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FEATURE ELECTRIC TRANSPORT Hydrogen versus electric vehicles...


As part of COVID-19 and environmental recovery plans, UK prime minister Boris Johnson has announced further investment of hydrogen technologies, while new


funding initiatives for energy efficiency and electric vehicles (EVs) are also said to be in the pipeline. But how does hydrogen compare with other green energy alternatives? Simone Bruckner, managing director of Cressall, comments


A


t the dawn of the 21st century, backers of hydrogen had high hopes


that the technology would dominate the automotive market. While this has yet to happen, hydrogen appears to have found its way back into the frame in recent years, with Hyundai, Toyota and Honda each producing hydrogen cars that are available in select markets. For now, however, it seems that competing battery electric vehicle (BEV) technologies have taken pole position as the technology that could remove fossil fuels from our roads. So why is hydrogen falling behind alternatives, like BEVs?


A CLEAN SOLUTION? In order to power vehicles, energy-dense hydrogen can be stored in a fuel cell which converts energy stored in molecules into electrical energy. By using hydrogen and oxygen as power, the fuel cell produces water, electricity and heat, without creating any emissions other than water vapour. Hydrogen fuel offers many benefits. In


terms of range, current hydrogen models fair slightly better than BEV alternatives. Consumer uptake could also be more promising – it has been reported that just one in four are considering the purchase of a fully EV in the next five years, but certain advantages of hydrogen could overcome this consumer reluctance. Future hydrogen vehicles will only need to adjust to using a different kind of gas. In addition, hydrogen refueling times are comparable to fossil fuel powered cars. As with all new technologies, there


remain some barriers to hydrogen adoption, including that the technology requires an entirely new charging infrastructure. BEVs, on the other hand, can simply be charged off the electricity grid. The high-powered batteries found in BEVs are also informed by the advanced battery technologies found in applications like computers, which can be easily adapted and developed. Another issue is the current price point of hydrogen vehicles. So what are the other downsides of hydrogen? Water-only emissions may


10 AUTUMN 2020 | ENERGY MANAGEMENT


than hydrogen refuelling capabilities, with more than 18,000 charging devices currently across the UK. As BEV uptake increases, with a robust charging infrastructure already in place, it will be wise to continue investing in EV technologies at the same time as driving forward with hydrogen technology.


seem like a green alternative, but the technology’s sustainability still poses problems. Currently almost all the hydrogen sold in the UK is produced by splitting it from natural gas, which is costly and emits a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2


tackled by capturing the CO2


). This problem can, however, be during


hydrogen production, then ‘burying it’ with carbon capture and storage. But that will drive up costs.


By using hydrogen and oxygen as power, the fuel cell produces water, electricity and heat, without creating any emissions other than water vapour


HIGH-TECH COMPONENTS In addition to battery technology, resistors also play an important role in EV efficiency. Most EVs use regenerative braking, which recuperates energy lost through braking and returns it to the battery to increase the range. However, when the battery is full, the vehicle must rely on its mechanical friction braking system to slow the vehicle. Instead, it is more beneficial to use a


resistor to discharge the excess energy. Not only is the resistor useful in the event of an electrical fault, it also reduces servicing costs due to reduced wear on the friction braking system. The energy dissipated during dynamic


braking into the resistor can also heat the vehicle’s cabin, reducing the requirement for electrical heating, which


“As with all new technologies, there remain some barriers to hydrogen adoption, including that the new technology requires an entirely new charging infrastructure. BEVs can be charged off the electricity grid”


The alternative entails using surplus


renewable electricity to split hydrogen from water using a fuel cell, which offers a cleaner yet more expensive solution.


AN ELECTRIC DREAM? Uptake of BEVs is on the rise, with the UK’s market growing by 21% in 2019. In fact the joint Government and car industry campaign, Go Ultra Low, recorded more than 72,000 new electric car registrations that year. BEVs offer their own set of benefits.


Electric motors can deliver torque quickly with almost instant acceleration, making vehicles quicker to start. Charging infrastructure is also far more developed


places an extra load on the battery. Cressall produces the EV2 resistor, a


liquid cooled modular resistor with a 25 kilowatt (kW) rating, that can be mounted outside or even underneath the vehicle, making it ideal for both small electric cars and larger forms of transport. So, while the UK looks forward to


the benefits of hydrogen, competing technologies like BEVs, paired with other high-tech components like advanced resistors, can continue to drive the automotive industry’ s green revolution forward.


Cressall www.cressall.com


/ ENERGYMANAGEMENT


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