NECAR 4 is a five-seat compact car with front-wheel drive based on the A-class of Mercedes-Benz. Its dimensions are 3.57 m length, 1.72 m width, and 1.58 cm height. The A-class has a double - or sandwich - floor, which offers extra space for holding non-conventional components and makes this model particularly suitable for conversion into fuel cell vehicles (FCV). The original internal combustion engine (ICE) was replaced by an ECOSTAR trans-axle asynchronous electric motor with a peak power output of 55 kW at the shaft. The electrical power is supplied by a fuel cell system delivered by dbb Comp. and based on two 35 kW Ballard stacks of 160 cells fueled with pure hydrogen. Since the only exhaust product is water, NECAR 4 meets California's standards as a ZEV. A cryogenic tank (manufactured by Linde AG) with a storage capacity of 5 kg LH2 provides the fuel necessary for a drive of approximately 450 km - the longest range a ZEV has ever reached. The complete fuel cell system (both stacks and all auxiliaries, such as the air compressor responsible for the air supply, coolant pumps, etc.) fits into the sandwich floor of the A-class, the LH2 tank is installed behind the rear axle and occupies ornly a small part of the trunk, which can still hold luggage. The maximum vehicle speed is 145 km/h if the motor is allowed to reach its maximum torque and rotational velocity of 14,000 RPM (variable of the motor control software). In order to prolong the lifetime of the motor, however, the drive tests discussed below were all carried out using a torque limitation and a maximum RPM of 12,000, corresponding to a maximum vehicle speed of about 125 km/h.
NECAR4 - the first zero-emission vehicle with acceptable range
NECAR4 - das erste Nullemissionsfahrzeug mit einem akzeptablen Betriebsradius
1999
9 Seiten, 10 Bilder, 1 Tabelle
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
NECAR 4 - the first zero-emission vehicle with acceptable range
Kraftfahrwesen | 1999
|NECAR 4 - The First Zero-Emission Vehicle with Acceptable Range
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1999
|British Library Online Contents | 1998
Achieving Acceptable Vehicle Trip Rate for On-Road Motor Vehicle Emission Inventory: Case Reviews
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
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