ankur26888
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It's the main fuel of NASA's space shuttle launchers
and will now power a test fleet of autos in the city.
Hydrogen, so far used terrestrially in some
avantgarde customized cars and experimental bus
fleets, will run 15 autorickshaws developed as part of an IIT-Delhi project. But unlike London's
hydrogen buses and California's Hydrogen
Highway project that use complicated fuel-cell
technology, the Delhi autos will be built around
cheaper internal combustion engines.
Professor LM Das of IIT-D , who has perfected the technology, explains the rationale for hydrogen
power: "Hydrogen is like a slightly temperamental
child. You need to tame it. Once controlled, it can be
much more efficient than even compressed natural
gas (CNG)".
Das says he conceived the idea of using compressed hydrogen as an automotive fuel with
Delhi's air pollution in mind. In the early '80s, it was
a bold initiative - an idea ahead of its time. Lay
acquaintances thought he was talking about
making a hydrogen bomb. Detractors in the
scientific community dismissed his research as a freak project.
But Das soldiered on alone over the next three
decades as associates came and went. "No one can
turn a blind eye to the environmental degradation
caused by vehicles. In fact, before CNG came, Delhi
had become unlivable . So, despite all the criticism that my research was too futuristic , I pursued it.
Now the world knows that aggressive steps are
required to mitigate the environmental damage that
has been done," he says.
Unlike petroleum-derived hydrocarbon fuels, pure
hydrogen does not produce toxic carbon monoxide or the heat-trapping carbon dioxide on
combustion. There are no oxides of sulphur, nor
any particulates. Water vapour and oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) are the only byproducts. Although
NOx is a pollutant, Das claims their engine has been
optimized to reduce its emission greatly. "We got the best efficiency and very low emissions," he
says.
As a member of the government-appointed core
group on automotive research, Das had worked on
a hydrogen fuel assignment from United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Centre for Hydrogen Energy
Technologies (UNIDO-ICHET ) based in Istanbul, in
2006. Over the next three years, the engines were
developed at IIT. A conventional CNG engine was
used with modifications for compressed hydrogen
gas. While the project at IIT-D's Department of Energy
Studies resembled a turnstile, one man alone stayed
on with Das - lab technician GP Singh. The 14-
member team stabilized after the project was
officially taken over by automobile firm Mahindra
that has built up a strong presence in alternative energy with hybrid and electric vehicles. The new
system was implemented on autos provided by the
company and trials were done inside the IIT
campus.
Apart from developing the autos - branded
Mahindra HyAlfa and shown to the public at last month's Auto Expo - Das' team is also working on
two hydrogen-fuelled minibuses with a 2014
deadline. Senior project scientist , GP Subhash, who
quit his job at the University of Petroleum and
Energy Studies to join Das, says the Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is keen on developing a hydrogen-run minibus. "The Rs 15-
crore project aims to develop two mini buses by
2014. The idea will take some time to be part of our
daily lives. But we are at it to prove the efficiency of
hydrogen fuel," he says.
Meanwhile, the HyAlfa, which resembles Mahindra's Alfa autos commonly seen in NCR towns, awaits its
commercial launch and will be the first mass-
produced hydrogen-run internal combustion
engine vehicle in the world. The higher price of the
modified engine and fuel system is a challenge,
though, for its target market. The economics of running these autos in Delhi is yet to be worked
out. But Das, Subhash and their team are looking
forward to the day when the technology will
become an example for the world and give
Delhiites a chance to have a smooth ride with less
noise and smoke.
Http://m.timesofindia.com/city/delhi/Space-fuel-for-urban-shuttles/articleshow/11856265.cms
and will now power a test fleet of autos in the city.
Hydrogen, so far used terrestrially in some
avantgarde customized cars and experimental bus
fleets, will run 15 autorickshaws developed as part of an IIT-Delhi project. But unlike London's
hydrogen buses and California's Hydrogen
Highway project that use complicated fuel-cell
technology, the Delhi autos will be built around
cheaper internal combustion engines.
Professor LM Das of IIT-D , who has perfected the technology, explains the rationale for hydrogen
power: "Hydrogen is like a slightly temperamental
child. You need to tame it. Once controlled, it can be
much more efficient than even compressed natural
gas (CNG)".
Das says he conceived the idea of using compressed hydrogen as an automotive fuel with
Delhi's air pollution in mind. In the early '80s, it was
a bold initiative - an idea ahead of its time. Lay
acquaintances thought he was talking about
making a hydrogen bomb. Detractors in the
scientific community dismissed his research as a freak project.
But Das soldiered on alone over the next three
decades as associates came and went. "No one can
turn a blind eye to the environmental degradation
caused by vehicles. In fact, before CNG came, Delhi
had become unlivable . So, despite all the criticism that my research was too futuristic , I pursued it.
Now the world knows that aggressive steps are
required to mitigate the environmental damage that
has been done," he says.
Unlike petroleum-derived hydrocarbon fuels, pure
hydrogen does not produce toxic carbon monoxide or the heat-trapping carbon dioxide on
combustion. There are no oxides of sulphur, nor
any particulates. Water vapour and oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) are the only byproducts. Although
NOx is a pollutant, Das claims their engine has been
optimized to reduce its emission greatly. "We got the best efficiency and very low emissions," he
says.
As a member of the government-appointed core
group on automotive research, Das had worked on
a hydrogen fuel assignment from United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Centre for Hydrogen Energy
Technologies (UNIDO-ICHET ) based in Istanbul, in
2006. Over the next three years, the engines were
developed at IIT. A conventional CNG engine was
used with modifications for compressed hydrogen
gas. While the project at IIT-D's Department of Energy
Studies resembled a turnstile, one man alone stayed
on with Das - lab technician GP Singh. The 14-
member team stabilized after the project was
officially taken over by automobile firm Mahindra
that has built up a strong presence in alternative energy with hybrid and electric vehicles. The new
system was implemented on autos provided by the
company and trials were done inside the IIT
campus.
Apart from developing the autos - branded
Mahindra HyAlfa and shown to the public at last month's Auto Expo - Das' team is also working on
two hydrogen-fuelled minibuses with a 2014
deadline. Senior project scientist , GP Subhash, who
quit his job at the University of Petroleum and
Energy Studies to join Das, says the Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is keen on developing a hydrogen-run minibus. "The Rs 15-
crore project aims to develop two mini buses by
2014. The idea will take some time to be part of our
daily lives. But we are at it to prove the efficiency of
hydrogen fuel," he says.
Meanwhile, the HyAlfa, which resembles Mahindra's Alfa autos commonly seen in NCR towns, awaits its
commercial launch and will be the first mass-
produced hydrogen-run internal combustion
engine vehicle in the world. The higher price of the
modified engine and fuel system is a challenge,
though, for its target market. The economics of running these autos in Delhi is yet to be worked
out. But Das, Subhash and their team are looking
forward to the day when the technology will
become an example for the world and give
Delhiites a chance to have a smooth ride with less
noise and smoke.
Http://m.timesofindia.com/city/delhi/Space-fuel-for-urban-shuttles/articleshow/11856265.cms
