Daimler Trucks launches intensive tests of fuel cell truck
The tests will focus on continuous operation in different weather and road conditions as well as various driving manoeuvres. Customer trials are scheduled to begin in 2023, with the first production GenH2 Truck vehicles going to customers from 2027.
“The hydrogen-based fuel cell drive will be indispensable in the CO2-neutral long-distance truck transport of the future – this is also confirmed by our partners, with whom we are working to bring the technology onto the road in series production,” says Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck.
The truck manufacturer’s development engineers are designing the GenH2 truck to meet the same durability requirements for vehicle and components as a comparable conventional truck. This means 1.2 million kilometres of mileage, ten years of operation and a total of 25,000 operating hours. Therefore, the GenH2 truck has to pass demanding tests. For example, in the first few weeks of testing alone, the vehicle has already covered hundreds of kilometres under continuous load on the roller dynamometer and has undergone numerous extreme situations from real-life operation, such as full braking and driving over kerbs on the test track.
The GenH2 truck is a completely new vehicle with new components. These include the fuel cell system, the all-electric powertrain and all associated systems such as the special cooling system. The individual weight of the new components and their respective position in the vehicle also have an impact on the driving characteristics of the truck. This means, for example, that in the case of vibrations caused by road irregularities and especially in extreme situations, different forces act on the truck than in conventional vehicles. In order to gain comprehensive knowledge at an early stage, the current prototype is already being loaded with up to 25 tonnes of payload for a total weight of around 40 tonnes as part of the tests.
Daimler Trucks prefers liquid hydrogen because the energy carrier in this aggregate state has a significantly higher energy density in relation to the volume in contrast to gaseous hydrogen. As a result, a fuel cell truck fuelled with liquid hydrogen gets by with much smaller and, due to the lower pressure, considerably lighter tanks. This allows for a larger cargo space and a higher payload weight of the trucks. At the same time, more hydrogen can be refuelled, which significantly increases the range. Thus, like corresponding conventional diesel trucks, the future series GenH2 truck is suitable for long-haul transports that are difficult to plan and last several days, where the daily energy throughput is high.
Daimler Truck is pushing ahead with the development of liquid hydrogen tank technologies on the basis of a predefined development plan. The engineers plan to reach the appropriate maturity level of new tank system prototypes by the end of the year in order to continue the ongoing demanding tests of the GenH2 Truck with them. Until the vehicle is ready for series production, it will then be tested exclusively with liquid hydrogen tank systems. For the intensive tests of the GenH2 Truck taking place until then, a tank system with gaseous hydrogen will be used as an interim solution. Daimler Trucks is thus demonstrating that both variants – gaseous and liquid – are technically feasible.
https://www.daimler-truck.com/en/
Related articles:
Bosch expands fuel cell activities in China
Hydrogen aims for cost parity with oil
Helsinki converts its heavy-duty vehicles to electric
“Fuel cells gain traction especially in commercial vehicles”
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
