Vehicle with fuel cell control system and modes of operation

A system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a fuel cell;
• a fuel cell thermal management system (TMS) configured to provide heating or cooling to the fuel cell;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to operate the fuel cell and the fuel cell TMS such that an acoustic signature or thermal signature of the vehicle is controlled to a target acoustic signature level or a target thermal signature level.

A method of controlling a fuel cell system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• obtaining feedback from a sensor of the fuel cell system;
• operating a fuel cell and a fuel cell thermal management system (TMS) based on the feedback according to an acoustic signature control mode in which an acoustic signature of the vehicle is adjusted towards a target acoustic signature level;
• operating the fuel cell and the fuel cell TMS based on the feedback according to a thermal signature control mode in which a thermal signature of the vehicle is adjusted towards a target thermal signature level;
• operating the fuel cell and the fuel cell TMS based on the feedback according to an acoustic and thermal signature control mode in which both the acoustic signature is adjusted towards the target acoustic signature level and the thermal signature of the vehicle is adjusted towards the target thermal signature level;
• operating the fuel cell and the fuel cell TMS based on the feedback according to an optimized efficiency mode in which operation of the fuel cell and the fuel cell TMS is adjusted based on ambient conditions to reduce energy losses of the fuel cell, the fuel cell TMS, and a battery;
• and
• operating the fuel cell and the fuel cell TMS based on the feedback according to a mission mode in which the vehicle is automatically transitioned between at least the acoustic signature control mode, the thermal signature control mode, the acoustic and thermal signature control mode, and the optimized efficiency mode based on mission data obtained from a mesh network of vehicles.