Yangtze River Daily Wuhan Client March 1 (reporter Hao Tianjiao) in the Wuhan Economic Development Zone, equipped with Wuhan Zhongyu Power System Technology Co., Ltd. independently developed hydrogen fuel cell system bus, every day on the road.
Vehicle fuel cell system developed by Zhongyu. Photo by reporter Li Yonggang
The Yangtze River Daily reporter visited the company on February 28 and learned that so far the company has applied for 177 patents and authorized 106 patents, of which 20 are internationally leading core patents or proprietary technologies, becoming one of the few enterprises in China that have mastered the key core technologies of hydrogen fuel cells.
It is reported that hydrogen is stored in hydrogen storage tanks on the roof of the car. When driving, hydrogen is in the fuel cell, and through the action of a catalyst, it chemically reacts with oxygen in the air to produce electrical energy.
The core component of the fuel cell system is the stack. Photo by reporter Li Yonggang
Chen Tong, head of the Zhongyu Power brand, said: "At present, hydrogen fuel buses generally have a mileage of about 500 kilometers, and it takes only ten minutes to add hydrogen once, which is similar to that of fuel buses, but it is greener, more environmentally friendly and more efficient. ”
The leap from fuel vehicles to hydrogen energy vehicles is not simply from "burning oil" to "burning hydrogen", behind which is the exploration and application of a series of the latest technologies such as the core technology of hydrogen fuel cells, core components, hydrogen production, storage and transportation.
In a fuel cell system, the core and most critical is the stack, which is the place where hydrogen and oxygen undergo electrochemical reactions, just like the cylinders in traditional engines. However, 11 years ago, there was not enough mature research and development technology in China, and enterprises relied on imports for many years, with high costs, which became one of the bottlenecks hindering the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cells.
In 2011, Dr. Li Xiao, the founder and general manager of Zhongyu Power, graduated, left from overseas well-known fuel cell companies and returned to Wuhan, where he and several friends pooled money to establish Zhongyu Power in a 40-square-meter office in Wuhan. At the end of 2012, the team broke through the fuel cell stack technology and reached the international leading level in performance and life.
After more than 10 years of development, Zhongyu Power has now become a fuel cell expert in the industry and is at the forefront of China. "Whether it is the core components of the stack, or the design and development of the stack, we have mastered the core technology, and some of the technologies are at the international leading level." Chen Tong said.
"With the technology in hand, the road to hydrogen energy is only halfway through. Without the support of application scenarios, there is no scale, and it is difficult to deal with low-cost competition. Chen Tong said. While overcoming the key technologies of fuel cell stacks and core components, Zhongyu is also continuing to promote the industrialization of hydrogen fuel cells and expand the application scenarios of hydrogen fuel cells.
Small air-cooled series stacks. Photo by reporter Li Yonggang
Chen Tong said that with the national and local governments paying more and more attention to hydrogen energy, relevant policies and regulations, supporting facilities continue to improve, China's hydrogen energy industry will become stronger and stronger, the use of hydrogen fuel cell systems of transportation, such as commercial vehicles, passenger cars, marine, etc. is likely to be the next track to achieve "curve overtaking".
"We will continue to tackle the key technologies of hydrogen fuel cell stacks and core components, and at the same time strengthen cooperation with relevant enterprises and institutions in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, build a hydrogen energy ecosystem in Zhongyu, jointly promote the autonomy, marketization and scale of the fuel cell industry, share the experience of hydrogen energy industry development, and jointly seek a blueprint for hydrogen energy industry cooperation." Chen Tong said.