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My fuel cell experience
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And the beauty of Honda's FCX Fuel Cell is much more than skin deep. The exterior is certainly even more pleasing in person than in pictures. But it is the internal beauty that is most intriguing. But let me start at the beginning.
My name is Chris Schneider. I grew up in the natural beauty of the Mississippi River area of La Crosse, Wisconsin. A degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame made me recognize that engineers can have an enormous impact on the health of the environment. I realized that I could lead the charge for excellence in environmental engineering by joining forces with the Coulee Region Chapter of the Sierra Club and spread the word about the fuel-efficiency and environmental benefits of gas-electric hybrids. The last three years has taken me from Northland College on Lake Superior to the Illinois Energy Expo. From the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Custer, Wisconsin to Decorah High School in Iowa, where we are entering our fourth year of an environmental studies scholarship which we co-established. Honda Motorwerks has also established an independent website www.4ahybrid.com to provide an educational tool for students to learn about and research hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. And this brings me back to our current topic.
Torrance, California is the home of American Honda's National Headquarters and their hydrogen production, compression, storage and distribution center. With a fresh stamp of approval from both the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, Honda has delivered a family of new FCX fuel-cell cars to its very first customer, the City of Los Angeles. It is one of these cars that my comments will reference.
My guide at Torrance showed me the solar panels that power the electrolysis system for the production of hydrogen. It gives me great joy to say that Honda is using a renewable energy source to produce, compress and distribute the hydrogen used in the fuel cell program. They also have an electrical backup as well as hydrogen tanks provided by a local supplier for a secondary backup system. Plus they are working on a steam reforming of natural gas system as well. Honda has been extremely thorough in its efforts to perfect its fuel cell program.
As we were leaving the refueling station, a City of Los Angeles fuel cell vehicle pulled onto the Honda facility. My first reaction was that this is a handsome car. My second reaction was it is quiet but not as quiet as the EV Plus that we drove around the Honda complex. The engineer indicated that the air must be compressed to meet the demands of the compressed hydrogen at the PEFC (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell.) So the additional noise is created by the air pump. The electric motor component propells the FCX as silently as the EV Plus since there is no noise audible to the human ear. Next, I was anxious to open the engine compartment to see a beautifully complete, covered system. And a trip to the hatchback area would reveal the rear seat location of the Honda Ultra-capacitor. The ultra-capacitor is an exciting development that leap frogs the technology for the current hybrid electrical storage. It has superior charge and discharge capabilities as well as energy efficiency 7-10% higher than a nickel-hydride battery. And the ultra-capacitor does not require a high-voltage distribution system. The high-pressure hydrogen tanks are also in the rear. Honda has refined the hydrogen supply by using hydrogen-absorbing metal alloy tanks, methanol reforming systems and various high-pressure systems in different stages of the prototype development. Ultimately, Honda has chosen a 5000 psi maximum pressure system to propel the FCX an EPA rated 170 miles per 156.6 L tank that can be refueled in only three minutes!
The other main powertrain components including the fuel cell stack, humidification unit and power control unit are all under the floor of the passenger compartment and are not available to visual inspection. But some select literature that I have collected indicates that Honda has moved away from their own fuel cell stack. The humidification system uses recycled-water-recovery generated in the fuel cell stack for use in hydrogen and air humidification necessary in the fuel cell system. Energy management is optimized by the PCU (Power Control Unit) resulting in energy efficiency of 45% - twice that of a gasoline-powered vehicle and 1.5 times that of a hybrid car.
The interior featured theater style seating for four passengers. And the instrument panel offered a firm grasp of energy management systems including a distance to empty display with superb visibility. Climate control systems offer superb heating and air conditioning. I didn?t get to experience the 5-link double-wishbone suspension but it is an Accord-type rear suspension along with EPS (Electronic Power Steering) available in current hybrids and the S2000.
As I watched the FCX depart the refueling area, I could not see or detect any emission including water vapor. And this reminded me of the true beauty of the hydrogen powered fuel cell - it produces no CO2 or other harmful emissions because hydrogen is not a fossil fuel. Honda created a powertrain that provides the ultimate in green performance by combining hydrogen and oxygen in a chemical reaction that produces electricity and water as the only byproduct!
The age of hydrogen is upon us, the possibilities are enormous and the beauty will be in the eye of all beholders.
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