference paper to present the innovative aspects and findings of the research.
To summarize, the aim of this Master Thesis project is to study enhanced ECMS for real-time energy management in FCHEVs. The objective is to critically evaluate existing health-conscious and adaptive ECMS-based approaches, benchmark their performance, and explore innovative enhancements. Emphasis will be placed on strategies that address not only fuel consumption but also the health and degradation of energy sources.
Who You Are
This thesis project will be conducted in collaboration with the Software Solutions team at Volvo Group Trucks Technology and is recommended for a group of two Master Thesis students. Qualified candidates should possess solid knowledge and strong skills in the following areas:
- Academic background in vehicle engineering, mechanical engineering, automatic control, mechatronics, applied mathematics, embedded systems, or related disciplines
- Expertise in optimal control theory and methods
- Experience in dynamic system modeling and embedded system design
- Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink
- A strong interest in energy management for new energy vehicles
Contact People and Starting Date
Project start: January 2026
Last application date: Please apply no later than the 15th of November 2025
Contact people:
Tong Liu, (Industrial Supervisor), Volvo GTT – Software Solutions, Göteborg, Sweden
E-mail: tong.liu@volvo.com
Tel: +46 760937205
Professor Torsten Wik (Academic Supervisor & Examiner) – Systems and Control - Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
E-mail: torsten.wik@chalmers.se
Tel: +46 31 7725146
We value your data privacy and therefore do not accept applications via mail.
Who we are and what we believe in
We are committed to shaping the future landscape of efficient, safe, and sustainable transport solutions. Fulfilling our mission creates countless career opportunities for talents across the group’s leading brands and entities.
Applying to this job offers you the opportunity to join Volvo Group. Every day, you will be working with some of the sharpest and most creative brains in our field to be able to leave our society in better shape for the next generation. We are passionate about what we do, and we thrive on teamwork. We are almost 100,000 people united around the world by a culture of care, inclusiveness, and empowerment.
Group Trucks Technology are seeking talents to help design sustainable transportation solutions for the future. As part of our team, you’ll help us by engineering exciting next-gen technologies and contribute to projects that determine new, sustainable solutions. Bring your love of developing systems, working collaboratively, and your advanced skills to a place where you can make an impact. Join our design shift that leaves society in good shape for the next generation.