Zero emission scooter outperforms standard designs
A spin-off company from Delft Technology University (TU Delft) in the Netherlands has developed a new type of scooter, using a hybrid hydrogen-battery energy supply, which outperforms standard scooters but with zero emissions. The Fhybrid scooter was designed and developed by Crijn Bouman, an Industrial Design Engineering graduate from TU Delft. Mr Bouman, CEO of the TU Delft spin-off Epyon, developed a practical use for Epyon's range of rapid-charging systems for batteries. The concept is 'a very small fuel cell with a very large battery. The idea is that a commuter travels at between 10 and 30 km/h, which the battery can power at maximum performance, and then when the vehicle stops, a fuel cell kicks in, giving it charge,' explains Mr Bouman in an interview with CORDIS News. 'During my graduation, I found that in the inner city of London, the average speed of vehicles is about 5 km/h. This is almost the same as walking speed,' he said. This sloth-like pace is because of the nature of traffic flow, traffic lights and other factors, causing vehicles to brake. 'In cities, as much as 30 per cent of the time people are braking, making it as important as accelerating,' he said. Braking is a way of losing energy - usually through heat in the brakes. However, this energy, rather than be wasted, could be harnessed. The scooter uses a 'regenerative' braking system which charges the battery during braking, turning one of the obvious drawbacks of urban transport into a green positive. The system has been found to be an important boost to efficiency. Depending on the traffic conditions, improvements in efficiency of between 10 and 20 per cent can be made. In the current set-up, the scooter already outperforms traditional petrol-powered scooters, reaching a top speed of 65 km/h with a range of some 200 km. Another nice feature is that the engine - contained within the scooter's front wheel - can be precisely controlled and driven forwards and backwards to make parking easier. The part of the project yet to be completed is the hydrogen fuel cell itself. Legislation around the use of hydrogen in the Netherlands is extremely tight, so Mr Bouman has used a simulated fuel cell in the project up until now. 'This was the issue - to get a small fuel cell. Now we are using a fuel cell simulation system, using a peak battery. We are trying to get funds together to get through the legislation. We are in talks with the university, but for now we have had some press and it is a good time to follow up the research. We plan to buy a fuel cell this year. Maybe we could team up with a fuel cell company,' suggests Mr Bouman. While the concept is sound and the initial results extremely promising, the design still has a little way to go. 'We need more funding and good research on energy efficiency of the whole machine, and on the regenerative braking system. The vehicle is front wheel driven because of the braking system. We want to develop this as much as possible,' says Mr Bouman. But with the growing research and development interest in the EU-wide hydrogen infrastructure, Mr Bouman's scooter could soon become a feature on urban roads. However, the technology is just part of the solution. 'The look and feel of the scooter are aimed at selling the clean technology inside,' he says.
Countries
Netherlands