Development of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle With a Hydrogen-Fueled IC Engine

The motivation for the use of hydrogen as fuel is that it can be renewable and can reduce emissions. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are still likely to be more of a far-term reality because of their high manufacturing cost. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) with a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion (IC) engine has the potential of becoming a low-emission low-cost practical solution in the near future. This paper describes a standard sport utility vehicle (SUV) that has been converted into a hydrogen-powered HEV. The powertrain utilizes compressed gaseous hydrogen as fuel, a boosted hydrogen IC engine, an induction motor, a hydraulic transmission, regenerative braking, advanced nickel-metal hybrid batteries, and a real-time control system. Tests show that the vehicle can deliver higher fuel economy and much lower emissions than those of a traditional SUV without compromises in performance. This paper presents an overview of the prototype vehicle and emphasizes some of the unique features of this energy-saving clean environment solution