DNV Fuel Fighter
Encyclopedia
The DNV Fuel Fighter is a hydrogen-driven car that was designed and built in Norway
as a student project at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU). It was built to compete in the Shell Eco Marathon
. The purpose of the competition is to design a vehicle that can drive as far as possible on the least amount of fuel.
and project in 2009. The car is named after their main sponsor DNV (Det Norske Veritas).
The Fuel Fighter is a modification of its predecessor PureChoice, which first participated in the Shell Eco Marathon in 2008, and ended up second in the Urban Concept class. Wanting to repeat last year's success, the people behind the Fuel Fighter were determined to enter the competition again and win. They also wanted to be the first car to drive more than 1000 km (621.4 mi) on one liter of gasoline
.
The previous world record was 848 km and was set in 2008, by De Haagse Hogeschool
from Netherlands
.
The Fuel Fighter also won the prize for the lowest CO2 emissions in the Urban Concept category, with an emission of 2.6g/km.
and weighs about 20 kg (44 lbs). To minimize wind resistance, the car was tested in wind tunnels and then reshaped according to test results.
The car uses a 600 watt
electric engine from SmartMotor called SP300, modified to suit the needs of the car. It also uses cruise control
and computer-controlled acceleration to help the driver drive as fuel efficient as possible. The Fuel Fighter uses a hydrogen
fuel cell
and the optimal speed (the most fuel efficient) is 25 km/h (15.53 mph). The fuel cell used is a 1600 watt Ballard Mark 1020.
The dimensions of the car is 2.5 meter long, 1.2 meter broad and 1 meter tall.
, voted the most fuel efficient overall car by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
can achieve 51 mpg at its best.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
as a student project at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology , commonly known as NTNU, is located in Trondheim. NTNU is the second largest of the eight universities in Norway, and, as its name suggests, has the main national responsibility for higher education in engineering and technology...
(NTNU). It was built to compete in the Shell Eco Marathon
Eco-marathon
The Eco-Marathon is an annual competition sponsored by Shell, in which participants build special vehicles to achieve the highest possible fuel efficiency. The Eco-Marathon is held around the world with events in Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Japan, and the USA...
. The purpose of the competition is to design a vehicle that can drive as far as possible on the least amount of fuel.
Development
The Fuel Fighter was designed by a group of ten students from NTNU, as a Masters thesisThesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
and project in 2009. The car is named after their main sponsor DNV (Det Norske Veritas).
The Fuel Fighter is a modification of its predecessor PureChoice, which first participated in the Shell Eco Marathon in 2008, and ended up second in the Urban Concept class. Wanting to repeat last year's success, the people behind the Fuel Fighter were determined to enter the competition again and win. They also wanted to be the first car to drive more than 1000 km (621.4 mi) on one liter of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
.
History
The Fuel Fighter competed in the 2009 Shell Eco Marathon. The cars were to compete in a total of three races. Due to technical problems, the Fuel Fighter team was unable to finish the first two races. However, on their third run the Fuel Fighter ended up winning the Urban Concept-car class and setting a new world-record after driving the equivalent of 1246 km (774.2 mi) on one liter of gasoline. The distance of 1246 km was calculated by first measuring how much hydrogen they had used to drive the distance of the track, and then converting that amount into energy. Knowing how much energy there is in one liter of gasoline (about 32.0 MJ/L), the amount of gasoline per kilometer can be calculated.The previous world record was 848 km and was set in 2008, by De Haagse Hogeschool
The Hague University of Applied Science
The Hague University of Applied Sciences is a vocational university in The Hague, Netherlands. It was founded in 1987 as the merger of 14 educational institutions...
from Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
The Fuel Fighter also won the prize for the lowest CO2 emissions in the Urban Concept category, with an emission of 2.6g/km.
Body and engine
The Fuel Fighter was designed to be as light as possible. Weighing a total of 80 kg (176 lbs), the body is made entirely of carbon fiberCarbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
and weighs about 20 kg (44 lbs). To minimize wind resistance, the car was tested in wind tunnels and then reshaped according to test results.
The car uses a 600 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
electric engine from SmartMotor called SP300, modified to suit the needs of the car. It also uses cruise control
Cruise control
Cruise control is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver.-History:...
and computer-controlled acceleration to help the driver drive as fuel efficient as possible. The Fuel Fighter uses a hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
and the optimal speed (the most fuel efficient) is 25 km/h (15.53 mph). The fuel cell used is a 1600 watt Ballard Mark 1020.
The dimensions of the car is 2.5 meter long, 1.2 meter broad and 1 meter tall.
Fuel consumption
The fuel consumption of the car is measured to be about 0.01 liters/km, which is the equivalent of 235.2 mpg. In comparison, a Toyota PriusToyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
, voted the most fuel efficient overall car by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
can achieve 51 mpg at its best.