Automotive industry is one of the most promising areas of industry. Global concerns seek to invest considerable money in the development of new technologies, which in the future should improve the performance of vehicles. The slightest change in the principles of the car is able to radically change its dynamics, driving performance, as well as the level of safety. At the same time, the most significant changes are promised by alternative sources of fuel and, in particular, hydrogen-powered cars, which can already be observed today in the lines of leading manufacturers. Despite the emergence of production models of this type, designers are still in search of the best use of hydrogen. But the fact that the introduction of this fuel in the algorithm of the engine brings a number of advantages is undeniable.
The specifics of hydrogen cars
The transition from traditional technologies to new solutions is far from always possible to achieve an improvement in the quality indicators of vehicle operation. This happens with electric vehicles, which, although considered environmentally friendly and relatively economical type of technical means, but have many shortcomings, among which are unsatisfactory dynamics. In turn, a hydrogen-powered car , provided a balanced arrangement of fuel cells can preserve the advantages of cars with classic engines, and provide several new advantages. The interest in this type of fuel from manufacturers is due to the possibility of improving the environmental friendliness of transport, as well as energy savings. Compared to conventional internal combustion engines, hydrogen aggregates practically do not emit harmful substances. Such a result can be achieved only with the complete elimination of traditional motors, and in this case, reductions in power will be noticeable.
Combination of hydrogen and ICE
Today, car manufacturers use several concepts for the use of hydrogen. One of the most common is the hybrid version, in which there is a combination of an internal combustion engine and hydrogen elements. Initially, conceptual hydrogen cars made with this approach were notable for their low power. However, recent developments demonstrate the opposite situation, when the power potential increases by 10-15%. But, again, the increase in power eliminates the advantage in the form of environmental cleanliness and the cost of maintaining the machine. There is another negative factor from the use of hydrogen in the internal combustion engine system. During operation, the fuel reacts with structural elements, which significantly reduces the working life of the materials of the power unit.
Hydrogen Machine Specifications
The first serial, which was supplied with a hydrogen power plant, is a four-door Mirai sedan from the Toyota concern. The developers used a non-standard configuration in which the filling is based on an electric motor connected to a hydrogen converter. As a result, the hybrid car provides 151 liters. sec., the maximum speed of 180 km / h and acceleration to "hundreds" in 9 seconds. At the same time, one gas station allows you to overcome almost 500 km, which is very good for the first hydrogen car. The technical characteristics of hydrogen crossovers are also impressive - for example, Hyundai Intrado received a 36 kWh battery, providing a range of up to 600 km. But the most important thing is that the harmful emissions in this case are reduced to zero. Companies today offer hydrogen machines with attractive performance data. Among the factors stopping this progress, we can note only the lack of infrastructure that allows the use of new technologies to a wide mass of consumers.
Hydrogen generators
While large manufacturers are developing high-tech engines that use hydrogen as a source of energy supply, at the middle link there is a proliferation of auxiliary generators that allow processing of this type of fuel cells. Since the main purpose of using new types of fuel is to increase the environmental friendliness of the process and reduce the cost of power, in some cases it is enough to introduce only the appropriate reactor into the design. This function, in particular, is performed by the HHO hydrogen generator on a car, which is also called a gas converter. Moreover, there are two varieties of such plants - with liquid and dry components. From the point of view of efficiency, the second option is more profitable, since liquid elements require large amounts of current, increasing the size of the battery.
The principle of operation of hydrogen reactors
The generator device includes filters, hoses, batteries, valves and a control system. This infrastructure is designed to ensure that the main fuel and hydrogen mixture are mixed during engine operation. The fact is that a conventional ICE, even in the best versions, is not able to guarantee complete combustion of gasoline. A special hydrogen reactor for cars optimizes the valve operation process, increasing the compression rate and, accordingly, the combustion volumes. At the moment the mixture is compressed by a piston, the hydrogen mixture increases the octane number, thereby contributing to the efficient combustion of fuel. There are different technological approaches to the implementation of this process, but all of them, to one degree or another, reduce the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere and save the consumption of basic fuel.
DIY hydrogen car
Installation is carried out in the engine compartment with the subsequent connection of power supply from the onboard network. Gas is supplied through an air intake system, without requiring the creation of a special insert for the fuel channel. It is important to note that the fuel for such generators is a solution based on drinking soda and distilled water. Depending on the package bundle, the installation of hydrogen on a car can be complicated by the inclusion of electrodes, which provide a more efficient splitting of the mixtures. However, such devices so far are found only on experimental concepts. For the average user, it is much more important to provide the machine with a quality solution adjusted for seasonality. For example, so that the unit does not freeze in the winter, it is recommended to add isopropyl alcohol to the composition .
Positive reviews about hydrogen cars
From the point of view of environmental organizations and manufacturers themselves, the benefits of using hydrogen are obvious. As for the end user, for him the benefit from the use of new fuel cells is not so pronounced. Nevertheless, the most successful models of cars of this type demonstrate savings in operation, which in the future may become one of the main factors in the popularity of this technique. In terms of dynamic qualities and power, a hydrogen generator for cars causes controversial judgments, but there are positive changes too. Rational fuel consumption gives not only savings, but also an increase in the performance of the power plant - accordingly, in some cases, the power increases.
Negative reviews
Even when it comes to advanced developments in this area, users have to deal with problems of undeveloped infrastructure. As is the case with other versions of hybrids, hydrogen machines require maintenance at special stations. Of course, there are models that work on solutions supplied in cylinders. But in this case, severe storage conditions are observed, compliance with which requires hydrogen on the car. Reviews criticized separately note the upgraded machines that run on traditional engines. The fact is that the integration of hydrogen plants often leads to rapid wear of the nearest components and parts.
Comparison with Alternative Technologies
According to experts, sooner or later in the global automotive industry will prevail technologies that meet high environmental safety standards. Along with hydrogen concepts, electric cars, various hybrids, models operating on liquid nitrogen, etc. claim this role. But, unlike the concepts listed above, the same HHO hydrogen generator on a car is the simplest in technical implementation. If, for an electric motor, developers often have to create a new design in a space with an engine, then the introduction of a hydrogen reactor is possible for any modern workshop. Another thing is that the generator cannot be considered as the best example of using alternative fuel for transport.
Conclusion
Hydrogen was used as a source for supplying the power plant of transport at the dawn of the appearance of the first cars. However, the high performance of classic internal combustion engines overshadowed this kind of development. Actually, in our days, for a number of parameters, hydrogen cars are not able to compete with conventional models. The relevance of this direction is caused by the absence of air polluting substances. There are certain advantages in other nuances of operation, but they are not fundamental for manufacturers. If we talk about the sacrifices that the creators of hydrogen cars will have to make, then they will most likely limit themselves to modest power and the introduction of structural elements that can affect ergonomics.