Download Hydrogen Wire Car

Seminar
ddd
on
HY-WIRE CAR
Presented by
[email protected]
Introduction
Cars are immensely
complicated
machines,
but
when you get down to it, they
do an incredibly simple job.
Most of the complex stuff in a
car is dedicated to turning
wheels, which grip the road to
pull the car body and
passengers along.
In this article, we'll look at one interesting
vision of the future, General Motor's remarkable concept car,
the Hy-wire.
HY-WIRE BASICS
• The defining characteristic of the Hy-wire (and its conceptual predecessor,
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the AUTOnomy) is that it doesn't have either of these two things.
Instead of an engine, it has a fuel cell stack, which powers an electric
motor connected to the wheels.
Instead of mechanical and hydraulic linkages, it has a drive by wire
system -- a computer actually operates the components that move the
wheels, activate the brakes and so on, based on input from an electronic
controller. This is the same control system employed in modern fighter jets
as well as many commercial planes.
• There is no steering wheel,
there are no pedals and there is
no engine compartment.
• In fact, every piece of
equipment that actually moves
the car along the road is housed
in an 11-inch-thick (28 cm)
aluminum chassis -- also known
as the skateboard -- at the
base of the car.
• Everything above the chassis is
dedicated solely to driver
control and passenger comfort.
• The floor of the fiberglass-andsteel passenger compartment
can be totally flat, and it’s easy
to give every seat lots of leg
room.
Power
• The "Hy" in Hy-wire stands for hydrogen, the
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standard fuel for a fuel cell system.
Like batteries, fuel cells have a negatively
charged terminal and a positively charged
terminal that propel electrical charge through a
circuit connected to each end. They are also
similar to batteries in that they generate
electricity from a chemical reaction.
But unlike a battery, you can continually
recharge a fuel cell by adding chemical fuel -- in
this case, hydrogen from an onboard storage
tank and oxygen from the atmosphere.
Hydrogen tanks and fuel-cell stack in the Hy-wire
Contd…
• The basic idea is to use a catalyst to split a hydrogen molecule (H2)
into two H protons (H+, positively charged single hydrogen atoms)
and two electrons (e-). Oxygen on the cathode (positively charged)
side of the fuel cell draws H+ ions from the anode side through a
proton exchange membrane, but blocks the flow of electrons.
• The electrons (which have a negative charge) are attracted to the
protons (which have a positive charge) on the other side of the
membrane, but they have to move through the electrical circuit to get
there.
• The fuel-cell stack in the Hy-wire is made up of 200 individual cells
connected in series, which collectively provide 94 kilowatts of
continuous power and 129 kilowatts at peak power. re. rage tank and
oxygen from the atmosphere.
• This system delivers DC voltage ranging from 125 to 200 volts,
depending on the load in the circuit.
• The motor controller boosts this up to 250 to 380 volts and converts
it to AC current to drive the three-phase electric motor that
rotates the wheels (this is similar to the system used in conventional
electric cars).
Control
• The Hy-wire's "brain" is a central computer
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housed in the middle of the chassis. It sends
electronic signals to the motor control unit to
vary the speed, the steering mechanism to
maneuver the car, and the braking system to
slow the car down.
The computer connects to the body's electronics
through a single universal docking port.
The driver's control unit, dubbed the X-drive, is
a lot closer to a video game controller than a
conventional steering wheel and pedal
arrangement. The controller has two ergonomic
grips, positioned to the left and right of a small
LCD monitor
Contd…
Components of the HY-WIRE car
Contd…
• The 5.8-inch (14.7-cm) color monitor in
the center of the controller displays all the
stuff you'd normally find on the dashboard
(speed, mileage, fuel level).
• One of the coolest things about the driveby-wire system is that you can fine-tune
vehicle
handling
without
changing
anything
in
the
car's mechanical
components -- all it takes to adjust the
steering, accelerator or brake sensitivity is
some new computer software.
X-drive of Hy-WIRE car
The X-drive can slide to either side of the
vehicle.
Hy-wire Numbers
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Top speed: 100 miles per hour (161 kph)
Weight: 4,185 pounds (1,898 kg)
Chassis length: 14 feet, 3 inches (4.3 meters)
Chassis width: 5 feet, 5.7 inches (1.67 meters)
Chassis thickness: 11 inches (28 cm)
Wheels: eight-spoke, light alloy wheels.
Tires: 20-inch (51-cm) in front and 22-inch (56-cm) in
back
Fuel-cell power: 94 kilowatts continuous, 129 kilowatts
peak
Fuel-cell-stack voltage: 125 to 200 volts
Motor: 250- to 380-volt three-phase asynchronous
electric motor
Crash protection: front and rear "crush zones" (or "crash
boxes") to absorb impact energy
Related GM patents in progress: 30
GM team members involved in design: 500+
The Hy-wire has wheels, seats and windows like a
conventional car, but the similarity pretty much ends
there. There is no engine under the hood and no
steering wheel or pedals inside.
Advantages
• In Hy- wire car the central computer
will be able to monitor driver input
which will make it much safer.
• This car can resolve the major fuel
problems and safety issues.
• This is eco-friendly car.
Disadvantages
• This car does not have any physical connection
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between the driver and the car’s mechanical
component, so the electrical failure would mean
total loss of control.
The production of the hydrogen which is used as
fuel in the Hy-wire car can generate about as
much pollution as using gasoline engines and
storage and distribution systems still have a long
way to go.
Conclusion
It fully intends to release a
production version of the car in 2010,
assuming it can resolve the major fuel and
safety issues. But even if the Hy-wire
team doesn't meet this goal. Automakers
are definitely planning to move beyond
the conventional car sometime soon,
toward a computerized, environmentally
friendly alternative. In all likelihood, life on
the highway will see some major changes
within the next few decades.
THANK
YOU