Car manufacturer know that rising oil
prices and tougher environmental rules will increase the public's interest in
vehicles that use less fuel with reduced tail pipe emissions.
Hybrids increase fuel efficiency by
capturing the energy normally lost to friction braking and storing it in a
battery for later use when driving power is again required. Different than
internal combustion engine hybrids, Volkswagen's hydrogen fuel cell hybrid
emits only water.
The VW Touran Hymotion has high-torque
electric motor that draws its power from a fuel cell and is absolutely emission
free. The standard version, driven by gasoline and diesel engines, which are as
agile as they are economical, is by far the most successful van available in
Germany. In the Touran HyMotion, an 80 kW electric motor provides vehement
propulsion.
The core element of this fuel cell is
an extremely thin plastic film (membrane). This spatially separates the
reagents, hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is broken down into positively and
negatively charged particles (protons and electrons). The protons are able to
pass directly through the membrane, while the electrons take a more indirect
route via an external current circuit, driving the electric motor. On the other
side of the membrane, the protons, electrons and oxygen blend to form water
(H2O).
The hydrogen is transported in gaseous
form at 350 bar in a special tank fitted in the Touran. A capacity of 1.9 kg
hydrogen when converted corresponds to the energy contained in 7.5 litres of
petrol. In combination with the electric motor's high efficiency, this quantity
of hydrogen provides the vehicle with a range of about 160 kilometres.
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