Objective Fuel cell driven electric vehicles are expected to achieve efficiencies which are 2 to 3 times higher than petrol or Diesel engines. Two options for fuel exist: hydrogen and methanol. This project deals with a stationary test facility which simulates a fuel cell driven electric vehicle which uses methanol as a fuel. The objective is to develop the technology needed to integrate key components for a reformer/fuel cell/battery hybrid electric vehicle, to perform this integration as well as to assess the performance of the system using realistic drive patterns.The integration of the components of a fuel cell/battery hybrid power source for an electric vehicle will be carried out in the laboratory, in a 'brass-board' set-up. The system should be able to provide the power needed for van of 5 tonne gross weight, used for delivery services in an urban area. Except for the periodic refuelling with methanol, the brass-board will be completely self supporting in terms of sustaining all internal use of electricity and compressed air. The project will not be aimed at developing fuel reformers, fuel cells or batteries. The methanol reformer will be constructed by Tecnars (I). It will be a scaled-up version of the reformers developed and built by Tecnars. Only modest modifications will be applied in order to enable the application on the brass-board. The fuel gas will contain trace components that are detrimental to the functioning of the fuel cell. The removal of these by-products of the reforming process will be the responsibility of the Loughborough University of Technology (LUT), thereby assisted by Tecnars. LUT is also responsible for the initial modelling during the design phase, for the acquisition of realistic drive patterns, for the selection of control strategies as well as for the comparison of test results and model predictions. The solid polymer fuel cell stacks will be purchased. The design and construction of the system around the stacks will be the responsibility of the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECG). This system will comprise an air compression system to provide the pressurized oxidant flow for the stacks. ECG is also responsible for the final integration and will carry out part of the performance tests. ECG is co-ordinator of the project. The selection and purchase of the batteries and the testing in combination with an permanent magnet type motor will be done by TNO (Delft, NL). TNO is also responsible for testing of the complete brass-board on a dynamometer test bed, using realistic drive patterns. Holec Machines & Apparaten BV (NL), is responsible for the design and construction of a supervisory control unit and the communication network needed for the data-acquisition and the control of the various sub-systems. The brass-board project will result in new knowledge and techniques pertaining to the integration of reformers and fuel cells in an electric vehicle. This knowledge will be useful for setting the goals for the application specific development of fuel cells, reformers, batteries and super-capacitors. The brass-board facility could in future be used to test such new components in an integrated environment resembling that of an electric vehicle. Fields of science social sciencessocial geographytransportelectric vehiclesnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbonsnatural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciencesnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcoholsengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfuel cells Programme(s) FP3-JOULE 2 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1990-1994 Topic(s) 040302 - Fuel cell and battery driven electrical vehicles Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE OF THE NETHERLANDS EU contribution No data Address Westerduinweg 3 PETTEN Netherlands See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Holec Machines en Apparaten BV Netherlands EU contribution No data Address 390,Ringdijk 2980 GB Ridderkerk See on map Total cost No data LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address ASHBY ROAD LE11 3TU LOUGHBOROUGH See on map Total cost No data Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Netherlands EU contribution No data Address 97,Schoenmakerstraat 2600 JA Delft See on map Total cost No data Tecnologie Avanzate, Ricerca e Sviluppo SrL Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Pionieri del Commercio Barese 70123 Bari See on map Total cost No data
