| Though
other fuels may offer short-term solutions, the Symposium on Alternate
Energy held at IIT, Kanpur, established that the fuel of the future will
be hydrogen.
Yes,
the automobile is the machine that changed the world. It made the dream
of individual mobility real and changed the way we live and do business.
But as vehicle population continue to burgeon, so do the inherent problems.
Choking pollution, permanent environmental damage, rising fuel costs and
limited fuel reserves are obstacles we have been aware of for decades.
Though initially mere irritants, these factors have today cumulatively
assumed gigantic proportions that just cannot be shrugged off. And though
experiments like the first solar-powered cars have been making news since
the early ’70s, any prospect of one of them ending up in your driveway
or carrying you to your workplace is remote at best.
| GM's
AUTONOMY 'SKATEBOARD' CHASSIS |
 |
[A]
REAR CRUSH ZONE
Optimized to help protect vehicle occupants by absorbing crash energy
[B] UNIVERSAL DOCKING CONNECTION
Power communication port that connection port that connects the body
control systems - steering, braking, power and climate - with the
skateboard.
[C] CONTROL SYSTEM
The vehicle's brains, controlling the x-by-wire functions, telematics,
suspension and climate; central housing for vehicle's 42-volt electrical
system.
[D] BODY ATTACHMENTS
Mechanical locks that secure the body to the skateboard
[E] HEAT DISSIPATION
Releases heat generated by the fuel cell, vehicle electronics and
wheel motors.
[F] FUEL CELL SYSTEM
Fuel cell propulsion system, including fuel cell stack and hydrogen
storage tank
[G] WHEEL MOTORS
Four-wheel-drive motors that propel the vehicle.
|
| GM's
radical 'skateboard' chassis combinees an efficiently packed fuel
cell system in a floorpan chassis that can be fitted with any sort
of body from a sports car to a truck. It uses drive-by-wire through
a single control point as well as 4WD with one electric motor per
wheel. |
What
the world at large is looking desperately for is a better system - one
that is sustainable as well as non-polluting. A personal transportation
system that feels and works like the one we have in place today, but one
that is much cleaner and not ultimately dependent on fossil fuels. What
is clear is that the propulsion system of the future will have to be affordable,
be able to deliver similar, if not better, performance as well as range.
Re-fuelling or recharging this engine of the future needs to be hassle-free
and safe. And believe us, this is a very tall order.
Faced with the gas chamber, the Indian government has been forced to awaken
from its deep slumber, having finally been dragged kicking and screaming
into passing legislation on emissions. But while the introduction of the
Euro-based emission norms, cleaner CNG and LPG-powered vehicles will go
some way in reducing pollution, these are merely interim solutions.
More critical actions such as demanding much cleaner fuel from oil companies,
investing heavily in research on sustainable fuels like ethanol and getting
rid of the real problem - polluting commercial transport vehicles and
two-wheelers - still remains on the backburner.
But a disaster of much larger proportions looms. One that reeks of negligence,
a lack of vision or worse. While work and experiments on hydrogen-powered
vehicles gathers pace in the developed world, we in India sit twiddling
our thumbs - bemoaning budgets, time or ignorance. And the nation will
be the biggest loser. Though the investment in the technology required
and infrastructure is considerable, the chance to get in at the start
of something big will, in all probability, be missed.
Honorable mention must be made of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd though.
This public sector enterprise currently have a fuel cell project that
generates electricity from natural gas and also the capability of producing
bi-polar plates (necessary for fuel cells).
The SPIC Science Foundation in Chennai is also running a Fuel Cell/battery-operated
hybrid bus within its premises, sponsored by the Ministry of Non-Conventional
Energy Sources (MNES).
Why is hydrogen so promising?
And why is it often referred to as the perfect fuel? For starters, we
literally owe our existence to hydrogen. It is the fuel used by the heat
source of our solar system, with the sun processing approximately five
million tons of hydrogen every second! No wonder we can feel the heat
even at this distance!
Hydrogen has the highest octane rating of any fuel, producing almost thrice
as much power as from a similar amount of petrol. It’s also squeaky
clean as well, with only traces of nitrogen oxides released when burnt
in air. Hydrogen, depending how you produce it, is also an infinitely
renewable resource, with a staggering 90 percent of the solar system being
comprised of this element.
But it isn’t roses all the way. A number of hurdles exist —
the storage of a volatile fuel like hydrogen poses many questions as does
the lack of a fueling network. Work in the additional cost of the new
technology and you have an almost impossible situation.
Though hydrogen may eventually be used to power fuel cell vehicles (FCVs)
in the future, companies like BMW and Ford are making huge investments
towards the use of hydrogen in conventional piston engines currently manufactured
and used in cars today.
A fuel that promises to deliver spectacular performance, we just might
be pumping hydrogen into our gas tanks as early as 2005. While
theoretically, fuel cells would be cleaner and more efficient, continuous
advances in piston engine technology today are narrowing the gap. It’s
also important to remember that running more conventional piston or thermal
engines would also involve fewer additional costs associated with fuel
cell systems. What would you rather drive — a fuel cell-powered electric
car or a high octane hydrogen-powered conventional saloon? BMW’s
betting on the latter. |
March 2002 
