Microcab Background - The Eco Technology Show 2015

Life Without Oil
the Microcab project
Eco Technology Show
Brighton 2013
John Jostins
Managing Director,Microcab Industries Ltd.
Prof. Sustainable Transport Design, Coventry University
Working in partnership with Coventry University
Microcab background
12 years of hydrogen fuel cell
hybrid vehicle development.
All vehicles designed and built from
scratch
• lean weight
• viable packaging for hydrogen
hybrid drive
H3 2001
H4 Mk1 2005
H4 Mk2 2008
Conventional vehicles too heavy
and packaged around IC engine
H2EV 2013
Microcab H2EV
All new design started in 2009
H2EV open platform concept
Fuel cell or pure EV
EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval
2000 + units pa
Light van - 200kg payload
Compact taxi – flat floor - access
4 seat car
Looking back….
2002 Scientific American
Article on fuel cell vehicles
and hydrogen economy
Cover Picture 2002
Looking back…
2002 Scientific American
……fuel cell vehicles
and hydrogen economy
GM Autonomy concept
Skateboard chassis
‘No more bulky engine
compartment’
‘Owners could have new bodies
plugged in to their chassis at the
dealership or do it themselves’
Note: hydrogen tanks and fuel cell
In reality…
GM chassis 2011
Top: hydrogen tanks
Right: fuel cell
In reality…
GM FC vehicle
Result is very large vehicle
to accommodate hydrogen
fuel and drive train
H2EV chassis
Chassis, built by Lotus
Bonded aluminium, laser cut flat sheet
• Hydrogen cylinder weight 41kg
• Capacity 1.8kg @ 350bar
H2EV chassis/body cell
Simulated crash testing
for front offset, side
impact and roof crush
Structural glass
composite bodytop
Roof crush test = 1.5
times fully laden vehicle
weight
GRP doors with steel
side impact bars
H2EV powertrain
1.8kg H2 storage, 350bar
3kW fuel cell & DC/DC converter
4kWh lithium battery
Twin 72v DC motors, 13kW each
One speed belt drive to front wheels
Twin motor controllers
Top speed 55mph
Fuel cell integration
3kW Horizon fuel cell
5kW option
Integration work with Arcola
New DC/DC converter
Further work:
Air supply in/out
Hydrogen flow
Thermal management of
electronic systems
Cold start strategy
Software development
H2EV current developments
Range of developments going on in parallel to
integration of new fuel cell:
• VCU software upgrade
• BMS and Cell Management system upgrade
• CAN system improvements and extension –
data logging
• Electric/electronic system developments
• Detail mechanical mods.
• Ergonomic developments
• Plug H2 facility –
plug recharge of lithium pack
H2EV range
H2EV Range calculations
Assumptions
Full tank
usable
hydrogen
hydrogen
capacity
as kWh
DC/DC
Energy
at 350
Usable
1kg =
Fuel cell converter direct to
bar
hydrogen 40kWh efficiency efficiency drive
Units
350bar
350bar
350bar
700bar
kg
1.8
1.8
1.8
3.6
kg
1.7
1.7
1.7
3.4
kWh
67.9
67.9
67.9
135.8
%
43
29.2
29.2
29.2
58.4
%
94
27.4
27.4
27.4
54.9
%
50
13.7
13.7
13.7
27.4
Tested
Energy Battery
via
pack
battery
charge
kWh
pack efficiency available
%
50
13.3
13.3
13.3
26.6
%
97
Drive
cycle
source
Wh/Km
27.0
27.0
27.0
54.1
range
range
km
miles
MPG
equiv.
Total
1kg H2 = including
1 gallon
Plug
liquid
charge
mpg
miles
20
293.8 183.6 108.2
203.6
92.0
Lotus rolling
road NEDC
102.0
Microcab
road test
best case
265.0 165.6
97.6
185.6
130.0
Microcab
worst case
road test
207.9 129.9
76.6
149.9
102.0
Microcab
road test
best case
530.0 331.2
97.6
351.2
H2EV systems and safety
• VCU control unit – overall vehicle control
• BMS on battery system
• CAN control on FC, BMS, DC/DC
• Inertia sensing switch – crash activates
• Active throttle management
Full compliance with EU regs. on hydrogen
storage system and vehicle integration, PRD,
Excess Flow Valve, Hydrogen sensor etc.
Vehicle Safety Case completed with MIRA in 2011
and 2012 - ongoing
*MIRA – Motor Industry Research Association
H2EV UK Road Legal
Vehicles operate under:
Vehicle Special Orders in
UK – valid for one year at a time
Now in 2nd year of VSO
Road Tax – Nil
Working to:
UNECE Reg. 100 for EVs
EU Hydrogen vehicle regs. 79/2009
EU No. 406/2010
UN Global Technical Regulations - fuel cell
vehicles
Other standards:
ISO 26262 functional safety,
MISRA – software reliability
H2EV in SWARM
Project concentrates on small, light,
‘niche’ hydrogen vehicles
•Commenced Oct 2012
•Runs to 2016
•10 H2EV vehicles
•Leased to end users
•For all or part of 3 year trial
•Air Liquide hydrogen fuel stations in:
• Birmingham
• Brussels
• Bremen
Hydrogen infrastructure
UKH2 Mobility report Feb. 2013 – looking at pattern of UK
infrastructure growth long term – 50% electrolysis
Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen report March 2013
“GLA indentified need to build waste gasification plants to
2030..if all the waste that is gasified in 2030 was used to
make hydrogen, this would be sufficient to fuel around a
million FCVs”
Other factors in the mobility equation:
Congestion and land use
Danger from traffic, degeneration of urban space
Social exclusion and alienation
Under use of mobility resources
new styles of mobility are emerging
The New Mobility
Non –
motorised
transport
News of
£950million
to be spent
on cycling
infrastruct. March 2013
The New Mobility
Autonomous vehicles and Intelligent Cities
Ultra PRT at Heathrow T5
Driverless - on demand
Car sized – 4 or 5 person
20 pods - track based
Speed up to 40km/h
EV drivetrain – looking at FC
Courtesy of UltraPRT
The New Mobility
Car clubs:
Alternative ownership model
Usage by the hour.
Vehicle choice is made out of utility
What will I need the car for today?
Big car, small car, van?
Reduces congestion,
particularly parking
Typically 12 „members‟ to 1 car
Quite different to conventional car hire
Vehicles scattered across postcodes
EVs & HFCVs suit this scenario
Microcab H2EV usage scenario
Focus on urban fleets:
• Taxis
• Delivery vans
• Car club
H2EV ideally suited to car club usage:
• Compact, easy to drive – no clutch
• Easy to park – small turning circle
• Variable format – car, van,
• Ideal in city – typical car club usage around 30 miles
• Zero emissions – urban air quality poor
Car club user ‘rents mobility’ by the hour
12 users to 1 vehicle
Large number of users
experience hydrogen
vehicle
Eg. fleet of 100 vehicles
will have 1200 users
South Africa
H3 quadricycle arrives in Cape Town
Joint development of hydrogen and fuel cell for vehicle on
lightweight platform – Asian market
Memorandum of Understanding
to be signed this week
• HySA and Univ. Western Cape
• Microcab
• Coventry University
SA has 77% of world’s platinum
Extensive coal fired energy production
Plans to decarbonise – including H2
Life Without Oil:
the Microcab project
2013
Thank you