Term Paper Report

Term Paper Report

On

Fuel Cell Vehicles

Amity School of Engineering & Technology

Lucknow Campus

Submitted by

Gaurav Yadav

M. Tech. (Automobile Engineering)

Introduction

What is Fuel cell Vehicles?

A Fuel cell vehicle or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) is a type of hydrogen vehicle which

uses a fuel cell to produce electricity, powering its on-board electric motor. Fuel cells in vehicles

create electricity to power an electric motor using hydrogen and oxygen from the air.

Description and purpose of fuel cells in vehicles

All fuel cells are made up of three parts: an electrolyte, an anode and a cathode. In principle, a

hydrogen fuel cell functions like a battery, producing electricity, which can run an electric motor.

Instead of requiring recharging, however, the fuel cell can be refilled with hydrogen. Different

types of fuel cells include Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells, Direct Methanol

Fuel Cells, Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells, Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells,

and Regenerative Fuel Cells.

Process of Hydrogen Fuel cell

As of 2009, motor vehicles used most of the petroleum consumed in the U.S. and produced over

60% of the carbon monoxide emissions and about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the

United States. In contrast, a vehicle fueled with pure hydrogen emits few pollutants, producing

mainly water and heat, although the production of the hydrogen would create pollutants unless

the hydrogen used in the fuel cell were produced using only renewable energy

History

The first modern fuel cell vehicle was a modified Allis-Chalmers farm tractor, fitted with a 15

kilowatt fuel cell, around 1959.The Cold War Space Race drove further development of fuel cell

technology. Project Gemini tested fuel cells to provide electrical power during manned space

missions. Fuel cell development continued with the Apollo Program. The electrical power

systems in the Apollo capsules and lunar modules used alkali fuel cells. In 1966, General

Motors developed the first fuel cell road vehicle, the Chevrolet Electrovan. It had a PEM fuel

cell, a range of 120 miles and a top speed of 70 mph. There were only two seats, as the fuel cell

stack and fuel tanks took up the rear portion of the van. Only one was built, as the project was

deemed cost-prohibitive. General Electric and Fuel cell stacks were still limited principally to

space applications in the 1980s, including the Space Shuttle. However, the closure of the Apollo

Program sent many industry experts to private companies. By the 1990s, automobile

manufacturers were interested in fuel cell applications, and demonstration vehicles were readied.

In 2001, the first 700 Bar (10000 PSI) hydrogen tanks were demonstrated, reducing the size of

the fuel tanks that could be used in vehicles.

In 2003 US President George Bush proposed the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative (HFI), which was later

implemented by legislation through the 2005 Energy Policy Act and the 2006 Advanced Energy

Initiative. The HFI aimed at further developing hydrogen fuel cells and infrastructure

technologies with the goal of producing commercial fuel cell vehicles. By 2008, the U.S. had

contributed 1 billion dollars to this project. In May 2009, the Obama Administration announced

plans to "cut off funds" for the development of fuel cell vehicles, concluding that other vehicle

technologies will lead to quicker reduction in emissions in a shorter time. However, the US

Congress reversed the funding cuts in its appropriations bill for 2010. The Department of Energy

has proposed to decrease funding for Fuel Cell Vehicle development.

Efficiency and cost

Advancements in fuel cell technology have reduced the size, weight and cost of fuel cell electric

vehicles. Fuel cell electric vehicles have been produced with a driving range of more than 250

miles between refueling. They can be refueled in less than 5 minutes. Deployed fuel cell buses

have a 40% higher fuel economy than diesel buses. EERE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program

claims that, as of 2011, fuel cells achieved a 42 to 53% fuel cell electric vehicle efficiency at full

power, and a durability of over 75,000 miles with less than 10% voltage degradation, double that

achieved in 2006.

Professor Jeremy P. Meyers, in the Electrochemical Society journal Interface in 2008,

wrote, While fuel cells are efficient relative to combustion engines, they are not as efficient as

batteries, due primarily to the inefficiency of the oxygen reduction reaction. They make the most

1966 GM Electrovan - Fuel cell.

sense for operation disconnected from the grid, or when fuel can be provided continuously. For

applications that require frequent and relatively rapid start-ups .where zero emissions are a

requirement, as in enclosed spaces such as warehouses, and where hydrogen is considered an

acceptable reactant, a PEM fuel cell is becoming an increasingly attractive choice (if exchanging

batteries is inconvenient) In 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy  estimated that the cost of

automobile fuel cells had fallen 80% since 2002 and that such fuel cells could potentially be

manufactured for $51/kW, assuming high-volume manufacturing cost savings. The practical cost

of fuel cells for cars will remain high, however, until production volumes incorporate economies

of scale and a well-developed supply chain. Until then, costs are roughly one order of magnitude

higher than DOE targets.

In a Well-to-Wheels analysis, the DOE estimated that fuel cell electric vehicles using

hydrogen produced from natural gas would result in emissions of approximately 55% of

the CO2 per mile of internal combustion engine vehicles and have approximately 25% less

emissions than hybrid vehicles. Richard Gilbert, co-author of Transport Revolutions: Moving

People and Freight without Oil (2010), comments that producing hydrogen gas ends up using

some of the energy it creates. Then, energy is taken up by converting the hydrogen back into

electricity within fuel cells. This means that only a quarter of the initially available energy

reaches the electric motor. Such losses in conversion don't stack up well against, for instance,

recharging an electric vehicle (EV) like the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt from a wall socket, Other

analyses conclude, moreover, that numerous challenges remain before fuel cell cars can become

competitive with other technologies. They cite the lack of an extensive hydrogen infrastructure in

the U.S. and stating: the large amount of energy required to isolate hydrogen from natural

compounds (water, natural gas, biomass), package the light gas by compression or liquefaction,

transfer the energy carrier to the user, plus the energy lost when it is converted to useful

electricity with fuel cells, leaves around 25% for practical use.

Codes and standards

Fuel cell vehicle is a classification in FC Hydrogen codes and standards and fuel cell codes and

standards other main standards are Stationary fuel cell applications and Portable fuel cell

applications.

Environmental Benefit/Emission Reduction Potential

Because FCVs are more energy efficient than vehicles powered by gasoline and because

hydrogen as a transportation fuel can have much lower lifecycle GHG emissions than fossil

fuels, FCVs have the potential to dramatically reduce GHG emissions and other air pollutants

from the transportation sector.

FCVs are more energy efficient than gasoline-powered vehicles. A fuel cell uses about 40 to 60

percent of the available energy in hydrogen. Internal combustion engines use only about 20

percent of the energy available in gasoline, although this is expected to improve over the long

term.16 EVs are more efficient than FCVs, using about 75 percent of available energy from the

batteries.17

There are two models of FCVs available currently but with limited distribution, and these

models’ fuel economy ratings illustrate the higher efficiency of FCVs. The Honda FCX Clarity

for model year 2011 has a fuel economy equivalent to 60 miles per gallon of gasoline (mpg),

while the 2011 Mercedes-Benz F-Ce ,it has a

Demonstration of Fuel Engine of Hydrogen Cell Vehicle

53 mpg.18 In comparison, the average fuel economy for passenger cars from model year 2010 is

33.8 mpg for a gasoline vehicle,19 and the most efficient HEV from the same model year has a

fuel economy rating of 50 mpg.20

In addition to being more energy efficient than gasoline-powered vehicles, FCVs can also

have much lower lifecycle GHG emissions compared to vehicles fueled by petroleum-based

fuels. FCVs emit only heat and water during operation (i.e., no tailpipe GHGs). Lifecycle GHG

emissions from FCVs thus depend, mainly, on the process used to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen

can be produced from fossil fuels (coal and natural gas), nuclear, renewable energy technologies

(wind, solar, geothermal, biomass), and hydroelectric power (see Box 1 for more information).

Lifecycle GHG emissions for an FCV are the sum of emissions from the production and

distribution of hydrogen, the production of the vehicle, and vehicle operation. Estimates made

for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) project that a future mid-size FCV (in the years 2035

to 2045), powered by hydrogen from natural gas, will have lifecycle GHG emissions slightly

lower than that for an HEV, powered by gasoline (200g CO2e/mi compared to 235g CO2e/mi).

Another study, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), found similar results:

lifecycle emission from an FCV, using hydrogen produced from natural gas, would be

comparable to those from a hybrid vehicle. With hydrogen produced using less carbon-intensive

methods – coal gasification with CCS, biomass gasification, or electrolysis powered by nuclear

power or renewable – lifecycle GHG emissions would drop significantly. With biomass

gasification or electrolysis, lifecycle emissions for an FCV are lower than all other vehicle types,

with the exception of EVs recharged using electricity from renewable sources. Over the long

term, the reduction of overall transportation sector emissions attributable to FCVs will depend on

the total number of vehicles in use. A 2008 study by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)

provides one measure of the potential for GHG emission reductions from FCVs. The NAS study

estimated the maximum practicable penetration rate for FCVs in the United States in the 2008 to

2050 time frame. The study projected that FCVs could account for approximately 2 million

vehicles, out of a total of 280 million light duty vehicles, in 2020, and grow rapidly from then on,

increasing to 25 million vehicles in 2030.

Applications

1. AutomobilesThere are fuel cell vehicles for all modes of transport. The most prevalent fuel cell vehicles are

forklifts and material handling vehicles. Although there are currently no fuel cell cars available

for commercial sale, over 20 FCEVs prototypes and demonstration cars have been released since

2009. Automobiles such as the Honda FCX Clarity, Toyota FCHV-adv and Mercedes-Benz F-

Cell are all pre-commercial examples of fuel cell electric vehicles. Fuel cell electric vehicles

have driven more than 3 million miles, with more than 27,000 refueling.

Several of the car manufacturers have announced plans to introduce a production model of a

fuel cell car in 2015. Toyota has stated that it plans to introduce such a vehicle at a price of

around $50,000. Mercedes Benz announced in 2011 that it plans to move up the production of

the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell to 2014. Some notable releases since 2009 include:

Hyundai Tucson-ix35 FCEV (2010)

BMW 1 series-fuel cell hybrid (2010)

Mercedes-Benz-F800-(2010)

Mazda 5Hydrogen RE Hybrid (2009)

Fiat Panda-HyTRAN (2009)

Audi Q5-FCEV (2009)

Nissan X-Trail-FCV

Volkswagen Caddy-Maxi HyMotion (2009)

Mercedes-Benz B-Class-F-Cell (2009)

2. BusesThere are also demonstration models of buses, and in total there are over 100 fuel cell

buses deployed around the world today. Most of these buses are produced by UTC Power,

Toyota, Ballard, Hydrogenics, and Proton Motor. UTC buses have already accumulated over

970,000 km (600,000 mi) of driving. Fuel cell buses have a 30-141% higher fuel economy than

diesel buses and natural gas buses. Fuel cell buses have been deployed around the world

including in Whistler Canada, San Francisco USA, Hamburg Germany, Shanghai China, London

England, São Paulo Brazil as well as several others. The Fuel Cell Bus Club is a global

cooperative effort in trial fuel cell buses. Notable Projects Include:

12 Fuel cell buses are being deployed in the Oakland and San Francisco Bay area of

California. Daimler AG, with thirty-six experimental buses powered by Ballard Power

Systems fuel cells completed a successful three-year trial, in eleven cities, in January 2007. A

fleet of Thor buses with UTC Power fuel cells was deployed in California, operated by Sun

Line Transit Agency.

The first Brazilian hydrogen fuel cell bus prototype in Brazil was deployed in São Paulo. The

bus was manufactured in Caxias do Sul and the hydrogen fuel will be produced in São Bernardo

do Campo from water through electrolysis.

CITARO Fuel Cell Bus Model

3. ForkliftsFuel cell powered forklifts are one of the largest sectors of fuel cell applications in the

industry. Most fuel cells used for material handling purposes are powered by PEM fuel cells,

although some direct methanol fuel forklifts are coming onto the market. Fuel cell fleets are

currently being operated by a large number of companies, including Sysco Foods, FedEx Freight,

GENCO (at Wegmans, Coca-Cola, Kimberly Clark, Sysco Foods, and Whole Foods), and H-E-B

Grocers. Fuel cell powered forklifts provide significant benefits over both petroleum and battery

powered forklifts as they produce no local emissions, can work for a full 8 hour shift on a single

tank of hydrogen, can be refueled in 3 minutes and have a lifetime of 8–10 years. Fuel cell

powered forklifts are often used in refrigerated warehouses as their performance is not degraded

by lower temperatures. Many companies do not use petroleum powered forklifts, as these

vehicles work indoors where emissions must be controlled and instead are turning towards

electric forklifts. Fuel cell forklifts offer green house gas, product lifetime, maintenance cost,

refueling and labor cost benefits over battery operated forklifts.

4. Motorcycles and bicyclesIn 2005 the British firm Intelligent Energy produced the

first ever working hydrogen run motorcycle called

the ENV (Emission Neutral Vehicle). The motorcycle

holds enough fuel to run for four hours, and to travel

160 km (100 mi) in an urban area, at a top speed of

80 km/h (50 mph). In 2004 Honda developed a fuel-cell

motorcycle which utilized the Honda FC Stack. There

are other examples of bikes and bicycles with a

hydrogen fuel cell engine. The Suzuki Burgman

received "whole vehicle type" approval in the EU. The

Taiwanese company APFCT conducts a live street test with 80 fuel cell scooters for Taiwans

Bureau of Energy using the fueling system from Italy's Acta SpAwith a 2012 production target

of 1,000 fuel cell scooters.

5. AirplanesBoeing researchers and industry partners throughout Europe conducted experimental flight tests

in February 2008 of a manned airplane powered only by a fuel cell and light weight batteries.

The Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane, as it was called, used a Proton Exchange Membrane

(PEM) fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor, which was coupled

to a conventional propeller. In 2003, the world's first propeller driven airplane to be powered

Yamaha Fuel Cell Motor Cycle Model

entirely by a fuel cell was flown. The fuel cell was a unique Flat Stack design which allowed the

fuel cell to be integrated with the aerodynamic surfaces of the plane.

Latest Fuel Cell Model Phantom Work (EC-003) by Boeing (USA)

There have been several fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). A Horizen fuel cell

UAV set the record distance flow for a small UAV in 2007. The military is especially interested

in this application because of the low noise, low thermal signature and ability to attain high

altitude. In 2009 the Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL’s) Ion Tiger utilized a hydrogen-

powered fuel cell and flew for 23 hours and 17 minutes. Boeing is completing tests on the

Phantom Eye, a high-altitude, long endurance (HALE) to be used to conduce research and

surveillance flying at 20,000 m (65,000 ft) for up to four days at a time. Fuel cells are also being

used to provide auxiliary power aircraft, replacing fossil fuel generators that were previously

used to start the engines and power on board electrical needs. Fuel cells can help airplanes

reduce CO2 and other pollutant emissions and noise.

6. BoatsThe world's first Fuel Cell Boat HYDRA used an AFC system with 6.5 kW net outputs.

For each liter of fuel consumed, the average outboard motor produces 140 times less the

hydrocarbons produced by the average modern car. Fuel cell engines have higher energy

efficiencies than combustion engines, and therefore offer better range and significantly reduced

emissions. Iceland has committed to converting its vast fishing fleet to use fuel cells to provide

auxiliary power by 2015 and, eventually, to provide primary power in its boats. Amsterdam

recently introduced its first fuel cell powered boat that ferries people around the city's famous

and beautiful canals.