Electric motor Hydrogen tank Fuel cell High voltage battery Fuel cell system Ra di at or Electric power Hydrogen Heat How is hydrogen produced By means of the chemical process of electrolysis A positive and a negative pole are immersed in water which causes the water to split into the H2 and O2 molecules i e hydrogen and oxygen Specialty coatings applied to the positive pole cathode and the negative pole anode and the addition of acid to the water accelerate the reaction and increase the yield The energy invested in electrolysis is not wasted but partially transferred to the individual molecules where it remains until the reverse reaction occurs explains Professor Michael Fröba PhD What components are needed to integrate fuel cells in vehicle powertrains The fuel cell itself is a rather compact component In addition the system includes air compressors and humidifi ers pumps voltage controllers the cooling and heating system control electronics a buff er battery and the hydrogen tank which is the largest component plus of course the electric traction motor What does the capacity depend on Decisive for the capacity and durability of fuel cells are the catalytically coated membrane and materials as well as the coatings of the bipolar plates The membrane coatings typically consist of carbon and platinum or a platinum containing mix as a catalyst To increase capacity durability responsiveness and electric effi ciency manufacturers like automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffl er are working on various coatings and electrolytes What are the challenges and risks involved Hydrogen in gaseous form can be stored in tanks However in order to store a similar amount of energy as a gasoline fuel tank the tank would have to be as large as a warehouse hall Alternatively hydrogen can be liquefi ed at minus 253 degrees centigrade 423 4 F in a very energy intensive process The solution is to compress the gas Today s hydrogen tanks are fi lled with a pressure of 700 bar 10 150 psi the infl ation pressure of a normal tire is about 2 bar 29 psi These hydrogen tanks have multi layered walls made of diverse materials and are deemed to be crash proof Compared to gasoline and diesel fuel hydrogen even has a safety advantage it s so volatile that an explosion is near impossible In tests run by the University of Miami a car with a gasoline engine completely burned out whereas hydrogen burned in a huge fl ash within fractions of a second and then the fi re went out Are there any maintenance procedures Fuel cells are actually deemed to be maintenance free Manufacturers typically require an annual inspection not least due to the other systems such as the vehicle s brakes and the exhaust system for the fuel cell heater Their lifecycles are between 5 000 and 40 000 hours depending on the technology For a passenger car fuel cell that s enough for about 300 000 kilometers 186 000 miles 65 Here and now

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