7.6.2004
Update 5 th week: 8,572 kilometers of trouble-free operation
Last week, the Fuel Cell Marathon crossed Austria, Italy and Spain again without any technical problems. Although this stretch of the journey was very challenging the HydroGen3 mastered the steep mountain passes and the temperature differences from 12 degrees Celsius and rainy weather in Salzburg through summer conditions with 30 degrees Celsius at the Lago di Garda without problems.
The HydroGen3 prototype is front-wheel-driven and is based on the Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. It is powered by a stack with 200 in series wired fuel cells and a three-phase asynchronous electric motor with integrated power electronics and planetary gear. It operates at 250 to 380 volts, has an output of 60 kW and delivers 215 Nm torque. HydroGen3 reaches a top speed of 160 km/h and has an operating range of about 400 km.
In developing the propulsion concept for the HydroGen3, the scientists and engineers at the GM fuel cell centers were able to fall back on a wealth of data and experience that had been collected from the previous generations of fuel cell vehicles, HydroGen1 and HydroGen2. HydroGen3 has its sights set clearly on the production line.
The number and volume of the components to be integrated has been reduced to such an extent that they all fit under the front hood of the car. And that’s not all: The engineers have also succeeded in combining them into a so-called PDU module (Propulsion Dress-up). The 15 main subassemblies are preassembled like the elements of a conventional combustion engine transmission and then, during the “marriage” introduced from below into the bodywork and screwed into place. The next development stage will involve optimizing every component and all the connections to make them ideal for assembly and subsequent maintenance.
In comparison, the first generation prototype the HydroGen3 has no buffer battery anymore. This battery was coping with the peak power loads of the traction system. Now that the fuel cell system has been optimized dramatically it can deliver the necessary load straight away. This alone saved nearly 100 kg of weight and made room for the second seating row.
The second key improvement is the optimization of the entire fuel cell system. The “exhausts”, which is water, is now sufficient to cover the moisture requirements of the fuel cell membranes. This makes additional external humidifying components redundant. That saves weight and frees additional space.
All the technical improvements made the HydroGen3 ready for day-to-day testing projects. Since summer 2003, one HydroGen3 has been out on the road every day in Tokyo as a FedEx delivery vehicle. In the US capital, Washington, GM FCA is taking part, along with six other fuel cell vehicles, in a hydrogen demonstration project, and by the end of this year, a vehicle will be deployed in Berlin as part of the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP).
The Fuel Cell Marathon ends this Friday after 10,000 kilometers in Cabo da Roca, Portugal.
For more information, please click here: Fuel Cell Marathon.