Hydrogen fuel cell engine. We start a conventional internal combustion engine on hydrogen

About 45% of the oil produced in the world is used as fuel for cars. Oil reserves are limited and are not renewable, so the search for a universal source of energy that can be obtained in conditionally unlimited quantities is, of course, an urgent task.

Hydrogen as a fuel for engines is considered among the most promising substances. The reserves of hydrogen on Earth are practically inexhaustible, since it can be easily isolated from ordinary water. The storage and transportation of this gas, although associated with certain difficulties, is feasible. And, most importantly, with equal masses, burning hydrogen releases 3 times more energy than burning gasoline.

The first patent for a hydrogen power plant was issued in England back in 1841. In 1852, an engine was built in Germany internal combustion, running on a mixture of hydrogen and air, and on the infamous Zeppelin Hindenburg airship were installed travel motors, working on lighting gas - mixtures of gases with a fifty percent share of hydrogen.

Interest in hydrogen engines resumed in the seventies, with the advent of the fuel and energy crisis.

After the end of the oil crisis, interest in alternative energy sources did not disappear. Currently, it is being intensively heated by environmentalists who are fighting to reduce harmful emissions in atmosphere. In addition, ever-increasing energy prices and the desire of many countries to become fuel independent contribute to the continuation of theoretical and practical research on how to use hydrogen in vehicles.

The most active research on the development of hydrogen engines is carried out by companies General Motors, Honda motor, Ford motor, BMW and others.

Types and principle of operation of hydrogen engines

Modern power plants are divided according to the principle of operation into two types: electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells and internal combustion engines powered by hydrogen.

Power plants based on hydrogen fuel cells

The principle of operation of fuel cells is based on a physical and chemical reaction. Essentially, fuel cells resemble conventional lead batteries. The difference is that the efficiency of a fuel cell is significantly higher than the efficiency of a battery and is 45% or more.

A membrane conducting only protons is installed in the housing of the hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell. It separates two chambers with electrodes - an anode and a cathode. Hydrogen is supplied to the anode chamber, and oxygen is supplied to the cathode chamber. Each electrode is coated with a catalyst layer, such as platinum. Molecular hydrogen under the influence of a catalyst deposited on the anode loses electrons. Protons are conducted through the membrane to the cathode, and under the influence of a catalyst, they combine with electrons (the flow of electrons is supplied from the outside), as a result of which water is formed. Electrons from the anode chamber go into an electrical circuit connected to the engine, that is, in everyday language, electricity supplying the electric motor.

The current models of a car with a fuel cell power plant are the Niva with the Antel-1 power plant and the Lada 111 with Antel-2, developed by Ural engineers. On one charge, the first car can cover 200 km, the second - 350 km.

Hydrogen internal combustion engines

When using hydrogen in a conventional internal combustion engine, a number of problems arise. First, at high temperature and compression, hydrogen reacts with the metal from which the engine is made, and even with engine oil. In addition, in the event of even a small leak, upon contact with a hot exhaust manifold, it will inevitably catch fire. Therefore, by the way, to work on hydrogen they use rotary engines, the design of which implies remoteness intake manifold from the outlet, which reduces the risk of fire. However, all these problems, including the need to change the ignition system, somehow manage to get around, which allows engineers to consider hydrogen as a promising fuel.

An internal combustion engine running on hydrogen has an efficiency lower than that of fuel cell engines, but the fact that less hydrogen is needed to produce 1 kW of energy than gasoline makes it possible to put up with a reduced efficiency.

An excellent example of a hydrogen-powered car is the experimental bmw sedan 750hL, produced limited edition and available to buyers. It contains 12 cylinder engine, running on rocket fuel (hydrogen + oxygen), allowing to accelerate to 140 km / h.

Liquefied hydrogen is stored in a special tank at a low temperature. The supply of hydrogen is enough for about 300 kilometers. If it is used up, the engine automatically switches to power from additional tank with gasoline. The price of BMW Hydrogen 7 is comparable to the cost of the usual "seven" and is about 93 thousand dollars.

Problems and tasks of development of hydrogen engines

For the mass transition to hydrogen as a fuel, there is whole line technological and environmental barriers.

The production of hydrogen fuel today costs 4 times more than the production of gasoline.

And the process of obtaining hydrogen from water is still too expensive. Therefore, most of its volume is currently produced from methane. Its transportation and storage is associated with high costs.

In the case of the mass introduction of such power plants, the amount of hydrogen in the atmosphere will increase dramatically, which can lead to the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer, since hydrogen engines emit much more nitrogen oxides than gasoline engines.

The level of commercial payback of such power plants is visible only in the long term.

However, exactly the same problems arose in due time during the development of gasoline, electric and gas engines. It remains to be hoped that in 15-20 years the situation will change, and the appearance of a hydrogen car on the roads will become commonplace.

The first developer to introduce hydrogen engine for the car to the general public, was the Toyota concern. Back in 1997, they presented the FCHV SUV, which was never launched at that time.

A good alternative to gasoline could be a hydrogen engine

Today, other companies are conducting research, among them:

• Honda Motor,
• volkswagen,
• General Motors,
• Daimler AG,
• ford motor,
• BMW and so on.

How does a hydrogen engine work?

Hydrogen powered vehicles can be divided into three groups:

• a car with two energy carriers, which has a highly economical engine that can operate both on pure hydrogen and on a mixture of it. The efficiency of such an engine is 90–95%, while that of a diesel engine is 50%, and that of a gasoline engine is 35%. Such cars comply with the Euro-4 standard;
• a hydrogen car with a built-in electric motor that powers the main fuel cell installed on board. Now cars with efficiency above 75% have been created;
• ordinary cars running on mixture or pure hydrogen. The exhaust is much cleaner, and the efficiency will “grow up” by about 20%.

How does a hydrogen engine work? There are 2 types of power plants according to the principle of operation:

• hydrogen internal combustion engines. A rotary engine is used;
• power plants on fuel hydrogen cells - their principle of operation is based on a chemical reaction. The cell body has a membrane that conducts only protons and separates the chambers with electrodes - the anode and the cathode. Hydrogen is supplied to the anode chamber, oxygen is supplied to the cathode chamber. The electrodes are covered with a layer of catalyst, for example, it is platinum. Molecular hydrogen loses electrons under the influence of a catalyst. Protons are conducted through the membrane to the cathode, under the influence of a catalyst, as a result of combination with electrons, water is formed. From the anode chamber, the electrons go into the electrical circuit, which is connected. This generates current to power the motor.

Advantages of a hydrogen engine:

• The combustion product of hydrogen is water. So, this is the most environmentally friendly fuel;
• power, throttle response and other indicators of the engine are higher than those of the standard one - electricity provides them in full;
• low noise level;
• ease of maintenance - a complex transmission is not needed, and there are fewer rubbing parts;
• low cost;
• lower fuel consumption and high speed gas stations;
• higher power reserve;
• Hydrogen has great potential as an alternative fuel, as it can be obtained from a variety of sources, including solar energy or wind;
• the main raw material - water - is free.

Disadvantages of a hydrogen engine:

• The use of fuel cells in a conventional engine is fraught with a risk of fire or explosion due to its design.
• Their cost is also very high.
• The weight of the car is increased as a result of the use of current converters and powerful batteries.
• The process of obtaining hydrogen from water is also not cheap, as is the transportation of new fuel.
• Environmental problems are also predicted - an increase in the amount of hydrogen in the atmosphere can adversely affect the ozone layer of the Earth.
• - also harmful to environment process.
• One problem with hydrogen vehicles is the high cost of platinum, which is needed for the chemical reaction in the engine.
• The lack of hydrogen filling stations makes hydrogen cars uncompetitive compared to conventional cars.
• Storage issue not resolved. To date, it is proposed to store in a liquefied form or under high pressure but research is ongoing.

Hydrogen fuel cells

IN different years hydrogen fuel cells have been used:

• for tractors
• locomotives,
• submarines,
• helicopters
• in a golf car
• on a motorcycle.

Hydrogen-powered cars and buses use proton exchange membrane (PEM) cells and are compact and lightweight.

Auto on hydrogen

• The Toyota that tamed hydrogen, the Fuel Cell Sedan, is the comfort and spaciousness of the standard model. In order to increase space in the cabin and trunk, compressed hydrogen tanks are located in the floor of the car. The car is designed for five passengers, the price will be $ 67,500.
• Space technologies in everyday life. BMW Hydrogen 7 has already proven its capabilities in practice, about a hundred BMW cars Hydrogen 7 has been tested by prominent figures in culture, politics, business and the media. Real-world test experience has shown that switching to hydrogen is fully compatible with the comfort, dynamics and safety you would expect from a BMW. Cars can be switched from one type of fuel to another. The maximum speed is 229 km/h.
• Honda FCX Clarity power generator. According to the developers, it is possible to connect to a transformer and supply electricity to all household appliances. Hydrogen tanks are under rear seats, and then full refueling She has enough fuel for 500 km. Price from $62807.
• Part MAN buses runs on hydrogen.

Hydrogen engines of the future

• General Motors (GM) and Honda Motor have started a new cooperation in the automotive sector. Both companies plan to jointly develop hydrogen fuel cells over the next seven years. The exchange of know-how will help reduce the cost of technology and making it a major goal to respond to the increase in global emission reduction requirements, the Euro 4 standard has a strict framework.
• The power plant of the car can also serve as a power plant for the house, providing it with energy for 5 days.
• Each manufacturer in soon expects to sell at least a thousand ecocars per year, the expected price is $97,000.
• By 2050, hydrogen as a fuel source will cover a third of the energy produced.

But Elon Musk (head of SpaceX and Tesla) is extremely critical of the new fuel, considering its creation marketing ploy. Musk stated that the use of technology will not solve real transportation problems and that lithium-ion batteries have an energy storage density that exceeds all hydrogen developments. What do you think?

Today, almost all global automakers are actively developing vehicles that run on environmentally friendly fuels. Experts say that in 15-20 years the world will completely switch to this type of transport. While leadership in this business is retained by Toyota. After the release of the famous Primus, the Japanese decided to go further and develop another environmentally friendly clean car - Toyota Mirai with a hydrogen engine. In today's article, we will consider all the features of this new product, as well as list all the advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogen machines.

Characteristic

Toyota Mirai is one of the first sedans Japanese made, which the company decided to mass-produce. Incidentally, the solution to call this model Mirai was quite justified, because in Japanese this word means "Clean Future".

The manufacturer claims that the first serial hydrogen Toyota differs from its counterparts in a large power reserve, which will be 480 kilometers. This is quite enough for daily operation within the city, and family travel long distances. But as far as long trips until it is possible to make them on such a car. And here the question is not about the reliability of the design (as always, the Japanese made the car with high quality and “for centuries”), but about the lack of the necessary gas stations. But we will talk about this a little later.

It is worth noting that the Mirai is not the world's first hydrogen-powered car. Toyota is developing hybrid models cars since 1997. It was then that the world public saw a hydrogen-powered concept SUV of the FCHV model. However, the Japanese did not dare to launch it into large-scale mass production. More often this jeep could be found in government agencies and organizations that tested this type of transport. By the way, combines BMW and Toyota. The Germans signed a contract with Japanese engineers and by 2020 they plan to create a new environmentally friendly BMW Hydrogen 7 Series sedan.

Pros of a hydrogen car

Let's start with the benefits. Let's start with the fact that the engine hydrogen fuel does not emit any pollutants, unlike diesel and gasoline. It is worth noting the low cost of operating this type of transport. The fuel itself (hydrogen) can be produced on both small and large scales. This will significantly stabilize the situation with constantly changing fuel prices and distribute it more rationally in the world.

What are the disadvantages of a hydrogen fuel engine?

Now let's talk about the disadvantages. The main disadvantage of this type of transport is that the hydrogen engine (including Toyota FCV) is more explosive than classic diesel and gasoline counterparts. This is due to the special chemical composition hydrogen. By the way, in addition to explosiveness, it is highly volatile. This characteristic greatly complicates the transportation and refueling of vehicles with hydrogen. Experts also say that the service similar installation will be more costly than, for example, repair diesel internal combustion engine(due to the small number of employees who know a lot about this area). And, of course, the lack of hydrogen filling stations. There are only a few of them in the world, therefore it is very difficult to use such cars now (especially since such a car can be refueled only with the help of special equipment).

Supply issues

The main problem with hydrogen cars is the lack of gas stations where they could be filled. That is why electric cars are more relevant to the world, as they are charged from an ordinary outlet and even on the go, if there is solar battery. But production hydrogen stations is already gaining momentum. It is already known about plans to build 20 such gas stations in California. If sales continue to grow, the number of gas stations will double. By the way, this state was chosen for a reason - it is in California that sales of hydrogen-powered Toyotas will begin. But we'll talk about sales at the end of the article, but for now let's look at the exterior of the novelty.

Design

The appearance of the new Toyota Mirai is very impressive. A massive aggressive “front end” with a harsh wide bumper and slanting headlights immediately catches your eye. The radiator grill is perhaps the smallest and most insignificant element in the exterior.

But even on such a small piece of plastic, the Japanese managed to place their company emblem made in chrome style. The car has a good glass area. This is especially true for the windshield. The driver will not feel dead zones”, since all the events around are now visible at a glance. The body has both angular and smooth, aerodynamic features. All this makes appearance sedan is very fresh, modern and unique.

Interior

The inside of the car is like part of a spaceship - a mass of buttons, screens, sensors and all sorts of other things. Interestingly, the Japanese did not dare to spend money on the development of two interior layout options - for the European and for the domestic market. They solved the problem with the rearrangement of the steering wheel very simply by placing all the important information devices in the middle of the torpedo.

The panel itself is placed right next to windshield and stretched across its entire width. Further from it is a massive on-board computer, which has a built-in navigator function. Below it, there is another display. And they are separated by two wide air ducts. The same ones are duplicated on the sides of the mirrors, only with a chrome trim in the corner. Steering wheel also equipped with remote control buttons. There is no gear knob in the cabin - most likely, a variator or automatic transmission is used. The speakers are located in the doors, as are the power window controls. The steering wheel has a comfortable grip. In general, the layout of the cabin is very ergonomic. And even despite the mass of buttons (especially since half of them are touch-sensitive), it is not overloaded with unnecessary elements and seems ascetic to some extent.

Specifications

Toyota has released a car with a hydrogen engine that has large stock power. The power plant, according to the manufacturers, will have 153 horsepower, which is quite enough for a car of this class. The Japanese do not talk about other engines, and, most likely, only one modification of the novelty with a 153-horsepower environmentally friendly unit will enter the market. The hydrogen engine (2015 Toyota Mirai) runs on special fuel cells. Inside the latter, a reaction takes place in which hydrogen and oxygen take part. As a result of chemical interaction, powerful energy is generated that feeds the electric motor.

Dynamics and operating costs

The manufacturer says that in terms of dynamic characteristics, Toyota with a hydrogen engine is no different from its own. gasoline analogues. Acceleration from zero to "hundreds" is estimated at 9 seconds. At the same time, engineers note the low cost of travel.

The price of refueling a tank for 1 kilometer will be only 10 cents. Thus, to drive a car a hundred kilometers, you need to spend only 10 dollars. And you can fill up your car in just 5 minutes.

How does a hydrogen engine work?

Surely each of us thought about the principle of operation of this unit. Well, let's take a look at how a hydrogen engine actually works.

The main driving force of these machines is an electrochemical generator (some Japanese call it FC Stack. Inside electrochemical generator a reaction takes place, as a result of which hydrogen is oxidized. It is during this period that the necessary energy is generated, which is then redirected to a compact battery. The latter performs the function of powering the electric motor, which drives the machine. In what form does a hydrogen engine produce waste? Toyota Mirai is called environmentally friendly for a reason. clean car, since it does not come from it at all poisonous gases, but ordinary water.

All this is very good, but there is a force hindering the development of this type of transport. The main problem is that the processes for making fuel for hydrogen cars on this moment underdeveloped and require large financial outlays. Moreover, when creating hydrogen, components such as coal and methane are involved. They pollute the atmosphere very much, and therefore there is no point in using such engines for the sake of "preserving the environment". Of course, there is no waste from the combustion of this fuel ( pure water), but to cook it, you need to significantly spoil the atmosphere with dirty emissions. Therefore, more and more specialists are looking for a replacement for the current internal combustion engine in solar panels.

Incidentally, hydrogen is not a unique type of fuel that can only be used in one type of engine. Studies have shown that this product is quite realistic to use on classic motors with internal combustion. However, after such a reaction, there are consequences. The fact is that hydrogen, when burned in an internal combustion engine, releases only 1/3 of the energy that it would produce in a specialized unit. True, the engineers managed to correct this shortcoming. Thanks to the modified ignition system, the efficiency of such engines does not decrease, but, on the contrary, increases by almost 1.5 times from the usual one, which makes the operation of this fuel more favorable and reasonable from an environmental and financial point of view.

But still, troubles were noticed not only in the field of efficiency. And if the engineers managed to increase the efficiency by improving the ignition system, then they cannot cope with such problems as high combustion temperature in the chamber, burnout of pistons and valves. By the way, at long work hydrogen is able to react with other components of the motor, including lubricant. And without it, the engine wears out very quickly. In addition, hydrogen, due to its volatility, can penetrate into and ignite there. Concerning rotary internal combustion engines, due to their simple design and large distance between the collectors, they are more favorable for using such fuel as the main one. On this question, how the hydrogen engine works, can be considered closed.

About cost

According to the manufacturer, the start of sales of Toyota Mirai cars will take place in the spring of 2015. At first, the novelty will be available only on the domestic market, and in the summer it will appear on the European and American markets. The starting price of a hydrogen-powered Toyota is $57,500. In addition, the company offers to purchase this car on credit with a monthly payment of 500 US dollars. The bonus will be the opportunity free refueling car for a year at gas stations in California.

So far, the Japanese Toyota has no competitors among hydrogen cars. At least that will be the case until 2016. The fact is that in March 2016 a new hydrogen Honda car FCV. But we won’t predict how popular it will be, but for now we’ll wait for the start of sales of the new Toyota Mirai.

Conclusion

So, we found out why it is so special and how the hydrogen engine works. Toyota is one of the first automakers to seriously consider launching mass production its "environmentally friendly product". True, until the problem is solved with filling stations and in a cheaper way, the company is unlikely to have great success in the sale of such machines.

After all the countries of the world announced a course to reduce emissions harmful substances, vehicle manufacturers have thought. Moreover, they began to develop not only in the field of electric vehicles, but also in the direction of using hydrogen as a fuel for cars. At the same time, various companies are considering their own technologies that have mass. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at a hydrogen car in order to understand what can await us in the near future.

Hydrogen vehicles are a fairly promising area in the search for alternative energy sources.

Various Methods

Internal combustion engine

Remember why hydrogen is called "explosive gas" - that's right, it explodes very easily with the release of a huge amount of energy. Why not use this feature to propel cars? That's what the experts decided Mazda companies and BMW, which a few years ago presented their prototype cars powered by hydrogen from internal combustion.

Wherein BMW engineers quite rightly decided that it is better to experiment with more big engine, which will allow you to vary the technical characteristics in a very wide range. This is how the car of the seventh series was born, which was equipped with a large tank for compressed hydrogen - with a working volume of the engine, it had a capacity of only 260 Horse power and consumed about 50 liters of fuel per hundred kilometers. In addition, BMW also experimented with liquefied hydrogen cars - for this, special cryogenic tanks were used, which had a cost comparable to the price of the car platform itself - this was done to increase the power reserve. However hallmark of all experimental BMW cars that ran on hydrogen, there was a traditional petrol system power supply - it allowed switching to conventional fuel when the hydrogen supply was exhausted or in case of malfunctions associated with its supply.

But Mazda went the other way, deciding not to be limited in their experiments - the Japanese mounted a hydrogen power plant on an RX-8 car equipped with a 1.3-liter Wankel. Unfortunately, the result was a failure - power fell from 240 to 100 horsepower, fuel consumption increased to almost 60-70 liters per hundred kilometers. Unlike the BMW 7, which was leased in the US and Europe, the hydrogen-powered Mazda RX-8 remained in prototype form. Both companies have now phased out these research programs to focus on other areas of development. alternative energy.

Video about hydrogen cars:

The reason is easy to understand if you delve into the reports of engineers - they encountered such as:

• Reduced motor resource;
• Frequent breakdowns associated with the destruction of the walls of cylinders, valves and pistons;
• Small power reserve;
• Frequent leaks that threaten to ignite or even explode.

Of course, many small research institutes created hydrogen cars that worked on the principle of combustion of "explosive gas" and had better characteristics than. However, it became clear that the car engine must be initially developed for hydrogen - and manufacturers were not ready for such dubious investments.

fuel cells

The solution to the problem came from the field of astronautics - since it is irrational to burn fuel to generate electricity in orbit, scientists have developed special fuel cells, in which a chemical reaction proceeded with the release of a huge amount of electricity. When hydrogen passes through such a cell filled with catalytic material, it combines with oxygen to form water. Accordingly, the user receives only pluses - no harmful substances, only clean water and a certain supply of electricity at the output. It remains only to stock up on the right amount of hydrogen.

A hydrogen car, powered by fuel cells, is functioning - it does not have an internal combustion engine, which is completely replaced by an electric motor. The energy derived from the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen is stored in batteries - and some manufacturers, focused on achieving good car dynamic characteristics, use supercapacitors, which allow you to give the received charge as quickly as possible. Thanks to this, one of the shortcomings of hydrogen fuel cells is overcome - they are inert, that is, they cannot change their output at the request of the driver of the car.

Main advantages

The main advantage that a hydrogen car has, using fuel cells as an energy source, is the combination of the best performance vehicles with internal combustion engines and electric vehicles. The power reserve is very high - especially when not only from the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen, but also from a conventional electrical network. At the same time, the absence of a unit that burns hydrocarbon fuel allows you to get just a huge number of advantages:

• No harmful emissions - as with the combustion of hydrogen, only water vapor is formed in the fuel cells, which does not harm the environment.
• Less mass - by the way, the combination of hydrogen fuel cells, electric motor and batteries is smaller and lighter than the batteries and motor in a traditional electric car with similar performance and range.
• Reducing the number of moving and contacting parts by several times - due to this, the service life is significantly increased.

If we consider a hydrogen car, which is equipped with an internal combustion engine adapted to this type of fuel, then so far it has more disadvantages than positive sides. However, the reports of research institutes that are engaged in developments in this direction give hope that the situation will change radically in the near future. It is already reported that car engines that were originally created to run on hydrogen have:

• Service life increased by 20-30%, as well as a reduced likelihood of minor breakdowns.
• Power, 15-20% more, more efficiency, meaning best use the energy potential of the fuel.
• The cost of mileage is 2 times less than that for gasoline - however, only under the condition of industrial production of hydrogen.

But the cost is very high - both due to the use of expensive innovative materials, and thanks to piece production, which is carried out using bypass technologies.

Flaws

Unfortunately, it does not do without minuses - however, this applies not only to hydrogen, but also to all other alternative energy technologies that are being worked on relatively recently. From the point of view of the average consumer, significant disadvantage is the high cost of fuel production - only hydrogen produced on an industrial scale can be bought relatively inexpensively - it is a rarity, since there are still relatively few plants for the production of this gas. In addition, when conducting surveys in countries where a lot of hydrogen-powered cars have already been sold or quite a lot, the results showed that many people are afraid of an “explosive gas” explosion, although they have not even heard of such cases. Indeed, during the tests, fires often occurred as a result of a hydrogen leak, but only cars with multi-level security systems that prevented an explosion were sent into mass production.

However, thanks to the use of many innovative technical solutions the hydrogen machine is not only economical and safe, but also expensive. In particular, she never disclosed the cost of a seventh-series car that runs on hydrogen, only allowing it to be leased. However, some experts say that market price could be set at $1.2-1.5 million. Even the most cheap cars, manufactured by Honda and Toyota, cost at least 30-50 thousand dollars with a minimum level of equipment - and then only thanks to the companies' dumping policy and compensation provided by the Japanese government. It is worth mentioning that fuel cells and tanks cannot be durable due to long-term operation in an aggressive environment - and if the cells can be produced in a replaceable form, then you will have to spend a lot of money.

It's time to talk about the main thing - where to refuel a car that runs on hydrogen? It is too early to talk about the creation of a network of gas stations even in Japan, the USA and Germany - as long as they are single copies. At the same time, the construction of an appropriate infrastructure for electric vehicles is in full swing, which provides information about the priorities that are set by modern society and government agencies. Fill a car with hydrogen using homemade devices very dangerous - the probability of an explosion will be incredibly high.

Fuel of the future or not?

Now we have to hear that hydrogen is the fuel of the future - however, it is worth remembering that such slogans sounded all over the world back in the late 60s - and Soviet Union, in which research on the properties of this gas was in full swing, was no exception. Despite all the time that has passed, hydrogen cars have remained prototypes, not very suitable for serial production and operation common use. However, developments do not stop, despite the fact that so far positive results have been achieved only by a few companies that have begun small-scale production of such vehicles. In addition, it is necessary to remember that hydrogen is even a source of energy for the environment, rather than electricity. After all, despite the development of energy, in the world up to 70% of power plants operate on such "dirty" fuels as oil and coal.

The modern automotive industry is developing with an emphasis on the production of more environmentally friendly vehicles. This is due to the worldwide struggle for purity. atmospheric air by reducing carbon emissions. The constant rise in gasoline prices is also forcing manufacturers to look for other sources of energy. Many leading auto-building concerns are gradually moving to mass production of cars running on alternative fuels, which in the very near future will lead to the appearance on the roads of the world enough not only electric cars, but also cars with engines powered by hydrogen fuel.

How hydrogen cars work

A hydrogen-powered car is designed to reduce atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide, as well as other harmful impurities. The use of hydrogen to propel a wheeled vehicle, possibly in two different ways:

• the use of a hydrogen internal combustion engine (VDVS);
• power plant electrical unit working from hydrogen elements(VE).

While we used to fill up with gasoline or diesel fuel your car, a new marvel - powered by the most abundant element in the universe - hydrogen

VVS is an analogue of the engines widely used today, the fuel for which is propane. It is this model of the engine that is easiest to reconfigure to work on hydrogen. Its principle of operation is the same as gasoline engine, only liquefied hydrogen enters the combustion chamber instead of gasoline. A car with renewable energy is, in fact, an electric car. Hydrogen here is only a raw material for generating electricity needed to power an electric motor.

The hydrogen element consists of the following parts:

• corps;
• a membrane that allows only protons to pass through - it divides the capacity into two parts: anode and cathode;
• an anode coated with a catalyst (palladium or platinum);
• cathode with the same catalyst.

The principle of operation of VE is based on a physicochemical reaction, consisting of the following:

Thus, when the car is moving, no carbon dioxide is emitted, but only water vapor, electricity and nitric oxide.

Key Features of Hydrogen Cars

The main players in the automotive market already have prototypes of their products using hydrogen as fuel. You can definitely highlight the individual technical characteristics of such machines:

• maximum developed speed up to 140 km/h;
• the average mileage from one refueling is 300 km (some manufacturers, for example, Toyota or Honda, declare twice the figure - 650 or 700 km, respectively, on hydrogen alone);
• acceleration time to 100 km / h from zero - 9 seconds;
• power plant power up to 153 horsepower.

This car can accelerate to 179 km / h, and up to 100 km / h the car accelerates in 9.6 seconds and, most importantly, it is able to travel 482 km without additional refueling

Quite good parameters even for gasoline engines. There has not yet been a shift towards the VDVS using liquefied H2 or renewable energy vehicles, and it is not clear which of these types of engines will achieve the best technical characteristics and economic indicators. But today, more models of machines with an electric drive, powered by renewable energy, have been produced, which give greater efficiency. Although the consumption of hydrogen to obtain 1 kW of energy is less in the VDVS.

In addition, re-equipment of internal combustion engines for hydrogen in order to increase efficiency requires a change in the ignition system of the installation. The problem of rapid burnout of pistons and valves due to more high temperature combustion of hydrogen. Everything will be decided here further development both technologies, as well as price dynamics during the transition to mass production.

Pros and cons of cars running on hydrogen

Among the main advantages of hydrogen vehicles are:

• high environmental friendliness, which consists in the absence of most harmful substances in the exhaust typical for the operation of a gasoline engine - carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide and dioxide, aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons;
• higher efficiency compared to gasoline cars;

In general, the car has ambitions to conquer the whole world.

• less noise from the engine;
• lack of complex, unreliable fuel supply and cooling systems;
• the possibility of using two types of fuel.

In addition, air-powered vehicles have less weight and more useful volume, despite the need to install fuel tanks.

The disadvantages of hydrogen cars include:

• the bulkiness of the power plant when using fuel cells, which reduces the maneuverability of the car;
• the high cost of the hydrogen elements themselves due to the palladium or platinum they contain;
• imperfection of the design and uncertainty in the material for the manufacture of tanks for hydrogen fuel;
• lack of hydrogen storage technology;
• lack of hydrogen filling stations, the infrastructure of which is very poorly developed throughout the world.

However, with the transition to the mass production of cars equipped with hydrogen power plants, most of these shortcomings will certainly be eliminated.

Which hydrogen-powered vehicles are already in production

The world's leading automotive companies such as BMW, Mazda, Mercedes, Honda, MAN and Toyota, Daimler AG and General Motors are engaged in the production of hydrogen-powered vehicles. Among the experimental models, and some manufacturers already have small-scale ones, there are cars that operate only on hydrogen, or with the possibility of using two types of fuel, the so-called hybrids.

Such models of hydrogen vehicles are already being produced, such as:

• Ford Focus FCV;
• Mazda RX-8 hydrogen;
• Mercedes-Benz A-Class;
• Honda FCX;
• Toyota Mirai;
• MAN buses lion city Bus and Ford E-450;
• hybrid car for two types of fuel BMW Hydrogen 7.

Today we can definitely say that, despite the existing difficulties (the new always makes its way with difficulty), the future belongs to more environmentally friendly cars. Autocars running on hydrogen fuel will be worthy competition electric vehicles.