|
|
| BMW
H2R Hydrogen Race Car |
Broadcast
dates : 24th April 2005
30th April 2005 |
|
Hydrogen
is the fuel technology favoured by BMW for a
pollution-free driving future. The Bavarian company
has been developing various hydrogen prototypes over
the past few years and the latest is this dramatic
racer.
The car known as the H2R was designed and built over
a period of just 10 months. The objective was to
establish new speed records for hydrogen cars.
The car uses a V12 internal combustion engine
displacing 6-litres, which is modified to accept
liquid-hydrogen instead of petrol.
A mobile hydrogen filling station is used to
introduce eleven kilograms of liquid-hydrogen into
the car’s special double-walled tank. A total of
three valves are used in the fueling process,
ensuring safety.
This comprehensive safety system featured in the H2R
Record Car is also monitored by a telemetry system
of the same type used in Formula 1.
The main modifications to the engine involve the
fuel injection system adapted by BMW to the special
features and requirements of hydrogen.
Incidentally, BMW's future hydrogen engine will be
launched in a dual-mode version of the current 7
Series during the production cycle of the present
model. This car will be able to run on both petrol
and hydrogen.
The H2R uses classic sports racing car technology
with an aluminium space frame chassis. The sleek
bodywork was designed in California and is made from
carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.
|
 |
 |
 |
|
It weighs
just over 1500 kilograms, including the driver and a full
tank of hydrogen fuel.
For the speed record attempts, the car was shipped to
Miramas, the vast testing ground in the south of France.
And when push came to shove, the BMW H2R did not
disappoint. A total of nine records were set up.
These included a flying kilometer in 11,9 seconds at a
speed of 300 kilometres-per-hour.
Incidentally, using hydrogen fuel, the car accelerates to
100 kilometres-per-hour from rest in just 6 seconds.
What these tests prove is that the switch to hydrogen
certainly doesn’t mean a loss of performance. And that
bodes well for both environmentalists and performance car
fans.
|
|
|
|
