Fuel cell bus
Encyclopedia
A fuel cell bus is a bus
that uses a hydrogen
fuel cell
as its power source for electrically driven wheels, sometimes augmented in a hybrid fashion with batteries or a supercapacitor
.
A few companies are conducting hydrogen fuel cell research and practical fuel cell bus trial
s. These include:
There are also fuel cell powered buses currently active or in production, such as a fleet of Thor buses with UTC Power
fuel cells in California, operated by SunLine Transit Agency.
The first Brazil
ian hydrogen
fuel cell
bus prototype will begin operation in São Paulo
during the first semester of 2009. The hydrogen bus was manufactured in Caxias do Sul
, and the hydrogen fuel will be produced in São Bernardo do Campo
from water through electrolysis
. The programme, called "Ônibus Brasileiro a Hidrogênio" (Brazilian Hydrogen Autobus), includes three additional buses.
Currently, the town of Whistler
in British Colombia, Canada owns and operates the largest fuel-cell bus fleet in the world, having being put in operation for the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
The Fuel Cell Bus Club
is a global cooperative effort in trial fuel cell buses. Ford began leasing E-350 shuttle buses in late 2006.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
that 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...
as its power source for electrically driven wheels, sometimes augmented in a hybrid fashion with batteries or a supercapacitor
Supercapacitor
An electric double-layer capacitor , also known as supercapacitor, supercondenser, electrochemical double layer capacitor, or ultracapacitor, is an electrochemical capacitor with relatively high energy density. Their energy density is typically hundreds of times greater than conventional...
.
A few companies are conducting hydrogen fuel cell research and practical fuel cell bus trial
Fuel cell bus trial
This page contains information on some fuel cell bus trials.Perth, Western Australia, a Fuel Cell Bus Club member, agreed to share information with the following two trials:...
s. These include:
- Daimler AG, with thirty-six experimental units powered by Ballard Power SystemsBallard Power SystemsBallard Power Systems , located in Burnaby, British Columbia -- a suburb of Vancouver -- is a company that designs, develops, and manufactures zero emission proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. This company has made a bus that uses only hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells combine hydrogen and...
fuel cells completing a successful three-year trial, in eleven cities, in January 2007. - Thor IndustriesThor IndustriesThor Industries, Inc. is a manufacturer of recreational vehicles and mid-sized commercial buses.-History:Thor Industries, Inc., was founded on August 29, 1980, when Wade F. B. Thompson and Peter B. Orthwein acquired Airstream. The name "Thor" combined the first two letters of each entrepreneur's...
(the largest maker of buses in the U.S.), based on UTC PowerUnited Technologies CorporationUnited Technologies Corporation is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in the United Technologies Building in Hartford, Connecticut...
fuel cell technology - IrisbusIrisbusIrisbus is a bus manufacturer which was formed through the merger of the bus and coach divisions of Fiat Industrial, Iveco and Renault in January 1999 and Ikarus Bus in late 1999...
, based on UTC PowerUnited Technologies CorporationUnited Technologies Corporation is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in the United Technologies Building in Hartford, Connecticut...
fuel cell technology
There are also fuel cell powered buses currently active or in production, such as a fleet of Thor buses with UTC Power
United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in the United Technologies Building in Hartford, Connecticut...
fuel cells in California, operated by SunLine Transit Agency.
The first Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian hydrogen
Hydrogen vehicle
A hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that uses hydrogen as its onboard fuel for motive power. Hydrogen vehicles include hydrogen fueled space rockets, as well as automobiles and other transportation vehicles...
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...
bus prototype will begin operation in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
during the first semester of 2009. The hydrogen bus was manufactured in Caxias do Sul
Caxias do Sul
Caxias do Sul is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, situated in the state's mountainous Serra Gaúcha region. Coordinates: 29°10′0″ S, 51°11′0″ W....
, and the hydrogen fuel will be produced in São Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, in southern Metropolitan São Paulo and São Paulo microregion. The municipality's total area is 408.45 km ² and a population estimated at 1 July 2009, according to the IBGE, was 810,979 inhabitants, which results in a population...
from water through electrolysis
Electrolysis
In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of using a direct electric current to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction...
. The programme, called "Ônibus Brasileiro a Hidrogênio" (Brazilian Hydrogen Autobus), includes three additional buses.
Currently, the town of Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
in British Colombia, Canada owns and operates the largest fuel-cell bus fleet in the world, having being put in operation for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
The Fuel Cell Bus Club
Fuel Cell Bus Club
The Fuel Cell Bus Club comprises the participants of the projects CUTE, ECTOS and STEP. Their website title says "the first fuel cell bus fleet"....
is a global cooperative effort in trial fuel cell buses. Ford began leasing E-350 shuttle buses in late 2006.
External links
- H2mobility.org Hydrogen buses worldwide
- Toyota FCHV-BUS data sheet