Hydrogen-powered car shown at Livermore Lab
05 Jun 2008
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory officials unveiled a Toyota Prius hybrid car on Tuesday that has been converted to run on hydrogen and battery power. It's the latest development in the laboratory's 12-year quest to produce hydrogen-powered vehicles. The research is sponsored by the federal Department of Energy.
Lab engineers and safety consultants have designed a tank that holds 150 litres of liquid hydrogen, which is claimed to power the Prius about 500 miles on the highway. The new tank, a cylinder made of carbon fibre with an aluminium lining, is capable of storing either liquid or compressed hydrogen, making it more versatile at a futuristic filling station.
Compressed hydrogen is better suited for short trips, and less expensive than liquid hydrogen, which is best for longer distances. Powered by compressed hydrogen, the lab's prototype drove 650 miles around the Livermore lab complex on one tank.
Unlike prototypes that have been built elsewhere, the lab's tank holds hydrogen at extremely high pressure. As a result, there is no need for the tank to periodically let off excess pressure. The next step, said a lab spokes person is to design a hydrogen tank that is more compact and can be installed beneath a car's trunk, where a car's gas tank has been traditionally placed.
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