Green Future: The car that emits water
India unveils hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
India has conducted the first successful car run trial using hydrogen fuel cell with indigenous technology that is expected to cut down emission of harmful greenhouse gas from fossil fuel.
The trial was done by the state-owned Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and global technology company KPIT headquartered in Pune city using first Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) prototype car, a sedan, running on an indigenously developed fuel cell stack in Pune, said the Science and Technology today in a statement.
The FC vehicle should run for approximately 250km under typical Indian road conditions at moderate speed of 60-65km per hour. The entire fuel cell stack and its associated components with power train were retro-fitted in a standard 5-seater sedan car.
The fuel cell is a low temperature PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) type fuel cell that operates at 65-75 degree centigrade, which is suitable for vehicular applications.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology uses chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen (from air) to generate electrical energy.
The fuel cell technology emits only water, thus cutting down the emission of harmful greenhouse gases along with other air pollutants. The technology, with further adoption and use, is poised to make the world a cleaner place with reduced air pollution levels, said the statement.
The trials were run on a battery-electric passenger car platform retrofitted with the fuel cell stack.
HFC technology requires a much smaller battery, compared to large battery used in buses and trucks, for a very large operating range. Hence, HFC technology offers more promise for the Commercial Vehicle segment.