How Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Work - Are They The Cars of The Future?
Are Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) the future? – A question that has been on the mind of the world with the recent developments in the technology and the exponential success of battery electric vehicles.
This is a comprehensive review on the workings of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, their benefits, comparison with the standard electric cars, and the companies working for its advancement. Fuel cells have been in operation for decades, is it finally time for consumer products to see their benefits?
Fuel Cells
History of Fuel Cells
The first documented development and invention of fuel cells date back to the early 1800s when physicists Sir William Grove and Christian Friedrich Schonbein published crude fuel cell concepts to The London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science. This invention used a sulfuric acid solution.
Nearly 100 years later, an engineer named Francis Bacon developed a 5 kW alkaline fuel cell that is in consistent development and usage by NASA to this day.
In more recent development,
1950s: GE and NASA work together to develop the Grubb-Niedrach fuel cell that will go on to be used on the McDonnell Aircraft and Project Gemini (first commercial use of fuel cells).
1960s: Pratt & Whitney licensed Bacon’s fuel cell technology for use on the U.S. space program. First hydrogen fuel cell vehicle was developed by Roger Billings.
1990s: First fuel cell powered bus was completed. Fuel cell powered car prototypes are in active development.
2000s: Production investment into commercial hydrogen fuel stations for cars.
2010s: Hydrogen fuel cell commercial power and vehicle companies are actively seeking production and paths to profitability with fuel cell technology.
Production of Hydrogen Fuel
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles use hydrogen as fuel. As long as hydrogen is supplied, the fuel cell will continuously produce electricity. Unlike standard battery powered electric vehicles, hydrogen powered vehicles cannot directly utilize the electric infrastructure and grid. Instead, the electrical infrastructure is utilized to extract hydrogen from water (H2O) or methane (CH4) and then stored to be used as fuel.
This multistep process has created additional controversy around hydrogen fuel.
Analysts have determined the extraction process is less efficient than standard battery powered electric vehicles that pull directly from the grid. Although this used to be undisputed, modern advancements in the production of hydrogen fuel has quelled these concerns.
When compared with gasoline engines, the efficiency of fuel cells are impressive. Gas powered engines in conventional cars convert chemical energy into power and electricity at an efficiency of below 20%. Hydrogen fuel cells convert at an efficiency of 40 to 60% and produce only water and heat as a byproduct.
Two standard methods of producing hydrogen are:
Steam Reforming
The reaction between heated natural gas and high-temperature steam paired with a nickel catalyst creates an endothermic reaction that breaks up methane to carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen. Further steam mixing with different catalysts can be used to generate additional hydrogen. The byproduct of this production method is large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2).
“Depending on the quality of the feedstock (natural gas, rich gases, naphtha, etc.), one ton of hydrogen produced will also produce 9 to 12 tons of carbon dioxide” – See Hydrogen Production via Steam Reforming with CO2 Capture by Guido Collodi and Foster Wheeler.
This is currently the cheapest method of hydrogen fuel production and contributes 98% of the yearly hydrogen production.
Water electrolysis
Using an electric current, water atoms are split into hydrogen and oxygen. The expectation here is the electricity was produced in a clean and efficient way, reducing the impact of this extra step. Currently, water electrolysis contributes to only 2% of the 600 billion cubic meters of yearly production.
Fuel Cell Refueling Stations
The next step in developing a sustainable hydrogen fuel cell vehicle environment is the fuel stations that will be used by consumers. Electric vehicle manufacturers and governments have collaborated on electric recharging station for standard battery powered electric vehicles. These vehicles can also hook into home outlets for further convenience. Hydrogen stations are closer compared with gas stations in their operation.
Scope of Hydrogen Fuel Technology
Investment in all aspects of hydrogen fuel cell technology is underway be startup companies, global corporations, and governments all interested in capitalizing.
As fuel production becomes cheaper and more efficient, fuel cells will become more relevant in different industries. Notably:
Defense and aerospace industries
Back-up generators and emergency power
Dedicated, off-grid power needs
Public transportation vehicles
Consumer transportation
Specialty long range vehicles
Companies focused on the future of fuel cell technology include:
Fuel Cell Energy, Inc.
Ballard Power Systems
Hydrogenics Corporation
SFC Energy AG
Plug Power, Inc.
Nuvera Fuel Cells LLC
It is anticipated by the Grand View Research report of fuel cell market size that stationary growth in fuel cell utilization will be higher than transportation and portable applications, already holding a 70% market share in 2019. Request a free sample copy of their report here. The analysis period is between 2016 and 2027.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
Hydrogen fuel cell cars use hydrogen gas as a primary fuel for powering the electric motor. The path of power generation starts at the hydrogen tank.
Hydrogen fuel is inserted into the tank and supplied to the fuel cell.
The fuel cell converts the hydrogen into electricity and water.
As the water is exhausted as waste, the electricity runs both into a battery and directly to the electric engine.
The battery provides additional power to the electric engine during short spurts of higher powered acceleration.
The electric engine converts the electricity into power and translates this power to the vehicle’s wheels.
The obvious difference here between a fuel cell vehicle and a traditional electric vehicle is the vehicle is capable of producing it’s own electricity. This is similar to the hybrid style gas-electric vehicles that use a combustion engine to compensate for higher power draw events.
Key Components of a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car
Hydrogen fuel cell cars consist of different components. These are:
Fuel Filler – Fuel inlet valve and nozzle provided by fuel filling stations.
Fuel Tank (hydrogen) – Standard hydrogen fuel tank supplying the fuel cell stack.
Fuel Cell Stack – Collection of fuel cell assemblies used to generate electricity from the hydrogen fuel tank.
Battery – Used to provide additional power to the electric motor during high power pull events such as quick acceleration. The battery is charged by the fuel cell stack. An additional battery is sometimes included to capture energy produced through breaking.
DC/DC Converter – Used to convert from high voltage to lower voltage needed to power car electronics and recharge the battery.
Electric Motor – Standard electric motor that uses electricity from the fuel cell stack and battery. The motor translates the power into the transmission and wheels.
Electric Transmission – Transfers electric motor power to the wheels.
Thermal System – Used to maintain proper component operating temperature ranges.
Power Controller – Torque control and electrical energy flow control.
Source: How Do Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Work Using Hydrogen by U.S. Department of ENERGY
Pros and Cons of Fuel Cell Vehicles
In the modern world of consumer vehicle technology, the two driving factors in product choice are user experience and environmental impact. Within these two categories are fuel efficiency, vehicle range, charging time, emissions, etc.
Pros:
This technology creates very little tailpipe pollution during operation. Although the hydrogen fuel manufacturing process does generate CO2 pollution, studies have shown the life pollution of hydrogen from production to use is significantly less than gasoline and combustion engines.
Consumers can quickly refuel their system. If a hydrogen fuel station network is available, it will take approximately 10 minutes to refuel current production car models. This is longer than gas stations, but a significant improvement over standard electric vehicles.
These cars provide a range of about 200-300 miles, in-line with gas powered cars.
These cars have an idle-off feature that automatically turns off the fuel cell in traffic or at a stop sign.
Cons:
Lack of a widespread refueling network. All electric vehicle companies have invested huge amounts of capital in charging networks, enabling a wider audience. Although hydrogen fuel stations are expanding in reach, the rate is slow comparatively.
Current models of hydrogen fuel cell cars are much more expensive than all electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles. This is expected to change in a similar manner as electric vehicles, pioneered by Tesla.
The large hydrogen fuel tank translates to a larger car generally.
Companies Currently Working on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
The environmentally friendly option for consumer and commercial vehicles is still under debate, and the race is on between all electric and fuel cell routes. Volkswagen, Tesla, and others have notably come out publicly against hydrogen fuel cell as a sustainable option, whereas others are confident fuel cells are the future.
The efficiency comparison between battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles is an interesting data point to consider:
44%-54% of grid electricity makes it to a battery electric car’s wheel.
25%-35% of energy makes it to a fuel cell electric car’s wheel.
The first hydrogen vehicle delivered in the US was the Toyota Mirai in 2015. It was later joined by the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell and the Hyundai Nexo. All were running on hydrogen with no tailpipe emissions apart from condensed water.
Almost 10,000 fuel cell cars have been purchased by US consumers, predominantly in California where a hydrogen fueling network is available.
Toyota
Toyota started researching hydrogen cars in the late 90s, followed by the launch of the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel vehicle, the Mirai. The Mirai’s 3 minute refuel time and range of 500 kilometers was attractive in comparison with battery electric vehicles available at the time.
The second release of Toyota’s Mirai is scheduled later this year with improvements in fuel cell system performance and increased hydrogen storage capacity. Toyota has also partnered with BMW to provide the fuel cell technology that is currently in the testing phase.
Hyundai
Hyundai has also created two mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with a 5 minutes fill time and a range of 660 kilometers. They later launched their next prototype last year and asserted that hydrogen fuel cell was in a position to complement the electric vehicle technology.
They have unveiled plans to release the next generation of hydrogen vehicles by 2025 at the earliest.
Nikola
Nikola Motor Company surprised the world this year in their reverse merger initial public offering, setting themselves up as a prominent hydrogen fuel cell electric truck company. Although their products are all in prototype phase with no true proven technology, companies such as GM remain optimistic of the future. GM recently purchased an 11% stake in Nikola, valued at approximately $2 billion.
Recent controversial information regarding Nikola’s research and technology has led to the founder, Trevor Milton, stepping down as CEO.
Hyzon
Hyzon motors with aid form an investment form Total also expect to deliver about 6,000 fuel cell trucks and buses over the next four years.
myFC
Another Swedish company myFC has combined batteries and hydrogen micro fuels that are easy to adapt to any electrical application. It has merged fuel cells and batteries adding high energy density and a short charge time of fuels to existing systems.
Below is a list of notable companies currently investing in the development of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle technologies.
Toyota Motor Corporation
Nissan Motor Corporation, Ltd.
Honda Motor Corporation, Ltd.
Mercedes-Benz or Daimler AG.
General Motors Company
Hino Motors, Ltd.
Suzuki Motor Corporation
Mazda Motor Corporation
Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.
Tokyo Gas Corporation, Ltd.
Iwatani Corporation
Nippon Steel Corporation
Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
Sinanen Corporation, Ltd.
Toho Gas Corporation, Ltd.
Japan Energy Corporation
Idemitsu Kosan Corporation, Ltd.
Intelligent Energy Ltd.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW)
Ford Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company
Chevrolet Automobile Company
Faurecia Automobile Company
Michelin Manufacturing company
Nikola Corporation
Beijing SinoHytec Co. Ltd.
Conclusion
In efforts to move from combustion fuel to zero emissions, challenges such as vehicle cost, range, battery life uncertainty, and charging infrastructure prohibits consumer adoption. There is thus no single solution as both battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles show promise.
As prominent companies such as Tesla Motors, Volkswagen, and Mercedes invest heavily in battery electric vehicle technologies, the interest in hydrogen fuel cell options is drowned. The barrier to entry for battery electric vehicles has drastically done down with the more widespread recharging grid.
Hydrogen refuel stations and the hydrogen network will be critical in the effort of generating consumer interest more widespread than local markets.
The Hydrogen Council, supported by prominent global corporations such as BMW, Bosch, 3M, Airbus, and many others, expects hydrogen to continue to grow in its use cases for sustainable energy production and transportation. In a recent article and report from January 2020, they expect a 50% reduction in hydrogen production costs by 2030.
Jarrett Linowes
Mechanical Engineer
omniamfg@gmail.com
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