THE BIG PICTURE
Campus fuels energy study
Hydrogen-fuelled vehicles can be topped up at university research forecourt
Motorists driving hydrogenfuelled
vehicles are in luck if
they want to fill up — but only if
they are driving in the West
Midlands.
Birmingham University has
launched what is now the only
hydrogen gas filling station in
England at its Edgbaston
campus.
The Air Products Series 100
fuelling station was installed at
the university’s department of
chemical engineering so
researchers could study the
viability of hydrogen-fuelled
transport as part of
Birmingham’s Science City
hydrogen energy project.
The engineers will compare
6
FutuRe
of automotive technology
five hydrogen-powered vehicles
against a selection of petrol,
diesel and all-electric vehicles to
rate their efficiency and
performance.
The results will inform future
vehicle design and hydrogen
economy infrastructure.
The university has bought
five hydrogen-powered vehicles
from Coventry-based Microcab
Industries, which manufactures
small, urban vehicles with zero
emissions that are suitable for
use as a taxi or light freight
carrier.
The aim of the project is to
encourage the public sector to
consider using hydrogenpowered
vehicles, which will
then support companies in the
supply chain that are starting to
commercialise their hydrogen
technology.
Air Products’s fueller
comprises an integrated
compression, hydrogen storage
and dispensing system and is
optimised to fuel up to six
vehicles a day.
The hydrogen is provided by
Basingstoke-based Green
Gases, whose compressed
gases for scientific and
industrial applications are made
using only renewable energy.
Lead investigator Prof Kevin
Kendall said: ‘We are delighted
to be the home of England’s
only hydrogen gas filling station.
‘It is absolutely necessary
that we have the means to refuel
our fleet of hydrogen-powered
cars so that we can carry out
our research project into the
feasibility of hydrogen in a
transport context.’
Birmingham University’s
study forms part of research
carried out in collaboration with
Warwick University and is
funded by regional development
agency Advantage West
Midlands. It aims to develop the
use of hydrogen energy as a
green fuel.
The Birmingham Science City
initiative is designed to develop
and use science and technology
to benefit the region.
the EnGIneeR 21 APRIL–4 MAY 2008
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