ARGONNE, Ill., March 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Independent tests
conducted by engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne
National Laboratory on a BMW Hydrogen 7 Mono-Fuel demonstration vehicle
have found that the car's hydrogen-powered engine surpasses the super-ultra
low-emission vehicle (SULEV) level, the most stringent emissions
performance standard to date.
"The BMW Hydrogen 7's emissions were only a fraction of SULEV level,
making it one of the lowest emitting combustion engine vehicles that have
been manufactured," said Thomas Wallner, a mechanical engineer who leads
Argonne's hydrogen vehicle testing activities. "Moreover, the car's engine
actively cleans the air. Argonne's testing shows that the Hydrogen 7's
12-cylinder engine actually shows emissions levels that, for certain
components, are cleaner than the ambient air that comes into the car's
engine."
It was not an easy task to measure the Hydrogen 7's emissions. "A gross
polluter is easy to measure, but the cleaner the car the harder it is to
test," said Don Hillebrand, director of Argonne's Center for Transportation
Research. "Most labs test at the SULEV level. Argonne's vehicle testing
facilities are unique in that they are able to detect even trace levels of
emissions. In this case, it was near-zero emissions."
After an extensive evaluation by BMW, "Argonne's Advanced Powertrain
Research Facility was found to be the only public test facility in North
America capable of testing hydrogen vehicles at these low emissions
levels," said BMW's Wolfgang Thiel, manager, operating support emissions
analysis. "Zero is a very small precise number -- we are pushing the
boundaries of emissions testing."
Technical and program information about the Hydrogen 7 tests will be
presented by Wallner and BMW North America's Jason P. Perron Wednesday,
April 2 during the National Hydrogen Association Annual Hydrogen
Conference, March 30-April 3, in Sacramento, Calif. Argonne will join BMW's
Christoph Huss, senior vice president, science, traffic and vehicles
regulations, in a press conference to present the test results during the
Society of Automotive Engineers 2008 World Congress, April 14-17, in
Detroit.
BMW has put the hydrogen model into limited series production. Although
the vehicle is not yet available for sale to the general public, it is
being made available to "influential public figures," whose use demonstrate
a new era in clean energy, BMW has said. In the meantime, the greatest
challenge to widespread use of hydrogen cars is the limited number of
hydrogen refueling stations.
Argonne has conducted cutting-edge transportation research for more
than 30 years and employs a multidisciplinary staff of engineers and
scientists involved in engine, battery, fuel cell, vehicle systems and
applied materials research.
Argonne's transportation research program and facilities are primarily
funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which
supports the development of vehicle technologies and alternative fuels to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil, and enables
the U.S. transportation industry to sustain a strong, competitive position
in domestic and world markets.
About Argonne
Argonne National Laboratory brings the world's brightest scientists and
engineers together to find exciting and creative new solutions to pressing
national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national
laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific
research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work
closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities and
federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific
problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation
for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is
managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
SOURCE Argonne National Laboratory
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Related links:
http://www.anl.gov
CONTACT:
Angela Hardin of Argonne National Laboratory,
+1-630-252-5501, ahardin@anl.gov
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