My Oppinions on the Future Car:


The future vehicles will have to meet several criteria:
  1. Maintain the present vehicle range
  2. Maintain the present vehicle life-span
  3. Maintain the present vehicle reliability
  4. Maintain the present driver-vehicle interface
  5. Maintain the present luxery status
  6. Do these things without using fossil fuels
  7. Do these things while still being fuel-able by the owner/operator of the vehicle

In my opinion, this is all acheivable through fuel-cell technology. Hydrogen is compressable enough to allow for an energy-density able to compete with present fuels (gasoline and diesel). The H2 tank in the vehicle could be located in the same location presently used for fuel tanks, just that it would be comprised of several cylenders, layed in place horozontally, and wrapped in an outer protective metal case (similar in surface aperance to todays fuel tanks). The fuel filler would be re-disigned to incorporate a gas-type connector (similar in basic concept to a compressed air hose hookup), but with an added safety step, in the form of two cams on either side of the male end (the fuel pump end). They would be insertable into the filler in only one position, and would have to be rotated ninety degrees to 'lock' into place. The locking action would prevent acidental removeal of the filler, and also open an internal valve in the female receiving end, allowing for the flow of pressurized hydrogen. This way high-pressure H2 can be safely despensed into the vehicle. It would be bought by the LB (pound) in the US, and by the KG elsewhere, a mass designation, that will remain the same no matter the pressure and resulting density. The fuel pumps would have to calculate this, and be registered and regulated.

The fundamentals of the vehicle will be altered for an electric drive. This does not mean that it would (or should) simply resemble present electric vehicle designs. Since the fuel cell differs greatly from battery tech, and does not have the same advantages or disadvantages as such. The vehicle could easily use present all-wheel-drive tehcnology, that uses three open differentials, and a per-wheel brake control to take power away from wheels that are slipping, forcing it to go to the gripping wheels. The electric motor would be of a rather decent size, not some scaled down smaller version of some other motor design. And not a total radicaly new electric motor concept. It will be nothing more complicated than a three phase AC motor. More on that later. The electric motor would be mounted forward of a mid-mounted automatic transmission (much like rear-wheel drive vehicles today). The automatic transmission would need more gears though, due to the nature of an electric motor. An electric motor, primarily, is a tourque device. It produces horsepower, true, but first and foremost, it is most efficient at just generating raw turning power. That is, it takes less watts to get more tourque, than it does to get more horsepower, from an electric motor. This means, the motor's best operating RPMs, are -low-. So low in fact, that no gear-down system need be implemented. 'First gear' would simply be direct drive, straight from the electric motor to the wheels. All the other gears (of which, there should be somewhere from 12 to 18), are technically 'overdrive' gears. Where the motor spins slower than the driveshaft. The higher torque of the electric motor allows for it to maintain speed easily at higher speeds (70mph, etc), while still maintaining an effeciant use of electricity. That is, you're burning as close to the actual number of watts the vehicle needs to maintain speed, as possible.

On the transmission, it would have to be some form of automatic, that presents the driver with the same automatic drive shifter that we are all familiar with. Park, reverse, neutral, drive, and 'low'. Park could be achieved by a mechanically locking brake inside the transmissim, that requires no power to remain locked. Reverse could be achieved by simply putting the car in first gear, and letting the electric frequency drive run the motor in reverse. Neutral would just be for towing, and would disengage all connecting means in the transmission, allowing for total free-wheel. There would be no need for an additional 'overdrive' to the drive position, since all but first gear are technically overdrive. The 'low' would be maintained just to force the vehicle into that first gear, not allowing it to leave it. The only such purpose would be extream towing, or other cases, where you do not want to trade the torque the motor is producing for horse power, and just want to use the torque outright.

On the matter of this frequency drive I have mentioned. For those not familiar with such a device, let me do some explaining. For those who already understand, skip this paragraph. Firstly, frequency drives are in use in industry, and some comercial aplications. They are designed to drive a three phase AC motor, by generating the phases themselves, at a pre-determined Hz. This means, they could drive a three phase AC motor designed to run at 1,000rpm at 60hz, and run it at 500rpm instead, by generating a three phase AC sinewave of only 30hz. They do this by taking three-phase AC in, and rectifying it over six silicone diodes, into a DC intermediate bus. Then, off of the DC intermediate bus, they incorporate six HPET transistors, that are switched on and off rapidly (often on a clock pulse of about 2khz), to construct a sinewave. They construct the traditional three AC sinewaves, 120 degrees out of phase with each other, to give the standard three phase power. In this vehicle, there is no need for the recification on the intake side of the drive, since the fuel-cells already produce DC. The only thing is that the DC must be of a sufficient voltage to drive the motor at its max rating (be that 208 between phases, 480 between phases, or 600 between phases).

Layout in the vehicle continues, placing the electric motor in the middle of the engine compartment, shaft facing front-to-back, to drive the mid-mounted transmission. This leaves room on the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle, on either side of the electric motor. One whole side would be devoted to fuel-cells, a whole rack of them. The backside of which would be covered with a water-cooled system, not too far removed from the present water cooling system in cars today. The water-pump would be 48VDC electric, but the radiator would remain very similar to todays models. The other side would be split between the frequency drive (with water-cooling on the back for the HPETs as well), and additional fuel-cells, also utilizing the water cooling.

Many of the vehicle systems would be very similar to todays, and just as modular. If a vehicle had design for a nav-system, a DVD player, whatever kind of audio... That could all remain. Power windows, if equiped. Rear defrost, windshield wipers, etc. The A/C would work of a 48VDC powered electric compressor, but the condenser, and evaporator, would be much like present tech. The power steering, also a 48VDC electric motor. On the freqency drive side of the engine compartment, the fuel cells on that side. They would be larger than the ones on the other side, able to handle a larger amperage draw. They would comprise the first 14VDC of the supply, and the first 48VDC of the supply to the vehicle. Those two voltages being the primary ones for driving sub-systems. Including all of those standard things today, like headlights. Those would remain unchanged, and would still run on 12-14VDC just like today. Same with that radio, and interior lights, break lights, etc. Only the special purpose DC motors, like the A/C compressor, water pump, and power steering pump, would run the 48VDC. Heat in the vehicle would be provided by a conventional heater core in the coolant system. But with some electric (again, 48VDC) heat-strips for 'emergency heat'.

The 'key' to the vehicle, could easily be the present cutting-edge of bluetooth 2.0. Though there would be no need for a 'start' button. Proximity of key (which uses an actual key-based digital authentication), would unlock the doors. Then just pressing the break and shifting into drive or reverse, puts the car in drive mode. Reverse, again, just being first gear, with the frequency drive running the motor in reverse. Also worth noting, the car would have a standard parking break, in addition to the break in the transmission activated by putting the car in park. Also worth noting, that the power breaks would be assisted by an electric hydraulic pump, instead of a vaccuum based assistance. The breaks, in all ways except this one, would be like a standard vehicle. With the all-wheel-drive and antilock break computer having the ability to independantly break each wheel if it detects slippage.

On the matter of the vehicles computer. It would be comprised of many smaller 'computers'. Much like todays vehicle computer tech. This would mean, that each system would be designed to operate autonomously. Each system vetted and tested to all practical degrees to ensure safety. That means the all-wheel-drive computer would be seperate from the computer that drives the frequency drive. And the frequency drive computer would be able to take inputs from other vehicle computers, but would be the only computer in the vehicle with control of the electric motor. So on and so-forth, each system working independent of the others, and only sharing information when absolutely necisary. The power steering would, for example, still be a totally mechanical autonomous system, that would work in a mechancial means to assist steering with hydraulic pressure. The only electrical part of that system, would be the electric motor driving the hydraulic pump. There is no need to add additional complexity to many of these systems, they work fine as is, and would just need to have their power source changed to an electric motor, instead of being driven by a belt-train.

On another note, the fuel-cells and freqency drive would have a very special second purpose in the vehicle. Located close to the freqency drive under the hood, would be an over-ride switch, and a 50-amp 220v with neutral receptical. The over-ride switch would take the frequency drive out of its 'drive mode' and put it into a locked 110v times two, two phase house power mode. In which it would only use four of its HPET transistors. Generating standard house power (two phases, 180 degrees out of phase with each other, each with 110v to ground, and 220v between them). The over-ride switch, in its over-ride mode would also serve as a two pole 50amp over-current protection for the frequency drive and fuel-cells. This would allow, (with proper installation of a transfer switch in the home), for the car to -be- a 50-amp capable backup-generator for a home, for when the power is lost. It could be to the extent that a home is wired to automatically accept this power, and a cord is kept coiled in the garage, or where it could reach to the parked vehicle. And as soon as its plugged into an external source, it energizes the electricly held transfer switch, to hold power from the vehicle for as long as its applied. It would not be enough to power a whole home in its entirety, but it could provide lights and heat for most middle-class homes. The car computer could be programmed to handle the over-ride mode, and to shut the freqency drive down when the H2 level dips too low to drive the car more than a few miles.

Also, water vapor, the only by-product of the fuel-cell reaction, could be easily collected. Either heated further (by means of an electric element, or a heater-core type), or chilled (by the same compressor as the A/C), and fed through a potable water carbon filter (think Brita, or Pur here). This means, yes, you could have a coffee maker in your car. Or, your own bottled water source (litterally as crisp and clean as any of that fancy bottled water). The coffee maker could even be made into an 'automatic' kind, that takes beans, and despenses to a specially designed locking-cup. That locks into the 'machine', and has a heating element in the cup. So the coffee is kept hot, even while its being despensed. Make sure that any design for said travel mugs though, is CHEAP. So that after-market cups (with custom logos, designs, etc) are easy to purchase. Heck, some smart company would even come up with a double-cup coffee machine in your car.

These two last big points, make up two of the major ways that a fuel-cell vehicle could provide some interesting pro things to the market. The only big con, would be there would have to be a hydrogen architecture. This is where many people find the hangup with fuel-cell technology. They say that most hydrogen today comes from fossil fuels (namely natural gas). And that electrolosis is not efficient enough. Well... there have been some recent developments in the area of electrolosis. A new plate technology has been developed, that incorporates nano-tech (in the form of chemical processing) to dramatically increase the surface area of the plate. This technology also dramatically reduces the erosion-rate for the plates. In my opinion, this makes electrolosis viable again. All you need is a large source of DC power, and water. And bingo, you get H2 and O2. Free the O2, compress the H2, and you have your fuel supply. This would allow for a de-centralization of the fuel dilivery system. Unlike now, where all fuel comes from a limited number of refineries, and has to travel by long pipe-line or tanker to both get to the refinery, and to the tank in the ground at the fuel station. Electrolisis, powered by solar (and other means), could provide the power to fill H2 tanks at the station, tanks filled by their own compressors. Some could be tanked over-the-road. But there would no longer be the need for over-land pipelines, or large oil tankers in our oceans. Each and every filling station does have one interesting thing in common... They all have a canopy, over the pumps. Using that, and the roof-space of the station itself, there is a large potential for electricity production with solar panels. Would it be enough to produce all the H2 pumped out of the station?? More than likely not, unless its just a small backwater station. This would constitute a larger drain on the power grid by fuel stations. But keep in mind, the partial mitigation of that, by the addition of solar panels. This also means that the fuel price would be driven by both the local power cost, -and- what time of year it is, which would govern how much sunlight the panels would receive. So, a higher fuel cost in winter, but lower in the summer.

This concludes my mostly opinion piece on the car of the future. Note: Though I have done much research for my formed opinions, I lack a lot of reference material. As time goes on, I will add links to this document, in addition to some raw numbers, once calculated. I am primarily throwing this out there, to see what kind of interest, and input, I can garnish from other individuals interested in the topic.


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And yes, for those of you interested in such things, I did write this blog file from scratch, HTML 1.0, Something I have done as a hobby since I was 10 years old.