(Karlsruhe / Germany) – A fuel cell vehicle developed by a team at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA) achieved a range of 407 kilometers per cubic meter of hydrogen (approximately 90 grams) at the recent Shell Eco-Marathon. With "many small technical improvements" to the hydrogen system, drive module, and electronics, the High Efficiency Karlsruhe project team claims to have achieved a range increase of around 33 percent compared to the previous year.
The engine with fuel cell and hydrogen tank. © HKA / Volker Hirsch
The one-week competition in Poland consisted of a total of six qualifying sessions, which could be completed after the technical inspection and the resulting approval for driving on the official Silesia Ring race track, as well as several test runs for the final tuning of the vehicle. It features a carbon fiber reinforced chassis and weighs approximately 48 kilograms without a driver.
It is powered by a 300-watt fuel cell from Schwerin-based Baltic Fuel Cells GmbH. This provides the electrical energy for the 200-watt DC motor from Maxon, which drives the vehicle's rear wheel via a flat belt drive. However, according to HKA, normal operation during the competition at a speed of approximately 25 kilometers per hour requires only about 80 watts of electrical power and 65 watts of mechanical power. The chassis consists almost exclusively of commercially available bicycle components (wheels, brakes) and self-developed aluminum and plastic components (wheel suspension, steering).
At last year's Shell Eco-Marathon in France, the team had to settle for a range of 305 kilometers. This season, HKA moved up to fifth place among 14 participating teams in the fuel cell-powered prototype vehicle category. "Taking into account the results from the Shell Eco-Marathon in America and Asia, the vehicle from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences is currently among the ten most energy-efficient in this class worldwide," the university stated.
Further increase efficiency
The 20-member project team, comprised of all disciplines from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics, as well as Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, now aims to find further ways to increase the vehicle's efficiency. The focus is on developing and manufacturing a new, aerodynamically improved, significantly weight-reduced, and at the same time very cost-effective body made of carbon fiber composite materials, as well as a self-developed motor controller adapted to competitive conditions. There are also ideas for improving communication between the numerous electronic components and the efficiency of the fuel cell itself.
“It turned out that even with a relatively small budget consisting mainly of donations and sponsorship money, it is possible to catch up with more experienced and better-equipped teams,” says Volker Hirsch, supervising professor of the project at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics.
Photo above
A student team from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences covered more than 400 kilometers in a competition using 90 grams of hydrogen. © HKA / Volker Hirsch
