ELECTRIC TRANSPORT FEATURE TRAVELLING


TOWARDS THE GREEN


REVOLUTION T


here are many benefits to the use of hydrogen as a fuel. To power vehicles,


energy-dense hydrogen is stored in a fuel cell. 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 a slightly better range and a more promising consumer uptake than BEV alternatives, mainly because vehicles will only need to adjust to using a different kind of gas and they can be refueled in times comparable to fossil fuel powered cars. There are, however, barriers to its adoption.


Not only does the technology require an entirely new charging infrastructure, but another issue is the current price point of hydrogen vehicles. Paired with the needed infrastructural developments, the future could be hydrogen, but it is certainly not the present.


A GREEN ALTERNATIVE? Hydrogen’s water-only emissions may seem like a green alternative, but 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 carbon dioxide (CO2


capturing the CO2


). While this problem can be tackled by during hydrogen production,


then ‘burying it’ with carbon capture and storage, that will drive up costs. The alternative entails using surplus renewable electricity to split hydrogen from water using a fuel cell, offering a cleaner yet more expensive solution. Electric motors, however, can deliver torque


quickly with almost instant acceleration, making vehicles quicker to start. In addition, there are now more than 18,000 charging devices across the UK. So as BEV uptake increases, it will be wise to


continue investing in EV technologies while driving forward with hydrogen technology.


EFFICIENCY In addition to battery technology, resistors also play an important role in EV efficiency. When an EV’s battery is full, the vehicle must rely on its mechanical friction braking system to slow the vehicle – and for this it is beneficial to use a


Recent hydrogen vehicle


developments have given hope to the idea that hydrogen will one day dominate the market. 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, as Simone Bruckner, managing director of Cressall, explains


resistor to discharge the excess energy. Not only is the resistor useful in the event of an electrical fault, it also lowers 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 places an extra load on the battery. To help, 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. While the UK looks forward to the benefits


of hydrogen, much has still to be done to make it a commercially viable fuel. Meanwhile, 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 Resistors www.cressall.com PUBLIC FAST CHARGER MEETS FUTURE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS


Suitable for highway and urban fast charging stations, city parking as well as shopping malls, Siemens Smart Infrastructure’s Sicharge D public fast charger is said by the company to provide one of highest peak efficiencies on the market at 96%, scalable charging power and dynamic power sharing. Sicharge D ensures that almost all of the


generated electricity reaches the car to be charged which, for customers, means reduced operational costs. In addition, the charger is designed to meet future technological developments – it has a scalable charging power up to 300kW, either from the start or through plug-and-play upgrades; and it already supports voltages between 150 and 1,000 volts (V) and currents of up to 1,000 amperes (A) across all DC outlets. This enables full power loads for future 800V vehicles as well as the lower voltage charging rates demanded by todays mainstream vehicles. Although the number of electric vehicles is growing, today’s investments in infrastructure are challenging. With the option to expand the Sicharge D


with up to two external dispensers, it is possible for customers to time the investments according to market demands. The standard configuration has two DC and one AC outlet housed in a compact design that minimises installation complexity. The new charger combines all these features with


dynamic parallel charging. That means it accounts for the individual power demand of each connected car and automatically adapts the charging process to the EV’s battery technology and charging status. This ensures that the connected cars get the maximum power they need without any additional manual intervention. For an improved user experience, an integrated 24-inch adjustable display allows the user to


easily operate the Sicharge D charger barrier-free and opens new opportunities for customers to use the chargers display for tasks beyond interfacing with the charging process.


Siemens Smart Infrastructure www.siemens.com/sicharge-D


/ ENERGYMANAGEMENT


ENERGY MANAGEMENT | SPRING 2021


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