Honda's Hydrogen Refueling Station Prototype
Honda Begins Operation of New Solar Hydrogen Station
Los Angeles-based Station to Re-fuel Honda Fuel Cell Electric
Vehicle
TORRANCE, Calif, U.S.A., January 27, 2010 - Honda began operation of
a next generation solar hydrogen station prototype at the Los
Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., intended for ultimate
use as a home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refill of
fuel cell electric vehicles.
Honda's Next Generation Solar Hydrogen Station Prototype
Designed as a single, integrated unit to fit in the user's garage,
Honda's next generation Solar Hydrogen Station reduces the size of
the system, while producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an 8-hour
overnight fill for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a
fuel cell electric vehicle.
The previous solar hydrogen station system required both an
electrolyzer and a separate compressor unit to create high pressure
hydrogen. The compressor was the largest and most expensive
component and reduced system efficiency. By creating a new high
differential pressure electrolyzer, Honda engineers were able to
eliminate the compressor entirely - a world's first for a home use
system. This innovation also reduces the size of other key
components to make the new station the world's most compact system,
while improving system efficiency by more than 25% (value calculated
based on simulations) compared to the solar hydrogen station system
it replaces.
Compatible with a "Smart Grid" energy system, the Honda Solar
Hydrogen Station would enable users to refill their vehicle
overnight without the requirement of hydrogen storage, which would
lower CO2 emissions by using less expensive off-peak electrical
power. During daytime peak power times, the Solar Hydrogen Station
can export renewable electricity to the grid, providing a cost
benefit to the customer, while remaining energy neutral.
Designed for simple, user-friendly operation, the intuitive system
layout enables the user to easily lift and remove the fuel hose,
with no hose coiling when the hose is returned to the dispenser
unit.
Engineered for an 8-hour, slow fill for overnight refilling of a
fuel cell electric vehicle, the home-use Solar Hydrogen Station
would replenish the hydrogen for a typical daily driving, meeting
the commuting requirements of many drivers. As with the previous
generation system, the hydrogen purity from the new station meets
the highest SAE (J2719) and ISO (14687) specifications.
Installed at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, the new
Solar Hydrogen Station will employ the same 48-panel, 6.0kW solar
array that powered the previous system. The array utilizes thin film
solar cells composed of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS)
produced by Honda Soltec Co., Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Honda that was established for the mass production and sales of
solar cells capable of efficient renewable electricity generation.
Honda's unique solar cells reduce the amount of CO2 generated during
production as compared to conventional solar cells.
Designed to support the needs of the future owners of fuel cell
electric vehicles, the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station was also
designed to complement a public network of fast fill hydrogen
stations. The Honda FCX Clarity electric vehicle is fast fill
capable and offers an EPA-estimated driving range of 240 miles. With
fast fill public stations providing 5-minute fueling time for longer
trips, and the opportunity of convenient nighttime slow filling at
home using a solar station with a Smart Grid connection, the Honda
FCX Clarity can cover a wide range of driving demands from the daily
commute to weekend trips.
A key strategy in creating a solar hydrogen station for home-use was
to create a new lifestyle with convenient, clean, energy-efficient
and sustainable home refueling, by addressing the need for refueling
infrastructure that can advance the wider use of fuel cell electric
vehicles by consumers.
The combination of a fuel cell electric vehicle and the solar
hydrogen station could help lead to the establishment of a hydrogen
society based on renewable energy, resulting in a major reduction of
CO2 emissions and greater energy sustainability.
Honda began operation of its first Solar Hydrogen Station at the Los
Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas in 2001:
July 2001: 3-unit system with hydrogen storage begins operation.
• October 2003: new 2-unit system with an original Honda
electrolyzer and a new solar array utilizing prototype Honda CIGS
solar cells offers improved system efficiency.
• August 2008: solar array fitted with mass production CIGS cells
from Honda Soltec Co., reducing the size of the array by 20% and
further improving photo voltaic (PV) energy efficiency.
• January 2010: new single-unit station begins operation, improving
to world's best system efficiency - increasing the efficiency by
more than 25% (value calculated based on simulations) compared to
the previous solar hydrogen station system, for a world's highest
system efficiency.