Search Results

With the increasing prevalence of fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen consumption during fuel economy certification needs to be measured in an accurate and convenient manner. Typically, consumption is measured by weighing hydrogen cylinders before and after testing and calculating the amount of depleted hydrogen by the difference in weight. This method is theoretically highly accurate but time-consuming. This paper describes a new method developed to measure hydrogen consumption using a flow meter system. With a flow meter input pressure of 2MPa, and a minimum flow rate of 4NL/min, this new system achieves a level of error that is within 0.5% of the weight measurement method, but is far simpler and reduces the measuring time by approximately 130 minutes.

A student team from Minnesota State University's Automotive Engineering Technology program entered the 1999 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge. A 1999 Chevrolet Silverado was converted to run on E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline). The competition consisted of emission, fuel economy, cold-start, and performance evaluations. The vehicle conversion involved all engine systems, with special emphasis placed on cold-starting, driveability and performance. Laboratory testing led to the final design. The result was an integrated vehicle which successfully ran on E85, but whose use of the alternative fuel was totally transparent to the customer. This paper details the conversion and test results.