Discussion on the Development of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

When it comes to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, it is undoubtedly a word with a high rate of mention. Its emergence not only caters to the social concept of energy conservation and low carbon in the current society, but also integrates "ultimate environmental protection" with a number of black technologies. But it is not a new thing, so what kind of development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and the future of the promotion and popularization of what obstacles?

What is a hydrogen fuel cell car?

Fuel cell cars are cars that use hydrogen and other fuels to generate current through chemical reactions and rely on motors to drive cars. Through the reverse reaction of electrolyzing water, hydrogen is combined with oxygen in the air to generate the electrical energy needed to drive the car. The chemical reaction process of fuel cells does not produce harmful products, but only discharges water. Therefore, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can be said to be a very ideal stage for car development in terms of environmental protection and energy conservation.

Compared with electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles have the advantages of lightweight, long endurance, short charging time, and long battery life. In terms of weight, hydrogen fuel cells of the same power are only normal compared to the heavy battery weight of electric vehicles, which can greatly reduce the vehicle burden; In terms of endurance and charging, taking the existing Mirai as an example, it takes only 3 minutes to hydrogenate at a time, a range of 650km, and a battery life of more than 20 years, which makes electric vehicles impossible to reach.

In addition to comparing the huge advantages of electric vehicles, it is also unique to fuel vehicles(including mixing). The first is its environmental protection. The emissions of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are only water, and the exhaust pollution advantage of fuel vehicles is obvious.; Second, its structure is simpler, easy to maintain and maintain, and the failure rate is also lower.

So it is such an obvious advantage of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, why is it not as good as the ideal sodium salt has been rapidly promoted and developed? The reason for this is that many of the problems involved still make it difficult to popularize it.

Technical barriers

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has a high threshold and requires huge investment. At present, most of the automotive companies are weak in this regard. There is no relevant R&D and industrial preparation for hydrogen fuel cells. These include key materials such as catalyst bipolar plates, as well as high-voltage hydrogen storage tanks, hydrogen circulation pumps, etc., which have no capacity for mass production. It will take time for the overall industrial chain to form.

Cost control

For fuel cells, the biggest problem is that they can not be used on a large scale. According to the latest data from the United States government department, in 2017, for every 1,000 sets of 80kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell system fuel cells, the cost of the fuel cell system is US$ 179 / kW(including high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks, battery reactors, power control units, etc.). The cost of producing 10,000 fuel cell systems is $79 per kW, of which the cost of power reactors is $39 per kW.

Taking Mirai as an example, the vehicle's production has increased to 2,000 in 2016, and this figure will reach 30 million in 2020. With this data, the cost of a single battery system still needs more than 10,000 US dollars, compared to lithium batteries. The cost is still high.

The biggest problem with limiting fuel cell applications is catalysts. Pt catalysts are expensive and easily toxic, but other catalysts have poor performance compared to others. The common method for this is to make the catalyst material into nanoscale particles and use the least catalyst to make the maximum effect. Of course, the new generation of Miriam has succeeded in reducing demand for about 90 % of platinum, which is also a huge breakthrough.

Energy conversion efficiency of fuel cells

We know that no one energy can be converted into another, the conversion efficiency can not be 100 %, and the electric vehicle directly uses electricity, and the relative efficiency is relatively high. In contrast, the fuel cell converts electrical energy into chemical energy first, and then it can be converted. The energy loss in the middle is much greater.

Safety hazards of hydrogen production and transportation

Hydrogen is a kind of highly dangerous gas. It not only has strong flammability, but also has a certain degree of suffocation. Therefore, the problem of hydrogen transportation will cause major accidents. In addition to being careful in transportation, relevant personnel need to be equipped with a professional hydrogen detector to detect whether hydrogen leaks occur.

Hydrogen production is not in the same place as hydrogen production. The storage and transportation of hydrogen made by electrolysis of water and other methods to hydrogenation stations is a key link in the large-scale promotion and application of fuel cell vehicles. At present, the hydrogen storage and transportation technology in China is still insufficient, and few enterprises can complete the storage and transportation. The overall level of hydrogen preparation and refueling enterprises is still insufficient.

Although the advantage of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is that the hydrogenation time is short, it takes only 3 minutes. However, the completion of the filling in such a short period of time poses a great challenge to the bearing capacity of the entire system. Once the hydrogen concentration is too high in the process, there is a risk of explosion.

Dependency with infrastructure such as hydrogen refueling stations

The development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is inextricably linked to the construction of infrastructure such as hydrogen storage stations. If fuel cell vehicles are not sold well, relevant companies will not be willing to lay out excessive hydrogenation equipment. If hydrogen storage stations can not be popularized, it will inevitably affect the large-scale promotion of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The stakes are self-evident.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles undoubtedly have a bright future and broad market prospects, but the problems they face in their development can not be ignored. The entire industrial chain, from hydrogen production to storage and transportation, has not yet taken shape. Only by properly handling and solving the problems and hidden dangers encountered in these development processes can its mass production and popularization become a reality. As for the future of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can rise against the trend, we will continue to pay attention.

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