Recently, Toyota entered a hydrogen-powered GR Corolla within the 24-hour race at Fuji. But it wasn’t powered by a hydrogen gas cell such as you see in the Toyota Mirai that makes use of hydrogen to generate the electrical energy that really powers the automobile. Instead, it used a liquid hydrogen combustion engine. In concept, it offers you the sound and driving traits that fanatics love about inner combustion engine vehicles however doesn’t launch any dangerous emissions.
So a liquid hydrogen combustion engine is mainly one of the best of each worlds, proper? All Toyota must do is spend a number of extra years perfecting the expertise, and the racing world can be saved from the scourge of electrical vehicles which are too heavy and too quiet. Then, after constructing out the hydrogen fueling infrastructure, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than passenger vehicles are additionally free of their want for giant, heavy, costly batteries. Take that, Tesla!
Not essentially. Barring some main and sure miraculous technological breakthroughs, it’s unlikely that liquid hydrogen combustion engines will ever take over racing, a lot much less find yourself on the streets promoting like Camrys and Corollas. And that’s not merely the opinion of some fool Jalopnik author. It’s additionally the opinion of the web’s favourite automobile nerd, Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained fame.
Engineering Explained’s newest video takes a deep dive into the mathematics and science behind Toyota’s liquid hydrogen combustion engine and (spoiler alert!) involves the conclusion that it’s extra of a enjoyable engineering train than one thing that may go mainstream any time quickly, even within the racing world. For instance, as a result of how chilly liquid hydrogen is, engineering a sturdy gas pump is extremely tough. In reality, through the Fuji race, Toyota’s workforce needed to change the gas pump twice, and every change took about three and a half hours.
Even if you happen to’re not a racing skilled, you may most likely perceive that spending seven hours of a 24-hour race changing elements is lower than best, and if each workforce had to do this, it will make for a a lot much less attention-grabbing race. But that’s a giant drawback, it’s additionally not the one purpose to be skeptical of liquid hydrogen combustion engines in racing. For that, you’re going to have to observe the video beneath if you wish to discover out.
Source: jalopnik.com