No Emissions October 5, 2004
Posted by Andy Roberts in : soundvideo, transport, London , trackbackAbove is a Hydrogen Fuel Cell zero emissions bus, of the type currently being trialled on several routes in London. It may not look much different to an ordinary fossil fuel bus, but take at look at my VIDEO HERE
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That’s pure steam or water vapour coming out of the exhaust at roof height. Post-space-age meets steam.
More information from Transport For London in a pdf document
Oh, all right then - I’ve typed it all out for you…
Partners in Progress
London Buses is part of Transport for London,
and is responsible for achieving environmental
targets and standards for the whole of London’s
bus fleet, as required by the Mayor’s Air
Quality Strategy.
First operates around one sixth of the London bus
network. Their experience, support and expertise
in transit management is crucial in ensuring the trial
is conducted and assessed to rigorous standards.
BP is providing the hydrogen-refuelling facilities
for the fuel cell buses. BP is an infrastructure
partner in five of the nine CUTE (Clean Urban
Transport for Europe) cities and is demonstrating
a range of different hydrogen technologies in
each location.
Energy Saving Trust is supporting the project
through grant funding from its new vehicle
technology fund programme.
Daimler Chrysler has developed and manufactured
the buses and will provide technical support during
the trial.
The European Union has co-financed the trial,
with the support of the European Commission
Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.
Fuel cell buses on Route 25
Route 25 between Oxford Circus and Ilford has
been chosen as the first fuel cell trial bus route
for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it’s important to test the buses in different
inner city areas. Route 25 is a busy route that
extends all the way from the centre of London,
through the East End and onto Ilford. It’s a long
route that offers a wide variety of traffic conditions
in the largest city taking part in the trial.
In addition, fuel cell buses will run alongside
conventional double-decker buses on the
same route. As a result of all these factors,
the operating and environmental data gathered
will play a major part in helping the project to
gain experience of how the fuel cell propulsion
system actually performs day-by-day.
Once the field trial is well established London
Buses will begin to run the fuel cell buses on
other routes in order to test their operational and
environmental effectiveness more thoroughly.
Like most of the London bus fleet, fuel cell buses provide full low-floor access.
London leading the way
London is taking part in a pioneering project to
reduce air pollution and noise by testing the first
generation of zero emission fuel cell buses. This
important initiative is a key part of the Mayor’s
Transport and Air Quality Strategies, which are
designed to help give Londoners a cleaner and
healthier future. Not only is the fuel cell bus trial
a significant step towards achieving that goal,
it also demonstrates that London is leading the
way in alternative forms of public transport.
Energetically efficient
Nine cities in Europe are taking part in the fuel
cell bus trial, making it the largest project of its
type anywhere in the world. The reason it’s so
important is because of greenhouse gas emissions
and inner-city noise levels which are a major
source of complaint.
The project brings together over 40 organisations
including the bus manufacturer, operating
companies, hydrogen suppliers, fuelling and
storage facilities, and universities. It is part of the
ongoing development of clean urban transport
systems which combine energy efficiency with
cost-effectiveness.
The fuel cell buses will be subjected to rigorous
ecological, technical and economic analysis,
which will then be compared to conventional bus
transportation. By the end of the trial London will
have made a major contribution to a much-needed
initiative, the results of which are eagerly awaited
by transport authorities and governments across
the globe.
Fuel cell buses can travel more 125 miles before refuelling.
How fuel cell buses work
The new Mercedes Citaro buses, which have
been built by Daimler Chrysler especially for
this trial, use the latest fuel cell and hydrogen
production technology.
Do they really run on hydrogen? Yes
[ useful diagram ]
Hydrogen can be made in a number of different
ways including steam reforming of natural gas
and the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen
(electrolysis). The hydrogen is then liquefied by
cooling it down to a very low temperature.
The liquid hydrogen is delivered to the fuelling
site where it is dispensed as a gas into pressurised
cylinders. These are the cylinders you can see
on top of the bus, along with the fuel cell system,
coolers and other components.
The only emission from a fuel cell bus is water,
which forms a vapour cloud as soon as it leaves
the exhaust and enters the atmosphere.
Just as importantly, the infrastructure and support
systems needed to conduct the trial
is an online professional who initiated DARnet 
Well, that is just amazing Andy. Who would of thought. Bring on the hydrogen vehicles.
Fuel Cell Buses A Success
The emission-free hydrogen fuel cell buses have reported had a successful year, the BBC reports. The three buses have together travelled over 23,000 miles over 3,400 hours of operation (at an average of 6.8mph, based on those figures). The…