The Green Team is an international and multidisciplinary student team at the University of Twente dedicated to building a fuel-efficient hydrogen car. H2∞ (H2-Infinity) is already the 6th generation of a hydrogen-powered car developed at the UT and, in a few short weeks, it will compete in the Shell Eco Marathon, the biggest eco race in Europe.
World class result
This time the Green Team had a different focus than in previous years. ‘Our goal was not only making the car lighter and more efficient, but mainly making it more reliable,’ said a Green Team member Bram ter Huurne during today’s presentation. ‘In previous years, the focus was on efficiency, but the car wasn’t always reliable, and so it didn’t score as well in the race as it could. This year, however, we aim to achieve a world class result in the Urban-Concept class.’
Everything controlled from the steering wheel
Reliability was such a strong focus of the team that they have created a backup version for each and every component in the car. And that isn’t the only change the team has made. Unlike its predecessor H2.Zero, the new hydrogen car H2∞ includes an improved fuel cell, which is the heart of the car that generates electricity using hydrogen. The team has also added a gearbox, which offers an optimal efficiency up to 99.1% and makes acceleration of the car much more efficient.
Another new addition to the vehicle is a clutch, thanks to which the car will only have friction from the road when going downhill. Moreover, the clutch can be controlled with a simple push of a button. That’s right. H2∞ is equipped with Formula 1 inspired steering wheel, which gives the driver a complete control over the entire car. The gas, the brake, the clutch and the lights can all be controlled directly from the steering wheel.
As good as a Formula 1
That is not all. ‘In the car there is a CAN-bus, which collects data about all components in the car and allows the components to communicate with each other,’ explained one of the team’s engineers Emiel Haven. ‘This year we worked on a CAN-ota that bundles the data and presents it in real-time. This allows us to see what the car is doing at any given moment while it is actually driving. We are even able to send commands to the car from a laptop. We are certain that our car is at least as good as a Formula 1 car.’
Shell Eco Marathon
As every year, the Green Team will participate in the Urban-Concept class of the Shell Eco Marathon, alongside more than other 200 student teams. The 2017 edition of this large international event is held at the end of May in London. In order to win this competition, the UT team needs to travel the furthest on the equivalent of one liter of fuel.
Last year, the Green Team ended up in the third place with the result of roughly 900 km/L. This year, the team is even more ambitious. Their goal is to drive as close as possible to 1000 km/L and of course to secure one of the top three spots.
Take a closer look at H2∞ and the Green Team in the video below.
