How to Make a Hydro Car
A hydro car is an electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe. As a fuel source it can be derived from fossil fuels, biomass and most interestingly, water. When derived from water there are no harmful byproduct emissions, but it is very expensive to produce.
To make a hydro car you need a source of hydrogen, a hydrogen gas storage tank, a fuel cell and an electric motor. The Department of Energy states that prototype hydrogen fuel storage tanks are available from Quantum Technologies, a U.S. company that also offers other fuel cell vehicle components. Other necessary components are similar to those used in the combustion engine and can be found through traditional vehicle suppliers.
- Difficulty:
- Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Hydrogen
- Hydrogen tank
- Fuel cell stack
- Air compressor
- Power control unit (PCU)
- Battery
- Electric motor
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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
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Hydrogen must be separated from other compounds in order for it to be used in a car. It then enters a fuel cell to generate the electricity necessary to run the car. The most benign source of hydrogen is water. To separate the hydrogen from oxygen requires electrolysis and a lot of energy to overcome water's lack of electrical conductivity. Basically, a cathode and anode are placed in water. When the water is charged with electricity, the hydrogen is drawn to the cathode--the negatively charged electrode--where it can be collected and stored for further use.
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When you fill your car with hydrogen, it goes into the fuel cell stack which converts the hydrogen into an electric current. The most common type of fuel cell is the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) which is placed between the cathode and annode. Hydrogen goes through the membrane as it is drawn to the annode. As it passes through the membrane, electrons are stripped off and forced through an external circuit in order to recombine with the hydrogen on the other end. The external circuit is the electrical current that powers the vehicle's motor.
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The motor for a hydro car is located near the vehicle's wheels. Hydro cars also contain batteries to run the car which can be charged using the electricity from the fuel cell. The only byproduct from a hydrogen fuel cell car is water, making it an ideal option to decrease harmful greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources.
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Tips & Warnings
Hydrogen as a fuel source is very clean also but very expensive to develop. Hydrogen fuel will not be developed extensively until fossil fuels become cost prohibitive. Currently, there are very few hydrogen fueling stations across the United States making hydro cars unrealistic answers to global warming right now.
