SUBJECT :- PBL-PR

ACTIVITY NO: - 01

GROUP MEMBERS : - 1. SUMEET IRALE (20MS010)

2. YASH PATIL (20MS024)
3. NIRANJAN URKUDE (20MS029)
4. SIDDHESH PATIL (20MS023)
5. JAYESH BHOSALE (20MS003)
6. ABHISHEK KULKARNI (20MS016)
7. PRATHAMESH LATE(20MS017)
 
 

TOPIC :- HYDROGEN FUEL

CELL
 INTRODUCTION
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are powered by hydrogen.
They are more ePicient than conventional internal
combustion engine vehicles and produce no tailpipe
emissions they only emit water vapor and warm air. FCEVs
and the hydrogen infrastructure to fuel them are in the
early stages of implementation. The U.S. Department of
Energy leads research efforts to make hydrogen-powered
vehicles an affordable, environmentally friendly, and safe
transportation option. Hydrogen is considered an
alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and
qualifies for alternative fuel vehicle tax credits.
 WORKING :-

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are powered by

an electric motor and are therefore
classified as e-cars. The common
abbreviation is FCEV, short for “Fuel
Cell Electric Vehicle,” in contrast to a
BEV or “Battery Electric Vehicle.”

There is one crucial difference between

hydrogen fuel cell cars and other electric
vehicles – hydrogen cars produce the
electricity themselves. So, unlike in fully
electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, the
vehicle doesn’t get its power from a built-
in battery that can be charged from an
external power source. Instead, hydrogen
cars effectively have their own efficient
power plant on board: the fuel cell.
In fuel cell technology, a process known as reverse electrolysis takes place, in which
hydrogen reacts with oxygen in the fuel cell. The hydrogen comes from one or more tanks
built into the FCEV, while the oxygen comes from the ambient air. The only results of this
reaction are electrical energy, heat and water, which is emitted through the exhaust as water
vapor. So hydrogen-powered cars are locally emission-free – more about that in a minute.

The electricity generated in the fuel cell of a hydrogen engine can take two routes,
depending on the demands of the specific driving situation. It either flows to the electric
motor and powers the FCEV directly or it charges a battery, which stores the energy until it’s
needed for the engine. This battery, known as a Peak Power Battery, is significantly smaller
and therefore lighter than the battery of a fully electric car, as it’s being constantly
recharged by the fuel cell. 

Like other e-cars, hydrogen vehicles can also recover or “recuperate” braking energy. The
electric motor converts the car’s kinetic energy back into electrical energy and feeds it into
the back-up battery.
 EXAMPLES :-

T O Y O TA M I R A I HYUNDAI NEXO
The pros and cons of hydrogen-powered cars for users

The pros and cons of a particular propulsion technology can be seen from two main
perspectives: that of the user, and that of the environment. If any technology is to succeed
as an alternative to the combustion engine, it must be user- friendly and significantly
reduce the emission of pollutants.

Advantages for users:

1. The propulsion in hydrogen fuel cell cars is purely electrical. When you drive one, it
feels similar to driving a regular electric car. What does that mean? Virtually no
engine noise and a lively start, because electric motors provide full torque even at low
speeds.

2. Another advantage is the quick charging time. Depending on the charging station and
battery capacity, fully electric vehicles currently require between 30 minutes and
several hours for a full charge. The hydrogen tanks of fuel cell cars, on the other hand,
are full and ready to go again in less than five minutes. For users, this brings vehicle
availability and flexibility into line with those of a conventional car.
3. For the time being, hydrogen cars still have a longer range than purely electric cars. A
full hydrogen tank will last around 300 miles (approx. 480 kilometers). Battery-
powered cars can match this with very large batteries – which in turn will lead to an
increase in both vehicle weight and charging times.

4. The range of fuel cell vehicles is not dependent on the outside temperature. In other
words, it does not deteriorate in cold weather.
 Disadvantages for users:
Currently, the biggest shortcoming of hydrogen fuel cell cars is the sparsity of
options for refueling. A hydrogen engine is refueled at special fuel pumps,
which in the future will probably find their way into ordinary service stations.
As things stand, however, there are still very few refueling stations for
hydrogen-powered cars. At the end of 2019 there are only around 40 in the U.S.,
as compared to approx. 80 in Germany.
How much do hydrogen-powered cars cost – and why?
In addition to the thin fueling station network, there is another reason for the as of yet low demand for
hydrogen fuel cell cars: they are relatively expensive to buy. The few models of fuel cell vehicles already
available on the market cost around USD 80,000 for a mid- or upper-mid-range vehicle. That’s almost
twice as much as comparable fully electric or hybrid vehicles.

There are a range of reasons why hydrogen fuel cell cars are still expensive. In addition to small volumes,
which means that production is still to be industrialized, there’s also the question of the need for the precious
metal, platinum, which acts as a catalyst during power generation. The amount of platinum needed for vehicle
fuel cells has already been greatly reduced. “The general goal is to bring down the price of hydrogen-powered
cars to a similar level to that of other electric cars,” explains Rücker.

Another reason for the high purchase price is that hydrogen fuel cell cars tend to be quite large because
the hydrogen tank(s) take up a lot of space. The drive unit for a purely battery-driven electric vehicle, on
the other hand, also fits into small cars. That’s why classic electric cars can currently be found in all
vehicle classes.

In addition to the cost of purchase, operating costs also play an important role in the cost- effectiveness and
acceptance of a propulsion technology. In hydrogen fuel cell cars, these costs are not least dependent on the
price of the fuel. At present, 1 lb (0.45 kg) of hydrogen costs around USD 14 in the U.S., as compared with
USD 4.80 in Germany (this is the price the H2 Mobility partners have agreed on). An FCEV can drive about
28 miles (45 km) on 1 lb (0.45 kg) of hydrogen.

The cost per mile of running hydrogen cars is therefore currently almost twice as high as that of battery-
powered vehicles charged at home. Rücker expects these operating costs to converge: “If the demand for
hydrogen increases, the price could drop to around USD 2.50/lb (USD 5.60/kg) by 2030.”
 ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY AND SUSTAINABILITY
A car that uses only renewable energy and produces no harmful emissions
would be ideal from an environmental point of view.

The exhaust gas from a hydrogen engine consist of pure water vapor.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is therefore locally emission-free. This
means it keeps the air clean in cities.

Hydrogen can be produced at times when there is an oversupply of

electricity from renewable energy sources when the wind or solar
energy currently produced is not otherwise used. The potential for this
is huge.

Hydrogen is also a by-product of many industrial processes, where all too

often it is treated as waste with no further use. The fuel cell battery
offers a way to upcycle this hydrogen, although it must be cleaned first.
 The energy balanced sheet for hydrogen fuel cell cars also has to
include the transportation and storage of hydrogen. Depending
on the transportation technology used, different costs for
compression, cooling, transport and storage arise. Due to its
better transportability and storage ability, the trend is towards
liquid hydrogen.

 In contrast to fossil fuels, hydrogen can be produced anywhere

there is access to electricity and water, theoretically even at the
actual filling stations for fuel cell cars. A more highly developed
infrastructure could thus shorten transportation distances
significantly in future.

 Hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to make

ecologically sustainable mobility possible.
What are the risks of hydrogen fuel cell cars?
What happens when hydrogen reacts with oxygen in an uncontrolled reaction? Many people
will remember this from chemistry class at school. What you get is an explosive reaction
known as an oxyhydrogen gas reaction. Hydrogen is flammable, as this shows, but an
uncontrolled reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the operation of an FCEV is virtually
impossible.

This is because, in hydrogen fuel cell cars, the hydrogen is stored in liquid form in thick-walled
tanks that are particularly safe. As Rücker emphasizes, numerous crash tests
have confirmed the safety of how hydrogen cars are designed: the tanks came out of the tests
undamaged and no hydrogen leaked.

We should also not forget that hydrogen technology is not new, but is tried and tested in a
range of fields. By way of example, refineries today use large quantities of hydrogen as a
process gas in the processing of crude oil. Pipelines and hydrogen storage have also been in
operation for decades.

“Crash tests have shown that the hydrogen tanks are not damaged in

a collision and that no hydrogen escapes .”

-Axel Rücker
 WHAT ROLE WILL HYDROGEN FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN THE FUTURE?

BMW is convinced that hydrogen can make an important contribution to sustainable

mobility alongside BEVs in the future – provided the necessary hydrogen infrastructure
is in place and offers a good price for hydrogen, and the price of the vehicles falls. In
those circumstances, hydrogen fuel cell cars can be the zero-emissions technology that
allows users to maintain the flexible driving habits they are accustomed to.

The  Hydrogen Council, a global initiative of leading energy, transport and industry
companies, is also convinced of this. The council sees hydrogen not only as a sustainable
future means of propulsion for fuel cell vehicles, but also as a clean energy source for heating,
electricity and industry.
HYDROGEN FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY: THE CUSTOMER’S CHOICE

Each driver has different wants and needs when it comes to mobility. Oliver
Zipse, CEO of BMW AG, puts it like this: “For us, the central questions are:
Which kinds of propulsion and technology will our customers want in the
future? And how do we realize their preferences with the maximum possible
climate protection?” That’s why BMW will continue to focus on a range of
different propulsion concepts – the classic combustion engine, fully electric
vehicles and plug-in hybrids, and more research into hydrogen fuel cell cars.
 REFERENCE

• https://www.bmw.com/en/innovation/how-hydrogen-fuel-cell-cars-work.amp.html#pwjt-6