This year will truly be a watershed year in both automotive and motorcycle technological breakthroughs. Whether electric, hybrid, or hydrogen, almost everywhere you look there are new patents, new inventive designs, and very soon, new consumer transportation products that just ten years ago would have seemed like a Star Wars episode.
I’ll try to remain focused in this article on hydrogen-powered vehicles, however, there is a relationship and a symbiotic one between hydrogen and electricity. Fuel cell technology is that link.
Fuel cells offer fewer pollutants and less noise. Transportation experts have high hopes for another exciting drive technology: an emission-free alternative without long charging times. Referred to as hydrogen-electric drive, and simply called fuel cell drive technology.
Understanding the Technology
Hydrogen cars that are powered by an electric motor are classified as e-cars. Abbreviated as FCEV or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles. This is in contrast to BEVs or Battery Electric Vehicles. One crucial difference exists and that is that FCEVs produce their electricity, while BEVs derive their power from a built-in battery. Hydrogen cars effectively have their efficient power on board, which converts hydrogen into electricity. This power plant is called the fuel cell.
A process known as reverse electrolysis occurs in a fuel cell, where hydrogen reacts with oxygen. The hydrogen is stored in one tank, while the oxygen comes from the ambient air. This process produces electrical energy, heat, and water, which is evacuated as water vapor, with no emissions at all.
The electricity generated either flows to a much smaller battery that acts as a power reservoir or directly to an electric motor. The battery is constantly charged and recharged by the fuel cell. In addition, like e-cars, FCEVs recover energy through braking, which converts kinetic energy back into electricity stored in the reservoir battery.
FCEVs are quick as they are capable of delivering full torque even at low speeds. Short refueling times of only four minutes (for example: the time it takes to refuel a BMW iX5 Hydrogen vehicle, compared to however long it takes to fuel a normal ICE-equipped vehicle.
Another immediate benefit is that FCEV vehicles have long ranges due to very large battery storage (Here I am specifically talking about cars at this point, but bear with me.) Hydrogen drives will effectively increase the broader footprint within the infrastructure for BEVs.
The economy of scale because FCEVs and BEV’s both use electric energy, will reduce the costs for both in the long term.
Hydrogen is refueled through special pumps, which will expand rapidly. Research being accomplished in Germany suggests that infrastructure with electric charging and hydrogen refueling is cheaper overall than a pure electric charging infrastructure. H2 Mobility is planning and operationalizing hydrogen filling in Germany right now. Bosch is a partner in this endeavor.
Right now, hydrogen vehicles are expensive to manufacture and fuel is equally expensive at about 14 euros or $20 CDN. It is believed that demand, competition, and economy of scale will reduce the price for both vehicles and fuel, with fuel prices for hydrogen dropping to between 4 and 6 Euros by 2030.
A sustainable, environmentally friendly production of hydrogen requires electrical energy, preferably for the environment produced by renewable energy sources such as solar or hydro development. The disadvantage of hydrogen production relates to how much is lost in the electrolysis process. BMW states that if you look at the entire life cycle of a vehicle FCEVs and BEV’s are similar.
One major advantage is that hydrogen can be produced at times when there is an oversupply of electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydro capacity. Finally, the energy balance of fuel cell vehicles also includes transporting and storing the hydrogen, a more complex and energy-intensive process. Developing hydrogen production facilities in close proximity to where the use of the product will be made will make these costs much lower.
Hydrogen storage is not new, so the risks are no greater than with any pressurized tank system, which has been deemed very safe (i.e. propane and CNG systems.).
Stay tuned, there is much more to come on this, particularly as it relates specifically to motorcycles.
Ciao…
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