New type hydrogen tank.

It is no secret that oil prices are forcing automakers to seek alternative fuels. Recently, Volvo experiment with FlexyFuel engines (engines working on a mix of gasoline and alcohol). And in this direction the company has achieved considerable success. Suffice it to say on serially produced 1.8F and 2.5FT motors.

BMW goes another way. They are experimenting with hydrogen engines. These engines have a very high efficiency. The problem is that hydrogen must be stored in compressed form. And here in this area has been a big breakthrough.

There is developing a light weight tank for liquid hydrogen put an important step in making hydrogen cars available on a larger scale. The lighter and more compact tanks could easily be built into cars and doubling the minimum range. This says BMW's research department BMW Forschung und Technik.

The new tank weighs only a third of a hydrogen tank of the current generation. This is because the tank of a new composite was created. In addition, the auxiliary integrated into the tank, bringing the total package less space in the auto. BMW estimates the range of cars with the new hydrogen tanks, which can contain 10 kg of H2, at 500 kilometers. That is more than double what the BMW 7 H2 today fetches (200 km).

The storage of liquid hydrogen requires a special technique because hydrogen only under the -253 ° C liquid. The tank should be a kind of super-thermos in which the temperature as low as possible.

 

Even with super-insulation that temperature ever goes back up, which makes hydrogen back into gas. That may be a problem if the car  stay for several days without movement. To avoid the pressure continues to rise, that too should be removed in the form of pure water. In the current generation of hydrogen tanks who used in his BMW 7-series H2, you will tank after about 17 days standstill as well as back empty.

For the new tanks German car manufacturer has collaborated, among other things, with the  Volvo, PSA and Ford. In total there are 34 partners. The project has cost 18.7 million euros. The European Union has it paid 10.7 million euros.

Well, perhaps soon we will see these developments as well in the new Volvo models.