We start a conventional internal combustion engine on hydrogen. Why we will never drive hydrogen cars

Hydrogen (H2) is an alternative fuel that is obtained from hydrocarbons, biomass, waste. Hydrogen is placed in fuel cells (something like a gas tank for fuel) and the car moves using the energy of hydrogen.

While hydrogen is only seen as an alternative fuel of the future, government and industry are working on a clean, cost-effective and safe hydrogen production for electric cars on fuel cells (FCEV). FCEVs are already entering the market in regions where there is little infrastructure for hydrogen refueling. The market is also developing for special vehicles: buses, handling equipment (for example, forklifts), ground auxiliary equipment, medium and large trucks.

Hydrogen vehicles Toyota, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz are gradually appearing in dealer networks. Such cars cost around 4-6 million rubles (Toyota Mirai - 4 million rubles, Honda FCX Clarity - 4 million rubles).

Limited editions are available:

• BMW Hydrogen 7 and Mazda RX-8 hydrogen - dual-fuel (gasoline / hydrogen) cars. Liquid hydrogen is used.
• The Audi A7 h-tron quattro is an electric hydrogen hybrid passenger car.
• Hyundai Tucson FCEV
• Ford E-450. Bus.
• Urban MAN buses lion city bus.

Experiencing:

• Ford Motor Company - Focus FCV;
• Honda - Honda FCX;
• Hyundai Nexo
• Nissan - X-TRAIL FCV (fuel cells from UTC Power);
• Toyota - Toyota Highlander FCHV
• Volkswagen - space up!;
• General Motors;
• Daimler AG - Mercedes-Benz A-Class;
• Daimler AG - Mercedes-Benz Citaro (fuel cells from Ballard Power Systems);
• Toyota - FCHV-BUS;
• Thor Industries - (fuel cells from UTC Power);
• Irisbus - (fuel cells from UTC Power);

Hydrogen is abundant in the environment. It is stored in water (H2O), hydrocarbons (methane, CH4) and other organic substances. The problem of hydrogen as a fuel is the efficiency of its extraction from these compounds.

When extracting hydrogen, depending on the source, harmful substances enter the atmosphere. environment emissions. At the same time, a car running on hydrogen emits only water vapor as exhaust gases and warm air, it has zero emissions.

HYDROGEN AS AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL

Interest in hydrogen as an alternative transport fuel is due to:

• the ability to use fuel cells in zero emission FCEVs;
• potential for domestic production;
• quick refueling of cars (3-5 minutes);
• in terms of consumption and price, fuel cells are up to 80 percent more efficient than conventional gasoline

In Europe, the cost of refueling a full tank of hydrogen with a capacity of 4.7 kilograms will cost 3,369 rubles (717 rubles per kilogram). On a full tank, Toyota Mirai travels an average of 600 kilometers, a total of 561 rubles per 100 kilometers. For comparison, the price of 95th gasoline is 101 rubles, i.e. 10 liters of gasoline will cost 1010 rubles or 6060 rubles for 600 kilometers. Prices for 2018.

Data from retail hydrogen filling stations collected and analyzed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that the average time to fill up an FCEV is less than 4 minutes.

A fuel cell coupled to an electric motor is two to three times faster and more economical than an engine internal combustion running on gasoline. Hydrogen is also used as a fuel for internal combustion engines (BMW Hydrogen 7 and Mazda RX-8 hydrogen). However, unlike FCEVs, such engines emit harmful traffic fumes, are not as powerful as hydrogen and wear out faster.

There is as much energy in 1 kilogram of hydrogen gas as in 1 gallon (6.2 pounds, 2.8 kilograms) of gasoline. Since hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density, it is stored on board vehicle in the form of compressed gas. In cars, hydrogen is stored in high-pressure tanks (fuel cells) capable of storing 5,000 or 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi) of hydrogen. For example, FCEVs made by automakers and available from dealerships have a capacity of 10,000 psi. Retail dispensers, which are mainly located at gas stations, fill such tanks in 5 minutes. Other storage technologies are also being developed, including the chemical combination of hydrogen with metal hydride or low-temperature sorption materials.

There are almost no filling stations for hydrogen cars, follow the dynamics - in 2006 there were 140 filling stations in the world, and by 2008 there were 175. You can feel that 35 stations were built in 2 years, 45% of which are located in the USA and Canada. By 2018, the number of stations is approximately 300 units. There are also mobile stations and home stations, the exact number of which is not known.

HOW FUEL CELL WORKS

By pumping oxygen and hydrogen through the cathodes and anodes, which are in contact with the platinum catalyst, a chemical reaction occurs, which results in water and electric current. A set of several elements (cells) is needed to increase the charge of 0.7 volts in one cell, which leads to an increase in voltage.

See below for a diagram of how a fuel cell is made.

WHERE TO FILL CARS WITH HYDROGEN

The hydrogen fuel cell revolution will not start without a sufficient number of hydrogen filling stations for the consumer, so the lack of hydrogen filling station infrastructure continues to hamper the development of hydrogen as a technology. Americans have long seen fuel cell vehicles like the Honda FCX Clarity on their streets that transport people to and from work every day. Why are there still no gas stations?

We would like to note that the article discusses American market, because in Russia, there is nothing to talk about hydrogen fuel for cars yet, it simply does not exist here. And the reason is not in the lobby of oil magnates, it's just that Russia's economy is not the right one for AVTOVAZ to start research in this area. Japan and America, unlike Russia, have been exploring this alternative fuel source for a long time and have gone far ahead (the first hydrogen car in the USA appeared in 1959)

The average American, depending on where he lives, may have to wait a bit for hydrogen filling stations to arrive. Five years ago, public opinion converged on the fact that "hydrogen car roads' will drive the future. In the United States, stations were planned to be built along the California coast, from Maine to Miami.

TREND IN CREATION OF HYDROGEN FILLING STATIONS

North America, Canada

Five stations have been built in British Columbia (western province of Canada) since 2005. No more stations will be built in Canada; the project ended in March 2011.

United States

Arizona: A prototype hydrogen fueling station built in Phoenix in an environmentally friendly way to prove the feasibility of building such fueling stations in urban areas.

California: In 2013, Governor Brown signed a bill to fund $20 million a year for 10 years for 100 stations. The California Energy Commission has allocated $46.6 million for 28 stations to be completed in 2016, finally pushing the 100-station mark in California's filling network. As of August 2018, California has 35 stations open with 29 more expected by 2020.

Hawaii opened its first hydrogen station at Hikama in 2009. In 2012, Aloha Motor Company opened a hydrogen station in Honolulu.

Massachusetts: French company Air Liquide completed a new hydrogen filling station in Mansfield in October 2018. The only hydrogen filling station in Massachusetts is located in Billerica (pop. 40,243), the headquarters of Nuvera Fuel Cells, a hydrogen fuel cell company.

Michigan: In 2000 Ford and Air Products opened the first hydrogen station in North America in Dearborn, Michigan.

Ohio: In 2007 on the Ohio State University campus at the Center automotive research opened a hydrogen filling station. The only one in all of Ohio.

Vermont: hydrogen station built in 2004 in Burlington. The project was partially funded through the United States Department of Energy's Hydrogen Water Program.

Asia

Japan: Between 2002 and 2010, several hydrogen filling stations were introduced in Japan under the JHFC project to test hydrogen production technologies. At the end of 2012, 17 hydrogen stations, 19 were installed in 2015. The government expects to create up to 100 hydrogen stations. The budget allocated 460 million US dollars for this, which covers 50% of the investors' expenses. JX Energy installed 40 stations by 2015 and 60 more during the period 2016-2018. Toho Gas and Iwatani Corp installed 20 stations in 2015. Toyota and Air Liquide formed a joint venture to build 2 hydrogen stations, which they completed in 2015. Osaka-gas built 2 stations in 2014-2015.

South Korea: In 2014, in South Korea one hydrogen station was put into operation for another 10 stations scheduled for 2020.

Europe

As of 2016, there are more than 25 stations operating in Europe capable of filling 4-5 vehicles per day.

Denmark: In 2015, there were 6 public stations in the hydrogen network. H2 Logic, part of NEL ASA, is building a plant in Herning to produce 300 stations per year, each capable of producing 200 kg of hydrogen per day and 100 kg in 3 hours.

Finland: 2+1 (Voikoski, Vuosaari) public stations operate in Finland in 2016, one of them is mobile. The station fills the car with 5 kilograms of hydrogen in three minutes. The hydrogen plant operates in Kokkola, Finland.

Germany: As of September 2013, there are 15 public hydrogen stations in operation. Most, but not all, of these plants are operated by Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) partners. With the initiative of H2 Mobility, the number of stations in Germany should increase to 400 stations in 2023. The cost of the project is 350 million euros.

Iceland: The first commercial hydrogen station opened in 2003 as part of the country's initiative to move towards a "hydrogen economy".

Italy: Since 2015, the first commercial hydrogen station has been opened in Bolzano.

The Netherlands: The Netherlands opened its first public petrol station on 3 September 2014 in Roune near Rotterdam. The station uses hydrogen from a pipeline from Rotterdam to Belgium.

Norway: In February 2007, Norway's first Hynor hydrogen filling station was opened. Uno-X, in partnership with NEL ASA, plans to build up to 20 stations by 2020, including a station with on-site hydrogen production from surplus solar energy.

United Kingdom

In 2011 the first public station in Swindon opened. In 2014, HyTec opened the London Hatton Cross station. On March 11, 2015, the London Hydrogen Network Expansion Project opened its first supermarket, located at a hydrogen filling station at Sensbury's Hendon.

California is ahead of the curve in funding and building hydrogen fueling stations for FCEVs. As of mid-2018, 35 retail hydrogen stations have been opened in California, with 22 more in various stages of construction or planning. California continues to fund infrastructure construction, and the Energy Commission has the right to allocate up to $20 million per year until 2024 until 100 stations are operational. For the northeastern states, they plan to build 12 retail stations. The first will open by the end of 2018. Non-commercial stations in California and stations built in the rest of the US serve passenger FCEVs, buses, and are also used for research and demonstration purposes.

Costs for the maintenance of hydrogen stations

It is not so easy for hydrogen filling stations to replace the vast network of gas stations (in 2004, 168,000 points in Europe and the USA). Replacing gasoline stations with hydrogen ones costs one and a half trillion US dollars. At the same time, the cost of equipping a hydrogen fuel network in Europe can be five times lower than the price of a filling network for electric vehicles. The price of one EV - station is from 200,000 to 1,500,000 rubles. The price of the hydrogen station is $3 million. At the same time, the hydrogen network will still be cheaper than the network of stations for electric vehicles in terms of payback. Cause in fast gas station hydrogen cars (3 to 5 minutes). There are fewer hydrogen stations per million hydrogen fuel cell vehicles than charging stations per million battery electric vehicles.

In the future, the issue of hydrogen refueling will be decided for a person, depending on his place of residence. Gas stations will fill cars with hydrogen delivered by tankers from large fuel reformers. Deliveries from such enterprises will be in no way inferior to the supply of gasoline from oil refineries. In the future, local hydrogen plants will learn how to benefit from local resources and from renewable energy sources.

METHODS OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION

• steam reforming of methane and natural gas;
• water electrolysis;
• coal gasification;
• pyrolysis;
• partial oxidation;
• biotechnology

Steam reforming of methane

The method of hydrogen separation by steam methane reforming is applicable to fossil fuels, such as natural gas - it is heated and a catalyst is added. Natural gas is not a renewable source of energy, but for now it exists and is extracted from the bowels of the earth. The Department of Energy claims that reformed hydrogen cars have half the emissions of gasoline-powered cars. The production of reformed hydrogen has already been launched to its fullest and it is cheaper to produce hydrogen in this way than hydrogen from other sources.

Biomass gasification

Hydrogen is also extracted from biomass - agricultural waste, animal waste and sewage. Using a process called gasification, the biomass is exposed to temperature, steam and oxygen to form a gas that, after further processing, yields pure hydrogen. "There are entire landfills for collecting agricultural waste - ready sources of hydrogen, the potential of which is underestimated and wasted," laments the director of policy for the Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Research Association, James Varner.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is the process of separating hydrogen from water using an electric current. This method sounds easier than fiddling with fossil fuels and animal waste, but it has its drawbacks. Electrolysis is competitive in areas where electricity is cheap (in Russia, this could be the Irkutsk region - 8 power plants per region, 1 ruble 6 kopecks per kilowatt-hour).

Solar hydrogen stations Honda use the energy of the sun and an electrolyzer to separate the "H" from the "O" into H2O. After separation, the hydrogen is stored in a pressure tank of 34.47 MPa (megapascal). Using only solar energy, the station creates 5,700 liters of hydrogen per year (enough fuel for one car with an average annual mileage). When connected to the electrical network, the station produces up to 26 thousand liters per year.

“Once hydrogen has a niche in the fuel market, and once there is demand for it, it will become clear which way to extract hydrogen is profitable,” says James Varner, director of policy for the Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Research Association. “Some of the ways hydrogen is produced will require new laws to regulate its production. If hydrogen is in constant demand, you will see rules for the use of agricultural waste and water for electrolysis begin to regulate.”

The bulk of the hydrogen recovered in the United States each year is used in oil refining, metal processing, fertilizer production, and food processing.

REDUCTION OF HYDROGEN CAR TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT

Another hurdle for hydrogen car manufacturers is the cost of hydrogen technology. For example, a set of fuel cells for cars up to now, rely on platinum as a catalyst. If you had to buy a platinum ring for your beloved, you know the high price of metal.

Scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory have proved that it is possible to replace this expensive metal with more common ones - iron or cobalt - as a catalyst. And scientists at Case Western Reserve University have developed a carbon nanotube catalyst that is 650 times cheaper than platinum. Replacing platinum as a catalyst in fuel cells will markedly reduce the cost of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

On this research to improve the hydrogen fuel cell does not end there. Mercedes is developing technology to compress hydrogen to a pressure of 68.95 MPa (megapascals) to fit more fuel on board the car, with the advanced as additional energy storage. "If all goes well, hydrogen cars will have a driving range of more than 1,000 km." says Dr. Herbert Kohler, vice president of Daimler AG.

The US Department of Energy claims that fuel cell vehicle assembly costs have been reduced by 30 percent in the last three years and by 80 percent in the last decade. The service life of fuel cells has doubled, but this is not enough. Fuel cell life needs to be doubled to compete with electric vehicles. Current hydrogen fuel cell vehicles run about 2,500 hours (or about 120,000 km), but that's not enough. “To compete with other technologies, you need to achieve a result of 5,000 hours, at least,” says one of the members of the scientific council of the ministerial program on fuel cells.

The development of hydrogen fuel cell technologies will reduce the cost of car production by simplifying mechanisms and systems, but manufacturers will only benefit from serial production. An obstacle to the mass production of hydrogen cars is the fact that there is no wholesale deliveries spare parts for vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell. Even the FCX Clarity car, which is already in production, is not provided with additional spare parts at wholesale prices (they just did not use the search from). Automakers are tackling the problem in their own way, installing hydrogen fuel cells in expensive models for rolling. expensive cars are produced in smaller quantities than the budget ones, which means that there are no problems with the supply of spare parts for them. “We are introducing hydrogen technology into luxury cars and monitoring how it performs in practice. While the market is embracing hydrogen cars, as it was 10 years ago with hybrid technology, automakers are ramping up hydrogen models as they move down the value chain,” says Steve Ellis, sales manager for Honda's fuel cell vehicles.

FUEL CELLS WITH HYDROGEN FUEL IN THE FIELD

Beginning in 2008, Honda began a limited leasing program for 200 FCX Clarity sedans that run on hydrogen fuel cells. As a result, only 24 clients from Southern California, USA, paid a monthly fee of $600 for three years. In 2011, the lease ended, and Honda extended contracts with these customers and added new ones to the research campaign. Here is what the company has learned during the research:

1. Drivers of the FCX Clarity drove short distances through and around the city of Los Angeles with no problem (Honda claims the FCX's range is 435km).
2. The lack of necessary infrastructure is a major inconvenience for tenants who live far from hydrogen gas stations in California. Most of the stations are located near Los Angeles, tying cars to a 240-kilometer zone.
3. On average, drivers drove 19.5 thousand km per year. One of the first tenants has just crossed the 60,000 km mark.
4. Dealers who lease FCX Clarity vehicles are special training"How to train customers to handle a hydrogen car." "Salespeople are being asked questions they've never heard before," says sales and marketing manager Honda cars with fuel cells, Steve Ellis.

WILL THE HYDROGEN PROGRAM GET GOVERNMENT SUPPORT?

Car manufacturers and builders of filling networks agree that reducing costs in the short term without government intervention will not work. That in the USA, however, seems unlikely, with all the described cash infusions of the local administration of the States and Ministries.

With Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, the Obama administration has repeatedly tried to cut funding for the hydrogen fuel cell development program, but so far all of these cuts have been rescinded by Congress.

The focus on battery technology seems short-sighted to hydrogen proponents. "These are complementary technologies," says Steve Ellis, spokesman for Honda. Technology developed for the FCX, for example, has also been rolled out to the Fit electric car. “We believe that hydrogen fuel cells, combined with electric vehicles, will outperform all alternative energy sources to lead this decade.”

Dissatisfied and those who pay out of pocket for the construction of new filling stations. They say that they would not refuse government assistance until the demand for hydrogen fuel increases and the cost of renewable energy sources decreases.

Tom Sullivan believes in energy independence so strongly that he invested all the money he received from the supermarket chain in SunHydro, a company that builds hydrogen filling stations on solar panels. Tom believes that targeted tax cuts could encourage entrepreneurs to invest in building hydrogen stations powered by solar energy. “There needs to be an incentive for people to invest in such ventures,” says Tom. "People in their right mind probably won't invest in building hydrogen filling stations."

For Honda's Steve Ellis, the issue is both practical and political. “Hydrogen fuel technology helps society save on fuel and save the environment,” says Steve. “If so, will society help itself switch to alternative fuels?”

Minus alternative sources fuels already used in cars, such as vegetable oil (more on that here) or natural gas, in that they are not renewable, unlike hydrogen fuel.

TOTAL

Disadvantages of hydrogen fuel:

• hydrogen production is not yet perfect and pollutes the environment;
• arranging a network of hydrogen filling stations is expensive (one and a half trillion US dollars);
• car owners are tied to gas stations (you are a hostage of the state of California, you can’t go any further).

pros hydrogen fuel:

• hydrogen cars have zero emissions, we save nature;
• fast refueling (from 3 to 5 minutes);
• economically, hydrogen outperforms petrol cars at the price of fuel consumption (600 km for 3,369 rubles on hydrogen versus 6,060 rubles for a trip on gasoline).

And now it's time for a science video!

Hydrogen has long been considered perhaps the best replacement for gasoline. This is not surprising, because when it is burned, water is released, and not harmful substances. That's just, despite all the obvious advantages, disputes and discussions about a hydrogen car are still going on. And this despite the fact that many corporations, Toyota, BMW, Ford, are constantly working on the use of such gas as an energy source for driving a car.

The hydrogen plant for the car that started it all

According to historical information, the first ICE engine was hydrogen, although sometimes lighting gas was also used. But it took many more years to improve such an engine, and only in 1859 was the first self-propelled carriage built, for which the mentioned gases served as fuel. So it can be said that modern transport started with a hydrogen-powered car. Although in the future he gave way to gasoline.

Several cases are known when, in the absence of the usual fuel, hydrogen generator provided the car with fuel. But nevertheless, with all the advantages of such an energy source, it has not found wide application, although many automobile corporations, such as Toyota, are working on the possibility of creating a car on hydrogen fuel, and I must say, not without success.

About hydrogen engines

Several various options what such a motor could be and what could underlie its operation.

Combustion of hydrogen

This is a conventional internal combustion engine that runs directly on hydrogen or on its mixture with gasoline. As a result of such an additive, the combustion of the mixture improves, the efficiency of the motor increases, and the content of carbon monoxide decreases during combustion. However, a tank for storing hydrogen, and liquid hydrogen, has to be introduced into the design of the car. And this does not add space in the trunk and does not increase safety in collisions.

This principle of using hydrogen is implemented by BMW, and the company considers the possibility of using any type of fuel (gasoline, hydrogen) as the main task. Several samples have already been created and have been successfully operated for a long time, working on similar principle. True, in this case, the shortcomings inherent in an ordinary car mainly remain.

fuel cells

Another way to use hydrogen is in a fuel cell. Its design is shown in the figure.

As a result of the passage of hydrogen and oxygen molecules through the anode and cathode and their interaction, water and an electric current are formed. If you connect several of these elements, you get a kind of generator that ensures the operation of the electric motor. In essence, this is how electrochemical generator electric current.

This option for building a car that uses hydrogen as fuel is being implemented by Toyota. She intends to move from the production of prototypes to serial production fuel cell electric vehicles. According to reports, Toyota's hydrogen car should be mass-produced from 2015.

Is hydrogen really that good?

It is believed that the most important advantage of a car using hydrogen is its environmental friendliness. It is generally accepted that during the combustion of hydrogen, instead of carbon monoxide and other harmful substances water will appear, more precisely water vapor. However, this does not use pure oxygen, but air, which includes nitrogen. As a result, nitrogen oxides are formed in the combustion chamber. And their environmental impact can be much worse than conventional exhaust gases.

In addition, it should be noted that the ingress of hydrogen into the hot parts of the internal combustion engine can cause it to ignite. Therefore, the most suitable for the use of such fuel is rotary engine, in which the gas enters the cold part, and then is distilled into the hot part.

There is a very big discussion in general on the question of whether a hydrogen car has the right to exist. There are several problems here, without the solution of which it makes no sense to talk about the future of such technology. It should be noted that hydrogen must first be obtained, which requires some kind of installation. The source for its production can be water or methane.

This is where one of the main problems arises.

• Methane itself is a good energy carrier, and it is rather irrational to subject it to additional processing in order to burn the finished product later, you can immediately burn methane without extra costs.
• With water, the picture is even more interesting. In order to obtain one cubic meter of hydrogen, it is necessary to spend four times more electricity than can be generated by burning this volume of gas.
• It must be taken into account that emissions of harmful substances will occur during the production of hydrogen, and it is not known which will be better. Instead of emitting car exhaust gases, their own waste products will be generated when gas is received.
• In addition, the issue of storage is very problematic. It has not yet been resolved, hydrogen is able to penetrate through any material, and it must be stored in liquid form, and these are additional costs, and not small ones that must be added to those incurred at the stage of production. And when gas leaks, an explosive mixture with air is formed.

The next problem that practically puts an end to the use of hydrogen as a fuel for a car is the lack of appropriate infrastructure. By this it is necessary to understand, first of all, a network of filling stations.

So from what has already been said, it should be clear that hydrogen is not an alternative source of energy, at least until a method for its cheap production is realized. And the myths about the bright future of hydrogen energy are just one of the methods of struggle large corporations between themselves.

But you can still try - a hydrogen generator for a car

Despite such a bleak conclusion about hydrogen energy on an industrial scale, you can try to use the option of obtaining the so-called Brown's gas directly on the car. In fact, this is the same hydrogen, the result of the electrolysis of water, only carried out in a car. Mounted under the hood special installation, a hydrogen generator, powered by the on-board network.

It is clear that, ceteris paribus, the power spent on movement will decrease, part of the energy will be additionally spent on gas production. But results from multiple tests show that similar installation allows you to save up to thirty percent of gasoline.

How such a generator is arranged allows you to understand the figure. An example of the manufacture of its simplest version is shown in the video

And


It is based on metal electrodes, some of which are connected to the plus, and some to the minus b / s. Water is filled inside (blue arrow) and Brown's gas comes out of the tank (blue arrow). Through the hose, gas is supplied to the inlet pipe of the internal combustion engine.

How such a setup is actually located under the hood can be seen in the photo.

Here is a small Brown gas generator that will allow any car to be a little closer to the creations of the Toyota or BMW concern, getting some gasoline savings.

True, disputes over whether the owner benefits from such a device do not subside. Some argue that the generator is worth it, others, using formulas and other arguments, prove that this is a myth, and in fact there is no sense in a hydrogen generator.

Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future, but is it? There are many problems with its widespread use, and although major automakers such as Toyota are making significant efforts in this direction, there are some doubts that hydrogen will be able to replace gasoline in the near future. But there is an opinion that if you use the simplest Brown gas generator, then it is quite possible to save gasoline in your car without waiting for the arrival of hydrogen energy.

Sooner or later, oil reserves around the world will run out. Naturally, this is unlikely to happen tomorrow, but already today the prices of oil-based fuels have risen significantly. This fact has become a good incentive for developers who are engaged in the invention of the fuel of the future. In addition, it should be not just fuel, but, preferably, renewable fuel. Many people believe that a hydrogen car is a toy. Let's see if that's the case.

Fuel of the future

The well-known writer Jules Verne wrote about such fuel a long time ago in his adventure novels. In one of his novels on the topic of an alternative energy source, the writer said that the product for energy would be plain water. And so it happened. Yes, this is not fiction.

Water, or rather, one of its components - hydrogen - is not only the first chemical element. It is also the source of energy for the future. And imagine, this future is already very close.

Today Japanese companies produce engines that run only on this type of fuel. from Toyota - the world's first production car equipped with this engine.

The car is a sedan with four doors. It has installed Electrical engine with a capacity of 151 liters. With. You ask, what does hydrogen have to do with it, because the motor is electric? Let's figure it out.

Technologies "Toyota-Mirai"

The electric motor is powered by a special converter. And he already receives energy directly from hydrogen. The gas is contained in the car's tanks under high pressure. The containers are made from

But the reaction still needs oxygen. Yes it is. The car receives oxygen directly from the radiator while driving. One filling of two tanks with hydrogen will be enough to cover up to 480 km by car. Refueling only takes 3 minutes. During this time, 170 liters of gas will be poured into the tanks of the car. On average, a hydrogen-powered car will consume about 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

How it works?

When hydrogen reacts with oxygen, a violent chemical reaction occurs, during which electrical energy is generated. It is stored in the battery. The vehicle is set in motion synchronous motor alternating current.

Technical characteristics of the "Japanese"

The maximum speed that a hydrogen car is capable of is 180 km / h. Up to 100 km, the car can accelerate in just 9 seconds.

In addition to the fact that you can ride a "Japanese" and not harm the environment, this car can also be used at home as a power plant. The engineers and designers who took part in the development of the novelty claim that with the help of such a system, current is supplied to the whole house. Thus, you can enjoy freely for 5 days.

Fuel discounts for customers

Those residents of Japan and the United States who purchase a hydrogen car will receive big discounts And free refueling their cars. The authors of the grandiose project are sure that they will succeed. However, other automakers are not sitting idly by. And soon, consumers can have a large selection of alternative fuel vehicles.

Great and terrible

The fact that hydrogen can become number 1 in matters of alternative fuels has been talked about for a long time. Even before the economic crisis back in 2008, the media was constantly printing reports about how wonderfully you can use the power of hydrogen.

Any hydrogen-powered car was considered a breakthrough, and its creators were erected almost into the face of saints. Unprepared readers and motorists confidently considered this a real breakthrough, but it must be said that this is not so.

150 years ago

The real state of affairs is slightly different from what they write in blogs dedicated to alternative energy. Hydrogen has been used in this capacity for about 150 years. The hydrogen car helped win the war.

The very first internal combustion engine using such fuel was built by Lenoir in 1860. Then, in 1942, there was a fairly massive transfer of the entire automotive technology for the hydrogen energy source.

It happened in besieged Leningrad. Initially, hydrogen was to be used in air defense systems for balloons. However, the great Russian engineers managed to change the situation.

How it was?

Airbuses were used to protect the city. These flying objects made of rubber, filled to the brim with hydrogen, made it impossible for the fascist planes to conduct aimed fire at the city.

However, rubber air protection had one huge disadvantage. Due to the fact that the shell of the airbus let this gas through, the airbuses were descending. Instead of hydrogen, various water vapors, as well as other gases, took its place. Therefore, sometimes airbuses were lowered to the ground, bled off and refueled again.

Winches and GAZ AA gasoline trucks were used to refuel the airbuses. And under the conditions of the blockade, gasoline was very expensive in Leningrad. The war depleted supplies, and Boris Shelits, who was then a military technician, served just at the gas station of these same airbuses. So. There was no gasoline, that is, completely. He tried using electric winches to lower flying bodies. However, the electricity soon ran out. Many different sources of alternative energy have been tried.

One day, a military technician thought that hydrogen could be used in other ways than just bleed into the sky. After all, the heat that this gas gives out during combustion is 4 times higher than that from coal, 3 times higher than that from gasoline and other petroleum products. Shelitz asked permission for the experiment, and it was signed for him. Do I need to say that this is how a hydrogen car appeared?

Principle of operation

The scientist's scheme boiled down to connecting the airbus with a hose to the inlet manifold of a car engine. Hydrogen entered directly into the cylinders, bypassing the carburetor. The dosage of hydrogen, as well as the air necessary for the reaction, was carried out using throttle valve or the gas pedal.

Shelitz carried out his first experiments in frost. The engine started easily, despite the temperature outside. The motor worked stably and for a long time. True, the balloons exploded, and Shelitz was shell-shocked. After that, a special protection system was invented. It is based on a water seal, which excluded the ignition of the mixture during flashes in the motor manifold. So the car on hydrogen has become safer.

By the way, after one of the engines was dismantled, there were practically no signs of wear on it. There was no soot in the cylinders, but only water vapor.

Hydrogen saves lives

The hydrogen machine invented in this way during the war helped save many lives, withstand the blockade, and Shelitz himself received an award for this development, and even patented it. The developer was awarded the Red Star.

Hydrogen Taxi

After the war, when there was nowhere to get hydrogen, they began to forget about it. However, some people still remember how in Ukraine, in Kharkov, a taxi worked, but not a simple one, but a hydrogen one.

Save with Brown's Gas

In most even the most modern automotive ICE fuel burns far from optimal. About 60% of the mixture of air and fuel is simply lost in the bowels of the exhaust manifold. In the collector, the mixture does not burn out completely, and at the same time it also forms quite toxic exhaust gases.

You can use a hydrogen generator. This is a fundamentally new equipment that will significantly save on fuel in the car. Most of these devices have a standard circuit diagram. However, directly the hydrogen generator for cars various manufacturers may have some differences.

Hydrogen has been used as a fuel additive for a long time. But then there were no systems to optimize the mixture of fuel and the so-called Brown's gas, which was fed into the cylinders.

A hydrogen generator for a car uses the principle of electrolysis in its work. Water is used here as a catalyst. But it does not decompose into two components - oxygen and hydrogen. Modern generators use nothing more than a brown or green hydrogen. It is sometimes referred to as water gas or oxyhydrogen. Its formula is HHO. Its difference is that it is completely safe and does not explode. In addition, all the gas that is produced will completely enter the cylinders.

Such generators consist of a device that produces electrolysis and a container. Electrolysis processes are controlled by a special modulator. In injection engines, the design also provides for an optimizer. It allows you to automatically adjust the ratio of mixing fuel and air with Brown's gas.

Types of catalysts

The devices that are used in electrolyzers are simple, split-cell and dry type.

In the first case, the electrolyzer has the simplest and most sufficient primitive construction. Its management is also very simple. The device is capable of delivering up to 0.7 liters of gas per minute. It is intended for cars with an engine capacity of up to 1.4 liters.

A catalyst with a separate cell type is already something more efficient. Everything you need is included with the equipment. software. The device can produce about 2 liters per minute. This machine is the most efficient.

The dry type device is mainly used on machines with sufficiently long work cycles. Its performance is average. It depends on how many plates are in this design. Since the plates have an open arrangement, it turns out to provide good cooling.

How to make a fuel cell for a car?

A fuel cell or a device that will produce hydrogen from water and be placed on board a car can be made independently. The generated gas must then be fed into intake manifold. This way you can achieve a significant reduction in fuel consumption, and in some cases you can increase the power of the car.

Upgrading the generator

In order to improve the hydrogen production system, add another tank to this system. It should be slightly higher than the first. You can connect them with pipes. This way you can use the system more efficiently.

The electronic unit

This part of the generator can also be assembled with your own hands, especially if you have knowledge in the field of electronics. If there is no such knowledge and skills, then it is better to turn to specialists in these areas. The control unit must automatically change the current that is supplied to the plates, based on the engine speed.

Power can only be determined empirically on idling motor, as well as under load. The electronic unit should receive information from the sensors of the automotive control system.

After installing this generator, you need to once again verify the tightness and reliability of all connections of this design. A leak is dangerous not only because of the likelihood of an explosion, such a machine will lead to. As a result, the effect will be extremely negative. But in general, such a hydrogen-powered car, made with your own hands, allows you to save from 25% to 40% of fuel.

Such equipment and such methods of saving fuel have been successfully used all over the world for a long time. Famous actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has long been driving a combination car that runs on gasoline with hydrogen. The car cost the movie star 150 thousand dollars. Fuel consumption on this combined engine is 5.8 liters per 100 km.

Today, such a hydrogen-powered car in Russia can also be very relevant.

So, we found out all the features and principle of operation of cars on this ecological form fuel. As you can see, this is a very real alternative to today's gasoline. And there are hopes that in the coming decades, humanity will move to a new stage of development, where cars running on hydrogen will drive through the streets.

Sales of the Toyota Mirai ("future" in Jap.), the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered car. 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 intended purpose, power point The car 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 cheap to produce.

says the expert.

03.02.2016

The resources of our planet are not endless, including the reserves of "black gold" (oil). Despite the decline in world prices and the availability of certain reserves, the awareness of the importance of alternatives does not leave the heads of many minds of mankind. Years will pass, and the world will face a shortage of energy resources.

But the future shortage of oil is not the only reason to look for new options. People began to think about the future of our planet and the preservation of the environment. Against this background, the development of hydrogen engines began - devices capable of operating on inexhaustible, affordable and safe fuel.

The essence of the problem

One of the main problems is, of course, emissions into the atmosphere. In 2015, about a third of all CO2 emissions are from vehicles (primarily cars). According to research results, by 2050 carbon dioxide emissions will only grow (along with an increase in the car fleet).

In addition to CO2, there is another problem - nitrogen oxides, which adversely affect health and lead to various problems with the respiratory system of people. Scientists have already managed to prove that one of the causes of asthma is precisely nitric oxide.

An important problem is the rise in energy prices. As practice has shown, an increase or decrease in the price of oil does not greatly affect the cost of fuel. Gasoline (diesel fuel) is and will be expensive. The price, if any, will fall, but only to a small extent. Against this background, it is necessary to search for an alternative that can give independence in the energy sector.

Story

Almost half of the oil produced in the world goes to the production of fuel for cars. Hydrogen as a replacement for the classic "black gold" has been considered for a long time. The reason is simple - the reserves of this substance on the planet are enough to "feed the planet" for thousands of years. In addition, hydrogen is easy to extract from water, so there is no problem finding resources. The only difficulty is transportation and storage, but these issues are already being resolved.

The first plant operating on hydrogen appeared in 1841 (we are talking about a patented version). Already 11 years later, Germany managed to build an internal combustion engine that could run on a mixture of two elements - hydrogen and air. On the world-famous airship Hindeburg, there was a motor running on lighting gas (half of hydrogen was in its composition). But after the tragedy with the airship in 1937 and the death of 37 people, interest in hydrogen as a fuel was temporarily lost.

But already in the 70s of the 19th century, the developers again returned to the creation of a hydrogen engine. At the present stage, the importance of improving and actively implementing such technologies is being discussed at the highest level. The popularity is also due to the rise in prices for petroleum products, which makes many countries look for real and affordable alternatives.

The idea of ​​creating a hydrogen engine was not only picked up, but also implemented by such popular manufacturers as Honda Motors, General Motors, Ford, BMW and others.

Types of hydrogen cars

If we consider the existing hydrogen cars, then among them we can distinguish three main groups:

• Vehicles with a conventional engine capable of running on hydrogen or hydrogen composition.These types of cars are universal, that is, they are able to drive on pure hydrogen or by using hydrogen as a fuel additive. The characteristic of these vehicles is high level Efficiency (in the case of mixing with fuel by almost 15-20%). The second positive point is the purification of the exhaust. In particular, the reduction of carbon monoxide and carbohydrates is reduced by almost 50%, and nitrogen oxides by 500%. Such cars are produced both abroad and in the CIS countries. At the same time, the first vehicles appeared around the 80s of the last century.

• Electrically powered machines.Such vehicles are called "hybrids". Their feature is setting the wheels in motion with the help of an electric drive powered by a battery. Peculiarity hybrid motor- the ability to work both on ordinary hydrogen (pure mixture) and on a mixture with classic fuel. The first option is more cost-effective and economically justified. The overall efficiency of a car with an electric motor can reach 95%. In comparison with internal combustion engines and their 30-35%, such a high parameter is really amazing. Thus, the transition to hydrogen can increase the efficiency of the motor by almost three times. But not everything is perfect here either. Even the battery and its charge require fuel, so harmful emissions will still be present. To remove harmful vapors completely, the type of hydrogen engine discussed below was created.

• Hydrogen car, which has an electric engine powered by the main fuel.According to the theory, such a unit is capable of operating from a mixture of hydrogen and air. Device efficiency can reach 85%. But that's in theory. In practice, only 75% was achieved. In the conditions of the urban cycle, such a vehicle receives a lot of advantages over ordinary cars(primarily in relation to fuel costs).

How it works?

The scheme of operation of a car on hydrogen is as follows:

• the piston moves from top to bottom, while opening the exhaust valve;
• the pressure in the combustion chamber becomes equal to atmospheric;
• when the piston reaches the bottom point, the chamber is sealed;
• the exhaust valve closes and injection is carried out through the fuel supply valves fuel mixture(explosive gas);
• in the process of combustion of the mixture, the pressure in the chamber increases; this force is sufficient to open the check valves installed in the cylinder head and to release combustion products;
• pressure decreases, which leads to closure check valves and sealing of the combustion chamber;
• the action of the created pressure contributes to the movement of the piston and its return to its original point;
• as soon as the piston reaches the top position, the intake valves open again, and so on.

As a result, the principle of operation of a hydrogen engine is no different from a conventional internal combustion engine. The only difference is the fuel used.

As regards receiving required gas, this can happen in several ways. One of them is through the electrolysis of water.

The scheme described above is the simplest, but it works. In this case, hydrogen can also be used in a conventional internal combustion engine. The advantage of such a substitution is the rapid combustion of fuel and an increase in the overall performance of the car.

Liquid vapors are recommended to be added to power node already available hydrogen fuel. After running on hydrogen, the engine is actually cleaned of carbon deposits and various “sprays”. But there is also negative side. Together with soot, hydrogen washes away the existing oil film. As a result, the resource of the power node may decrease.

To convert a conventional engine to hydrogen fuel, it is worth altering the exhaust and valve system. In addition, it is necessary to replace the pistons, which must have ceramic coating. If you make such alterations, then there will definitely be no problems with lubrication or rust.

Advantages and disadvantages

You can discuss all the prospects of hydrogen engines for a long time, but the first thing you should always start with is to study the pros and cons of the design.

The advantages of hydrogen engines include:

• The high level of environmental friendliness is one of the main advantages, which is still the main driving force behind this innovation. Hydrogen itself is a truly environmentally friendly fuel. As a result of its combustion, only water is produced. This is easy to see in the example of a simple chemical formula - 2H2 + O2 \u003d 2H2O. Many will think that when driving a hydrogen car from exhaust pipe ordinary water (steam) will be poured out. This is not entirely true. We must not forget that there is still oil or antifreeze in the engine, which can get into the combustion chamber, and then into the exhaust of the car. But for scientists, this is not a problem - they are already working to eliminate the shortcoming. It is possible that in the near future burning oil will not lead to a deterioration in the quality of emissions, and the resulting water could be collected by electrolysis;

• It is possible to use two types of fuel at once - gasoline and hydrogen. The only thing that is necessary for this is to install two separate containers. If desired, you can choose the type of fuel that is most relevant at a particular point in time;

• High efficiency, which is 200% higher than that of a conventional internal combustion engine and 150% higher than that of a diesel engine;

• More low level noise during operation;

• Experts agree that in 30-40 years hydrogen will fully cover all fuel needs;

• Hydrogen in all respects is an ideal mixture for use as a fuel. It has unlimited volumes, if ordinary water is considered as a raw material.

Disadvantages of a hydrogen engine:

• To ensure proper operation of the hydrogen motor, powerful batteries are needed, total weight which can be very serious. As a result, the overall weight of the vehicle becomes larger;

• Hydrogen fuel cells are expensive, which makes the transport itself more expensive. Application hydrogen elements inevitably leads to an increase in fire and explosion hazard;