The hydrogen energy vehicle of the Winter Olympics shines brightly, reducing carbon by 94.8kg per 100 kilometers

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles provide green transportation services for the Winter Olympics.

Reporter Li Future reported from Beijing

Ren Ziwei and Wu Dajing won the first and second places in the short track speed skating 1000 meters event, Gu Ailing successfully reversed the challenge of super difficult moves, and the athletes on the field of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics bravely fought hard to show their style to the world. Also showing off on this stage is hydrogen energy, an important energy source of the Winter Olympics.

The Winter Olympics invested more than 1,000 cars equipped with hydrogen fuel cells, basically all of which are passenger vehicles, covering buses, group shuttles, etc., as a means of transportation for guests, athletes, on-site spectators, media reporters, and politicians around the World during the Winter Olympics. This is also the world's first large-scale investment in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as a major attempt to connect.

"China Times" reporter combed and found that the State Power Investment, PetroChina, Sinopec and many other enterprises participated in this "hydrogen energy event", Beijing Yihuatong Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Yihuatong", 688339.SH) is one of the main suppliers of hydrogen fuel cell engine systems for this Winter Olympics.

In the face of the ultra-low temperature environment of the Winter Olympics, 16% mountain driving and other scenarios, how to ensure the normal operation and safety of hydrogen fuel cells? How much carbon dioxide can hydrogen vehicles reduce? What role will this large-scale application play in the future development of hydrogen fuel vehicles? The reporter of China Times conducted an in-depth interview with the relevant person in charge of Yihuatong.

No pollution and carbon emissions

The working principle of hydrogen fuel cell is the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, the output is water, electricity, heat, the whole process is free of pollutants and carbon emissions, and it is one of the important application methods for practicing the energy revolution and achieving the goal of double carbon in the transportation field.

Even compared with other new energy sources, hydrogen energy also has certain advantages, such as long endurance and superior low temperature performance. Hydrogen fuel cell is actually a set of power generation devices, under the premise of hydrogen, sustainable operation, such as the group car used in this Winter Olympics, the mileage of a single hydrogenation is about 500 kilometers. And the hydrogenation time is 10-15 minutes, compared with lithium batteries, it can greatly save fuel filling time. In addition, compared with the power attenuation of lithium batteries in low temperature and ultra-low temperature environment, hydrogen fuel cells have superior low temperature performance, which can achieve -30 °C low temperature start, -40 °C low temperature storage, and the power attenuation problem can be effectively solved.

Yu Min, deputy general manager of Yihuatong, told the "China Times" reporter: "In the context of carbon neutrality, the long-term development of new energy is the core path and means to achieve carbon emission reduction, hydrogen as a secondary energy, such as wind energy, photovoltaic and other renewable energy generation + electrolysis of water to hydrogen, can ensure that the hydrogen used in fuel cell vehicles is clean and pollution-free from the source, is the best way to achieve low-carbon environmental protection, zero carbon electricity + hydrogen energy, is also the only way to optimize the energy structure." ”

The hydrogen energy vehicle models serving the Winter Olympics cover buses, group cars and other models, Yihuatong hydrogen fuel cell bus single refueling mileage is about 300 kilometers, group car single refueling mileage is about 500 kilometers, a single refueling can ensure the normal operation of the vehicle for one day.

According to Yu Min, the single refueling mileage of hydrogen fuel cell buses is about 300 kilometers, and the mileage of tourist buses is about 500 kilometers.

Low temperature start-up of -30°C can be achieved

Hydrogen energy applications also face some challenges and challenges. Extremely cold weather may occur during the Winter Olympics, and there are 16% of mountain driving scenes, which is a test for the low temperature tolerance and safety of fuel cells.

Started and stored in a low temperature environment, hydrogen fuel cells have natural advantages, which can achieve -30 °C low temperature start, -40 °C low temperature storage. In view of the Winter Olympic environment, Yihuatong's technical team has overcome fuel cell stack cold start, high-performance electric drive and energy comprehensive management, fuel cell waste heat recovery and other technologies, in the Winter Olympic environment, fuel cell vehicle heating does not need to consume additional hydrogen, increasing the mileage of fuel cell vehicles. The technology is suitable for fuel cell engines of more than 60kW, which can ensure that the temperature of the fuel cell stack in the low temperature environment is quickly stabilized in the range of 80-90 ° C, and ensures that the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle starts and drives normally in the extremely cold environment.

"In view of the 16% mountain driving scenario of the Winter Olympic Games, the company's R&D team has established a high-power density low-cost fuel cell design, manufacturing and integration technology system, and proposed a low-cost domestic membrane electrode preparation and runner design method based on the roll-to-roll process, which greatly improves the current density of the stack." The design method based on the flexible expanding graphite bipolar plate is proposed, and the continuous graphite phase of the expanded graphite is used to greatly reduce the thickness of the fuel cell monomer, which improves the volume power density of the stack, thereby greatly improving the core parameter performance of the fuel cell engine rated power, mass power density, volume power density, etc., and at the same time matching the design and development of the fuel cell vehicle, so that the vehicle equipped with the vehicle has enough power to drive normally in the mountainous and steep slope terrain environment. Yu Min introduced the technological innovation of Yihuatong hydrogen fuel cell engine to reporters in detail.

The safety of fuel cells is of paramount importance, and the hydrogen system of Yihuatong hydrogen fuel cell vehicles follows the design principles of no leakage, timely stop after detection of leakage, and no accumulation after leakage in terms of safety and security.

100 km can reduce carbon by 94.8kg

The emission reduction effect of hydrogen vehicles is very impressive. Taking the bus as an example, its fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is 35L, and its carbon emissions for 100 kilometers are 94.8kg. If a fuel cell bus is used for replacement, the value of carbon dioxide emissions per 100 kilometers per vehicle is 94.8kg.

This has important demonstration significance for promoting the "double carbon" goal and promoting the application of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Yu Min believes that based on the several major advantages of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, it will usher in a broader market space after the Winter Olympics. First, the hydrogen fuel cell engine reaction process products are only electricity, water and heat, known as the ultimate solution of new energy vehicles; the second is the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle energy conversion efficiency, specific power, low temperature performance parameters are excellent, as a new type of transportation, there are many advantages, compared with traditional cars, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle energy conversion efficiency can reach more than 65%, for the internal combustion engine 2-3 times; hydrogen fuel cell engine working temperature below 85 ° C, compared to the traditional fuel engine working temperature is lower, can reduce engine losses Third, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have high power, suitable for medium and long-distance, medium and heavy-duty operation scenarios, and can give full play to their own advantages in the field of commercial vehicles, which can effectively complement pure electric vehicles and jointly promote the healthy and rapid development of new energy vehicles in the mainland.

The Winter Olympics is the world's largest demonstration operation of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to date. In this sports event with global influence, the large-scale demonstration operation of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can make the concept of the Green Olympics deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, set an example for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will usher in a broader space for development.

Editor-in-Charge: Zhang Bei Editor-in-Chief: Zhang Yuning