Auto companies are developing new types of engines for the cars of the future. Someone is betting on electric motors, while someone is developing hydrogen engines. Consider the hydrogen engine and its advantages.
How does it work?
car on hydrogen fuel has a so-called fuel cell or scientifically - an electrochemical generator. This is a kind of “eternal” battery, inside which the hydrogen oxidation reaction takes place and the output is pure water vapor, nitrogen and electricity. Those. the exhaust of such a hydrogen car is environmentally friendly, it contains zero carbon dioxide CO2.
A fuel cell car is basically an electric car. Only with a more compact battery: capacity lithium ion battery 10 times less than a conventional electric car. Here, the battery is needed only as a buffer to store energy obtained from regenerative braking and for fast cold starts.
The fact is that the main source of energy - a block of fuel cells - does not immediately enter the operating mode. On the first prototypes of hydrogen machines, this took about an hour and a half. On modern ones - no more than 2 minutes to start converting hydrogen and air into water vapor, nitrogen and electricity. But for warming up operating temperature when the unit efficiency reaches 90% it takes from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the ambient temperature.
The cylinders store 5 kg of hydrogen, providing a cruising range of up to 500 km. Full refueling cylinders will take three minutes.
Main disadvantages
The main disadvantage is the high cost. Apart from electrochemical generator, which at mass production may cost less than batteries for electric vehicles, we need more durable and lightweight tanks. For this, expensive carbon fiber is used.
The next serious drawback is energy efficiency. If hydrogen is used only as an intermediate link in the energy delivery chain from the power plant to the wheels of the car, then the efficiency will be no more than 30%, taking into account losses for pumping and cooling hydrogen before refueling. Unlike 70-80% for electric vehicles.
If hydrogen is obtained from associated petroleum gas, then the efficiency becomes incomparably higher - up to 70%. True, at the cost of carbon dioxide emissions.
If we are now producing cars with hydrogen engines, then where can we get gas stations? In Europe, the number of hydrogen filling stations can be counted on the fingers, we do not have them at all. For such cases, engineers have invented a bivalent engine that can simultaneously run on both hydrogen fuel and gasoline. Now owner this car will not depend on the presence of hydrogen fuel at the gas station.
You see, in five to ten years, when the number of hydrogen filling stations in Europe increases, then hydrogen cars will come to life. While realities today not rosy. Take at least the cost of the car on a clean hydrogen elements- it exceeds the cost of a conventional car almost twice. And 20 percent more expensive hybrid versions.
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 sources energy
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 supplied internal combustion.
Wherein BMW engineers quite rightly decided that it is better to experiment with more big engine, which allows you to vary specifications over 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 all experimental BMW cars working on hydrogen, there was the presence of 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 advantages - no harmful substances, only pure water and a certain supply of electricity. 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. However, the absence of a unit that burns hydrocarbon fuel, allows you to get just a huge number of advantages:
- Absence 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 hydrogen car, which is equipped with an internal combustion engine adapted to this type of fuel, while 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 must be remembered that hydrogen is even for environment source of energy 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.
car sales Toyota Mirai("future" in Japanese) - the world's first production car with a hydrogen engine. The price of the novelty is 7,236,000 yen (approximately $61,100), while the Japanese government subsidizes the purchase by 2.02 million yen (a little over $17,000). According to the company's plans, sales were supposed to begin in the spring of 2015, however, as the number of pre-orders exceeded expectations, it was decided to postpone the date to an early date.
Mirai is a four-door sedan powered by an electric motor with a capacity of 151 hp. s., which receives energy from a converter, the initial substance of which is hydrogen, stored in two carbon fiber tanks under a pressure of 70 MPa. The oxygen required for the chemical reaction comes directly from the car's radiator while it is in motion. One refueling is enough for a run of 480 km, and the filling itself with 5 kilograms (170 liters) of hydrogen lasts about 3 minutes. The top speed of the Mirai is 111 mph (about 180 km/h), while it takes 9 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h.
Under the hood of the Mirai
In Europe, the car will be officially presented at the Geneva Motor Show, and in America, sales will begin at the end of next year at a price of $ 57,500 (which is comparable to the brainchild of Elon Musk - Tesla electric cars) only in California and only in the amount of 200 copies - on this moment There are no hydrogen filling stations in the United States, and Toyota, together with Air Liquide, plans to build 12 of them by the start of sales - the price of one station is $ 7.2 million. As expected, the final price for a car, taking into account all discounts and government subsidies, could be $ 45,000 .
Inside Mirai
In addition to its direct purpose, the car's power plant can also serve as a kind of home power plant for the home: engineers claim that with the help of the Power take off System they developed, the average Japanese house can be powered by generated electricity for 5 days. It is interesting to note that the thought of this non-standard use The car arose because of the significant risks of disasters in Japan, when the tsunami leaves entire cities without electricity.
Regardless of whether Elon Musk has any reason to worry, TASS, referring to former Saudi Arabian minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani, notes that "the age of oil is coming to an end":
As a result of the proliferation of alternative sources, the demand for oil will decline. In the field of electricity generation, it is already being replaced by nuclear and wind turbines. Oil is still needed for transport, but demand there is falling due to the growing spread of hybrid and electric vehicles. The oil era will finally end if it is possible to practically introduce hydrogen fuel and produce it cheaply.”
says the expert.
Automakers are doing everything possible to offer us environmentally friendly vehicles. At this time, world oil reserves are declining, and concerns about the consequences of global warming remain relevant. As a result, there began to appear interesting technologies engine production. At first these were hybrid cars with petrol and electric motors. Then there were fully electric cars, such as nissan leaf And Tesla Model S.A latest novelty in this direction have become hydrogen cars.
Hydrogen is an affordable and renewable energy source. To date, there are only two stock car from famous companies– Toyota Mirai and Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell. We decided to tell you about 10 things you should know about cars that run on hydrogen.
1. Power = water
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell does not have traditional engine under the hood. Its place is taken by a fuel cell, as the name of the crossover suggests. It gets oxygen from the air outside the car and hydrogen from the tank in the car, resulting in a chemical reaction needed to make the electrodes that power the car. The only production waste is H2O, that is, water.
Interested in power? Check it out! Zero emissions? Yes, it's reality!
2. They are silent...almost
Get in a hydrogen car, turn on the ignition (with a simple push of a button in Hyundai's case) and you won't hear anything. Like electric cars, there is no engine sound in such cars. Well, almost non-existent.
If you get out of the car on a relatively quiet street, you will hear the minimal hum of the fuel cell doing its job. In urban traffic, this sound is generally impossible to notice. While driving, you will hear only the usual noise of the wheels. When you press the accelerator pedal, you will not hear anything, but you will feel real power.
3. Go, go, go
All this may seem too good to be true. There may be a question about what the owners will have to sacrifice hydrogen cars. Some people think that power is weakness such machines. But one has only to press the gas pedal and the result will obviously not disappoint you.
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell is a front-wheel drive crossover, so it was clearly not designed for installation speed records. But pressing the accelerator pedal leaves only positive impressions- the body begins to pleasantly cling to the seat.
4. There is also a battery here
The car itself runs on gas, but also accumulator battery installed in it. It is necessary for starting and initial acceleration, as there is a small (less than 1 second) delay between pressing the pedal and obtaining the necessary output from the fuel cell.
The battery is recharged using the kinetic energy generated during braking.
5. No tachometer, only power
Hydrogen cars do not have an internal combustion engine and a traditional gearbox. Here we use something similar to automatic transmission. Therefore, instead of the tachometer familiar to all of us, a power scale is installed on the instrument panel.
Yes, power! The harder you press the accelerator pedal, the higher the arrow on the power scale will rise. Looks a little silly, but fun! just look at this part dashboard by pressing the pedal and enjoy.
6. Autonomy
One of the most significant problems that owners of electric cars face is the limited mileage on a single battery charge. In this regard, cars with traditional internal combustion engines are more competitive.
But in the case of hydrogen cars, things are not so bad. You do not have to make many stops for refueling during long trips. So, Toyota Mirai will be able to drive about 500 kilometers without refueling, but Hyundai claims that the ix35 Fuel Cell will overcome up to 594 km on one tank of hydrogen. And this is very, very good indicator for an environmentally friendly car!
7. Refueling - fast, but very problematic
The process of refueling takes place as in conventional cars - you need to open the fuel tank hatch and insert a special "pistol" to fill the tank with hydrogen. It is noteworthy that you can fill the tank in only 3-5 minutes (depending on the volume), and this is much faster than even the most fast charging electric car(about half an hour).
This is more convenient, but there is one very, very a big problem: Finding a gas station that sells hydrogen is almost impossible today. For example, even in the UK there are only 4 public stations designed for refueling hydrogen vehicles.
According to forecasts, in the UK the number of such stations will increase to 65 by 2020, but even in such a developed country this will be a very small network. There are currently over 8,000 conventional filling stations in the UK. There can be no question of any comparison. What can we say about Russia ...
8. Infotainment system
It may seem that a hydrogen car cannot be very powerful, but do not worry - there is enough power for fast acceleration, and to play your favorite audio and video content.
As in ordinary car, in the cabin of hydrogen “ iron horses” there is a complete set modern electronics. Climate control, synchronization with a smartphone via Bluetooth, navigation, parking sensors, cruise control, rear view camera - all this can be installed in such a car.
9. Only four wheels
Four wheels are a standard feature of every car. But you will have to forget about the niche for the spare wheel, because the fuel tank “ate” the entire space. The hydrogen storage tank takes up a lot of space, so you either have to learn how to use it repair kit or carry to luggage compartment spare in case. Most likely, the best solution would be to buy a suitable "stowaway".
10. It's not cheap...yet
As mentioned earlier, there are only two production hydrogen vehicles on the market today - the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell. In Europe, the price of a "Korean" is approximately $76,000, but for Toyota model you will have to pay approximately 57,500 dollars.
This is not cheap at all, especially considering such a limited number of places where you can fill up such a car. Hyundai notes that it plans to release more compact model with such a power plant. Most likely, it will differ more affordable price. Yes and others automotive manufacturers seriously took up the study of new technology.
What do you think about hydrogen cars? Do they have a future in the world and on Russian roads in particular?
Today, many automakers are seriously thinking about the transport of the future. If earlier everyone was betting only on electric vehicles, today they have a serious competitor - cars on fuel
elements. We decided to find out what hydrogen cars can be purchased today and what advantages they have.
The main advantage of fuel cells is high ratio useful action (more than 50%). Also, engineers note the compactness and relatively low weight of the hydrogen plant, in comparison with gasoline and diesel counterparts.
The disadvantages of hydrogen include a poorly developed infrastructure filling stations, the explosiveness of a mixture of hydrogen and air, the high cost of maintaining a hydrogen power plant, the high volatility of hydrogen (the highest among all common gases). So, about half a full tank disappears in 9-10 days in a hydrogen car.
5. Toyota FCHV
Officially, the crossover was introduced in 2002 in Japan and the United States. The car was leased for several months, and then withdrawn to check the test results. The power plant of the car was 90 kW. The car is being improved all the time. So, initially, the mileage at one gas station was 350 km (exclusively on electric traction from a charged battery - 50 km). Now these figures are 830 and 100 km, respectively. The car's fuel tank holds 156 liters of hydrogen. The maximum speed of the crossover is about 160 km / h. In California (USA), Toyota FCHVs were tested in taxis as an experiment, but the “dampness” of the technology has not yet justified the use of hydrogen-powered cars in service with high daily mileage.
4. Mercedes-Benz F-Cell
German engineers have created a hydrogen car based on a city hatchback B-Class in 2010, later it was slightly modernized. Initially maximum mileage on one charge, the car was only 160 km, and maximum speed did not exceed 132 km / h. Over time, engine power increased and reached a maximum of 134 hp. s., and on one tank of hydrogen, the hatchback could overcome 402 km. Mercedes-Benz vehicles F-Cell was issued to ordinary users for leasing completely free of charge for 3 months, or half a year. In total, from 2002 to 2012, the company produced 69 machines, which are still in operation mainly in the USA, Germany, France and Japan. 
3. Honda FCX Clarity
full size Honda sedan FCX Clarity was officially introduced in 2006. Production started in June 2008. Sales began the same year exclusively in Japan. The car was available to consumers in Europe and America only through leasing at a price of $ 600 per month of operation. This amount included the car rental itself, the price of fuel, parking and taxes on the car. From 2008 to 2014, the company leased about 45 vehicles in the US alone and 10 each in Europe and Japan. The sedan is equipped with an electric motor with a capacity of 134 hp. With. and a torque of 256 Nm. A full tank of fuel is enough for about 380 km. In 2014, the production of the sedan was curtailed, but the top managers of the Japanese automaker said that at the end of the current year it is worth waiting for the premiere of a new generation of hydrogen sedan. 
2. Hyundai ix35 FCEV
Hydrogen korean crossover Hyundai ix35 FCEV has gained great popularity in the States. The car was officially presented on international motor show in Seoul in 2013. Electric power plant with a capacity of 136 liters. With. and with a maximum torque of 300 Nm accelerates the car to 180 km / h. A full tank, filled with hydrogen at a pressure of 700 atmospheres, is enough for 600 kilometers. Interestingly, the weight of fuel in a fully filled gas tank is less than 5.5 kg. The production of the car started at the end of 2014. You can buy a hydrogen Hyundai ix35 FCEV in Europe, the USA and some Asian countries. The price of the car in Korea is $144,000, of which $50,000 is compensated by the state. 
1.Toyota Mirai
We gave the first place to the most recent and, in our opinion, the most far-reaching development - Toyota sedan Mirai. The car was first presented at Tokyo Motor Show 2013. Initially, the car was called the abbreviation FCV. The production of the car started in March 2015 in Japan. Power point with a capacity of 154 liters. With. can accelerate a full-size car up to 175 km / h. Under the bottom of the car are 2 fuel tanks for hydrogen storage. One bottle is in the front of the car and the other is in the back. The maximum range of travel on one gas station is 650 kilometers. The base cost of the car is about 70 thousand dollars, thanks to subsidies in Japan, the car will cost buyers only 30,000 dollars, in the USA - about 50,000. 
