The hydrogen car: find out how it works and what its advantages and disadvantages are

How exactly does a hydrogen car work?

Contrary to what many people think, a hydrogen powered car does not use it to generate combustion. The system is more complex.

First, the car stores the element in a liquid state, under pressure, in a tank. From there it moves on to the most important component: the fuel cell. This is where hydrogen meets oxygen from the atmosphere.

Passing through the catalysts and the proton exchange membrane, the element splits into two H + molecules, which combine with oxygen. The electrons lost in the hydrogen cleavage pass outside the membrane, generating an electric current.

This process generates only electricity and pure water (H2O) as byproducts, so a hydrogen-powered vehicle is considered a zero-emissions vehicle. The electricity is then stored in batteries that provide power for an electric motor.

What are the advantages of a hydrogen-powered car?

One of the main advantages of hydrogen-powered cars is A cleaner character for mobility. And it’s not just cars that can be used. There are also studies of ships and aircraft.

It is stored in a liquid state, as used in today’s cars, and could use a chassis similar to today’s gas stations. Thus, much smaller investment will be required than in acquiring the high-capacity electric grids, which electric car chargers demand.

In addition, storage in the liquid state allows for Quick View And very similar to what has already been done in combustion vehicles. From a vehicle development point of view, using Much smaller batteriesThe hydrogen car is also lighter than the 100% electric equivalent.

And what are the flaws?

On the other hand, the mass adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles still faces many challenges. still fuel cell Expensive and sensitive to hydrogen purityعنصر. Storage tanks, both in the car and in stations, have to handle extremely high pressures.

Another problematic element is get hydrogen. Although abundant, it is a highly reactive element and is usually associated with others, especially oxygen and carbon. H2 is currently obtained on a large scale through the process fix, involving the use of methane.

Then, While the hydrogen car does not pollute, you get the pollution element. It is possible to obtain it through electrolysis, using electrical energy to separate H2 from water (H2O). However, the method is of little use.

Finally, one of the challenges of hydrogen is its storage. In the natural gaseous state, its energy density is low. Even in the liquid state, as used today, 1 kg of hydrogen has less energy than 1 kg of gasoline. To leave hydrogen in a liquid state, pressure and liquefaction are used, processes that also require energy.

Who makes the hydrogen car?

Currently, in addition to Toyota, Hyundai also produces a hydrogen-powered car called the Nexo, and BMW has a prototype of this type of vehicle.

Honda already had a car with this propulsion system, the Clarity, but the model was out of line.