Not a Gimmick! Finally the science of Hydrogen automotive power has been made a reality! Technically a device that converts the energy stored in hydrogen into motion can be called a Hydrogen engine. Hydrogen would make a great fuel for the environment since burning Hydrogen produces nothing but water!
Hydrogen Powered car essentially consists of the following
1) Fuel tank
Liquid hydrogen is stored in a tank at the rear of the car and is pumped forward to the fuel cell stack as and when required.
2) Fuel Cell Stack
When Hydrogen is combined with Oxygen in a fuel cell a chemical reaction creates electricity.
1) Battery Pack
The battery pack is periodically recharged by the fuel cell. The power from the battery pack is used to provide rapid acceleration.
2) Electric Motor
The stack provides electricity for the electric motor that powers the vehicle
Right from the year 1625, when Johann Baptista van Helmont discovered the gas, Hydrogen; people were curious enough to find the uses of the new found gas. It nearly took a mind boggling 181 years to develop an internal combustion engine which runs on a mixture of hydrogen and water by the icon of 18th century who is none other than, Francois Issac de Rivaz. The Swiss inventor, is credited with the development and construction of the world’s first IC engine back in 1806. From then onwards, it was always a challenge to develop the best IC engine. This has lead to developing different varieties of engines.
A pictorial representation of the Hydrogen powered vehicle is shown below.
