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The deionized water/ethylene glycol coolant used in the Ford Focus Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) requires very low conductivity (< 5 μS/cm) to avoid current leakage and short circuiting, presenting a unique water chemistry issue. The coolant's initially low conductivity increases as: 1) ions are released from system materials through leaching, degradation and/or corrosion, and 2) organic acids are produced by ethylene glycol degradation. Estimating the leaching potential of these ions is necessary for design and operation of fuel cell vehicles. An on-board mixed-bed, ion exchange resin filter is used to maintain low conductivity by removing leached or produced ions. Various candidate materials were evaluated for leaching potential by exposing them to coolant at the design operating temperature for several months and periodically analyzing the coolant for ions.

GM de Mexico Ramos Arizpe Automotive Complex (RAAC) manufactures engines and passenger cars. Located in the northern part of Mexico, the RAAC water supply comes entirely from a subsurface aquifer whose drawdown rates presently exceed its recharge rate. The original wastewater treatment facilities, installed at the beginning of the RAAC operations, became inadequate as a result of more stringent wastewater discharge limits issued by SEDUE (Mexican EPA counterpart) in 1987 (see Table I). A Water Management Study was performed in 1986-7, to determine viable solutions to the problems of insufficient water supply and wastewater treatment. A three-phase Water Management Program was adopted.