The current development of fuel cell vehicles
2.1 Major international motor company fuel cell vehicle development status
According to the latest statistics in June 2003, In the world nearly 20 auto companies and more than 70 types of vehicle fuel cell vehicles available currently. Table 1 shows typical vehicle companies' 37 cars species, it described the basic status of the United States, Japan and some European countries in the research and development of fuel cell vehicles, at the end of the table, it introduced domestic research results.
From Table 1 it indicated that the introduction of fuel cell vehicles to date, compressed hydrogen get the greatest concern, it mainly because this type of fuel supply in the most simple technical feasible; Since 1997, the first methanol fuel cell vehicle NeCar3 vehicles come out, methanol reforming become the new hot research and development. The oher hydrogen production and hydrogen storage methods, such as liquid hydrogen, alloys storage and petrol reforming have been developed. The fuel cell vehicle can be seen from the current perspective, fuel choices are diversity.
In addition, we can also discover that fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in the all-round development has been rapid. Firstly, the company has launched the first of several ones(GM,Ballard,Daimler-Chrysler etc.), spread rapidly to nearly 20 worldwide companies. Although major companies focused on the technical line and the vehicle models vary. But it clearly regarded FCV commercialization of the future vehicle market promotion as a strategic control measures in the competition for development; Moreover, the company produced in the performance of FCV is better and better. Its greatest speed, fuel economy, and even hydrogen storage pressure, have made rapid progress let people full of confidence of fuel cell vehicles in the future.
Fuel cell vehicles is GM's keystone. OPEL fuel cell vehicles in the 1997 show in Geneva, "hydrogen 1st" concept car show on stage in Paris September 1998 ,"hydrogen 3rd" Tokyo car show in October 2001, "AUTOnomy" concept fuel cell vehicle published in January 2002 combined the fuel cell technology and control manipulation technology. in August 2002, the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle can be driven, Hy-wire showed in Paris car open. in 2003, the modified "hydrogen 3rd" get the first Japanese highways liquid hydrogen fuel cell vehicle license, the maximum speed is 160 kilometres per hour and it can travel 270 kilometres in a row.
In april 2005, Sequel hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be on the Shanghai International vehicle Open, which is just public show in Detroit Vehicle Open, itshydrogen storage volume reached 8 kg, and maximum power of approximately 25%, reaching a distance of 482km with one refuel, 0~96.5 km / hour speed within 10 seconds. The company research and planning vice president waves to the evaluation of "Although expensive, but feasible," he also expressed the hope that fuel cell cars "before the 2010, the fuel cell vehicles will be equal to the current internal combustion system vehicle in erformance and durability, realize of economic production ultimate, and become ordinary consumers affordable cars."
Ford's strategy is transitional, in the first hybrid and fuel cell technologies in the H2RV save 25% energy, which is expected in 1 or 2 years.
May 20, 2002, Daimler-Chrysler companies methanol type fuel cell vehicles NECAR5 completed San Francisco to Washington trip across North America, lasted 16 days, 5250 km's journey, the maximum speed 145 km per hour. Besides F-Cell vehicle's global testing, there are 33 Daimler-Chrysler fuel cell buses participated in a number of demonstration projects in Europe, and the total length and time travelling has reached 420,000 km and 33,000 hours. In March 2005, Mercedes fuel cell car B-Cell, for the prototype of B-class, also appeared in the Geneva car, and the output power is over 100 kW, the storage pressure reaches 70 trillion Pascal, a travelling distance from 160 km to 400 km. Company also announced : the hydrogen fuel cell cars will be the official marketing in 2012.
BMW companies do not look good to fuel cell, to the most conservative hydrogen, petrol dual fuel engine technologies. In January 2005, H2R concept racing bike, which was first introduced to North America , powered by liquid hydrogen fuel 276-horsepower, 0~96 km / hour acceleration only 6 seconds, it can travel 350 kilometres, nitrogen oxides emissions were below California standards. BMW 7 systems will arise some hydrogen fuel vehicles. These models need to ensure liquid hydrogen cryogenic refrigeration, BMW is likely to change completely when fuel cell technology is mature,
Perhaps because of a advantage in hybrid, Toyota considered that fuel cell vehicle is very hard. Toyota FCHV hydrogen fuel cell cars developed on the hybrid model began to lease out in 2003, but its 130-litre hytrogen storage volume, the actual distance is only 209 km consecutive, it was worse than petrol vehicles and Prise's
500 kilometres and 700 kilometres. Toyota fuel cell technology minister HEHEDAYANG said: "If a travelling distance is less than 500 km, it is estimated that ordinary consumers can not accept. 130 litres fuel tanks can not installed on the 'Vois' and 'Chroma' small cars. " In January 2005, Tokyo, " the first international fuel cell exhibition, " he said :" In the first half of 2010s, we must make the fuel cell car that can be believed and popularized.”
Nissan Motor Corporation began development of fuel cells in 1996 , it begin testing X-Trail FCV hydrogen fuel cell cars in December 2002, the maximum speed is 145 kilometres per hour, for travelling 350 kilometres. in 2005, it also applied to the development of solid-fuel battery macromolecular liquid hydrogen and carbon-fibre cans. Honda's latest fuel cell vehicles is in 2005, FCX, the maximum speed is 149.6 km per hour, 322 km's distance of one refuel. It can drive 100 kilometres per gallon in the city. 20 vehicles has been tested . Mazda is conservative, it plans to begin leasing RX-8 hydrogen petrol dual fuel vehicles in Japan, 2006. Hyundai Santa Fe develop a hydrogen fuel cell car in 2002,it can travel 165 kilometres with one refuel, in December 2004 the Institute has also introduced hydrogen fuel energy vehicles, travelling 210 kilometres with one refuel.
2.2 The major companies' expected schedule of production and applications of fuel cell vehicles
Currently, fuel cell vehicles as the expected production goals, the concept vehicles and model vehicles has come to an end, and the major car manufacturers is still uncertain to the exact timetable to produce fuel cell vehicles, because in the initial development of new technologies there are too many uncertainties, including technical and economic feasibility. But the vehicle companies and auto expertsas agree that the development of fuel cell vehicles will be developped as follows :
April,2002: In the United States, Europe, Japan, achieve fuel cell vehicle demonstration fleet;
July,2006 : The second generation of fuel cell systems into vehicle technology, fleet size will continue to increase
2010 : promoting fuel cell vehicle commercialization.
Overall, the majority of vehicle manufacturers are expected to achieve full ommercialization around 2010. But GM and Ford are more resolute than them, and they assert that it can product large amounts of fuel cell vehicles at that time. Relatively speaking, Honda and Toyota have more cautious plan for the future, but they also accelerated the process this year, perhaps within the Japanese market competition and the growing government investment will accelerate the comprehensive commercialization of fuel cell vehicles.
2.3 Domestic fuel cells and their progress in the transportation area
Our fuel cell research begin in 1958, after 4O years of accumulation and development, it have initially formed a complete research and development professional team, the study conditions have been markedly improved.Especially in PEMFC, the overall level of the gap with more advanced countries is narrowing.
On the basis of developping about proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology, Tsinghua University and Beijing Institute of technology developped fuel cell micro-electric cars in 1998, by the end of 2000 Shanghai Shenli Technology Limited developed a "Hydrogen Energy 1st" tour bus, and it appeared in the 2000 Shanghai Expo. in January,2001.The CAS Dalian Chemical Physics, electricians and Dongfeng Automobile Company developed 30kw fuel cell vehicles, the Beijing Green Energy companies also developped its own fuel cell cars in 2001.
From August 2003 to December 2005, at the national "863" program support, it completed three generations of fuel cell buses in urban research and development, currently it launched "Hydrogen energy 1" and "Hydrogen energy 2," "Hydrogen energy 3". Among them, "Hydrogen energy 1" total operation length exceeding 12000KM , Tongji University and Shanghai Automobile Group has launched a joint fuel cell hybrid cars "beyond 1st" "Beyond 2nd" and "beyond the 3rd." These two projects are fuel cell electric vehicles used my own completely independent intellectual property rights hydrogen storage fuel cell power platform, it marks a milestone in our development of fuel cell vehicles, greatly reducing the gap between China and advanced levels.
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