Daimler Truck does not rather go on the battery-electric truck map, as hydrogen returns well in combination with a fuel cell. There, too, the Swabians run in 2 methods. We participated in an endurance test on the Brenner autobahn.
There is a red alert on the Brenner roadway. A huge white cloud has actually covered a huge 40 heap truck. Risk is near. One can picture. Some chauffeurs might discover themselves stuck in rush hour, with blankets and containers of goulash. Looks are tricking. What seems a cloud of smoke is absolutely nothing more than water vapor produced when the fuel cell is running under load. “Drivers frequently ask me if something is broken in the truck,” states designer Felix Kauffmann with a laugh.
It is not surprising that the fat core strives. The afterburner represents a significant obstacle for all trucks, whether diesel, battery-electric or fuel cell. The truck climbs up to a height of 1,560 meters, getting rid of a distinction in height of about 760 meters and gradients of up to 6.1 percent. Performance likewise suffers in the Alps. “At complete load, 1,000 meters of height can cost 5 kgs of hydrogen,” determines the professional. Daimler’s truck fleet endeavors onto the popular north-south traffic artery for great factor: Climbing puts tension on the fuel cell. That’s why there are 4 cooling lines in the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 truck: 3 with water and one with oil for the 70 kilowatt-hour battery (50 kWh internet). The liquid surrounds the private energy cells.
The GenH2 Truck fuel cell system supplies 2 x 150 kW, batteries for as much as 400 kW. The battery utilizes cells various from the eActros, which can save and launch energy rapidly. This is very important since the batteries need to step in, comparable to a hybrid vehicle with a combustion engine, if the efficiency of the fuel cell need to be minimized due to heat accumulation. Cooling is a huge problem. When the 2 big side fans begin their work, a plainly noticeable hum permeates the driver’s cabin, accompanied by the high-pitched noise of the turbocharger, which compresses air to the fuel cell.
The drive is effective enough for a 40- heap truck. The 2 electrical axles each develop an output of 230 kW/ 313 hp (330 kW/ 449 hp optimum) and there are 2 fuel cells with 150 kW/ 210 hp each. The optimum torque of the 2 electrical motors is an optimum of 2,071 Newton meters per electrical motor. “We can quickly handle the 380 kW/ 517 hp of a standard diesel truck,” smiles Felix Kauffmann as the hydrogen truck increases the pass. We see how effective a fuel cell truck is when we drive without a trailer and the wheels spin on a damp roadway.
Due to the high energy material of around 70 kg/m3, Daimler Truck relies greatly on liquid hydrogen, however it likewise continues to establish gaseous hydrogen trucks in order to have the ideal service prepared for each market. Great Wall Motor’s industrial vehicle department in China is doing the exact same with German business vehicle experts. Chinese car manufacturers are investing almost one billion euros and are currently screening 200 fuel cell trucks that are sustained by liquid hydrogen. There are excellent factors to think about liquid hydrogen: In addition to the longest variety, the chemical component is simple to transfer in liquid type, even if the temperature level in the tanks ought to be around 250 degrees. All in all, according to Daimler Truck, the energy balance it resembles gaseous and liquid hydrogen, as the gas needs to be filled up and pressurized once again and once again. 2 tanks, each with 40 kg, take the truck practically 1,000 km.
There is still a great deal of advancement work to be done prior to hydrogen and star trucks are on the roadway in the 2nd half of the years. The insulation of tanks requires to be enhanced. Due to temperature level distinctions, the majority of the liquid hydrogen is still heated up to form steam, which is utilized or needs to be launched so that the pressure in the vessels is not expensive. When it pertains to facilities, liquid hydrogen still looks extremely bad. Production procedures should likewise be enhanced prior to they are all set for series production.
Daimler truck strategists likewise understand that liquid hydrogen has a bad energy balance compared to the battery-electric version due to the complex production procedure. The return of the chemical component is due to the truth that it is ideal as an energy provider and can be produced when electrical power is plentiful. For Daimler Truck, a custom-made transportation service is a concern. Battery-electric if possible, however likewise hydrogen as a possible option for cross country traffic. Due to the higher variety, H2 trucks have a benefit in optional versatility. The choosing aspect will be what the consumers desire. It will likewise be required for the automobile to spend for itself in no greater than 5 years for the devices business’s service design to work.
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series of images|Daimler Truck fuel cell method: tune two times
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