Hydrogen Newsletter Winter 1998: Hydrogen Buses

A First Person Account
Chicago’s Fuel Cell Buses Mobilized

By Beth Cole, National Hydrogen Association

The hydrogen community has eagerly awaited the unveiling of the coordinated efforts of the Chicago [Illinois, U.S.A.] Transit Authority (CTA), Ballard Power Systems, and Air Products and Chemicals on the hydrogen bus project in Chicago. In early December 1997, the CTA graciously responded to my interest in their project by granting me a tour of their facilities and the chance to speak with Craig Lang, the Vice President of Materials and Information Management.

Lang told me about the history of the Chicago Transit Authority’s decision to implement the hydrogen bus project. In the CTA’s search to make its contribution to promoting the use of alternative fuels, it became involved with the National Clean Cities Program. Through this program, CTA staff were exposed to different types of renewable energy and alternative fuel technologies, including the use of hydrogen as a fuel with the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell in a mobile application.

CTA chose to work with Ballard Power Systems, a Canadian company partially owned by Daimler-Benz, which is in the forefront in PEM fuel cell technology. Ballard has been contracted to provide the bus, while Air Products and Chemicals is providing the fuel and the refueling station.

CTA has received much support for the hydrogen bus project. “Agencies have been anxious to work with us and promote the technology,” said Lang. Funding for the US$9.6 million dollar project has come from the Federal Transit Administration and the Regional Transportation Authority. Lang said he was “extremely excited about the technology, as is the company as a whole.” He noted that the CTA Board of Directors has been very supportive.

White puffs of water vapor emanating from the tail pipe attest to the truth of the banner on the hood of this public bus, one of three in Chicago, Illinois, powered by fuel cells running on hydrogen gas. The PEM fuel cells were provided by Ballard Power Systems. Air Products & Chemicals supplies the liquid hydrogen, which is converted to gas for bus use. The pilot program began in December [1997] at the Chicago Transit Authority, which will receive royalties for every bus sold by Ballard, up to US$4 million.

The biggest barrier that the hydrogen fuel cell technology must overcome is cost, Lang said. From the consumer’s point of view, the cost to produce, fuel, and operate the vehicles must come down significantly to be commercially viable and competitive with the diesel engines. One area in which they anticipate lower cost is maintenance. The fuel cell stacks do not have moving parts, as they are piston- and cylinder-free. Thus, maintenance needs should be less than those for the diesel engines.

Another comparison that must be made is the demonstrated 46% fuel efficiency of the hydrogen bus compared to the diesel engine’s 20%. As demand and use of the technology grows and manufacturing can be automated, cost should lower. CTA will reap the rewards of its faith through the royalties that it will be receiving: US$1,000 for every bus sold, up to US$4 million.

But monetary costs aren’t the only consideration; there are also the costs to the environment. In this arena, the costs of using diesel engines are far greater than those of the hydrogen fuel cell engine. Not only are the water vapor emissions of a hydrogen bus cleaner than black puffs of smoke that are the signature of a diesel bus, but the hydrogen bus contributes to a reduction in noise pollution. The fuel cell engines are significantly quieter than the diesel engines that are now in use.

The Garage is Modified for H₂

Lang arranged for me to visit the CTA garage off Chicago Avenue, where the hydrogen vehicles are stored, along with CTA’s diesel buses. Unlike the other buses that were parked one right next to the other, the CTA has designated each hydrogen bus to its own section, with walls of noncombustible materials on either side. CTA Engineer Rabbi Farraj guided me through an empty parking section set up for one of the two hydrogen demonstration buses that are still in production.

I noticed large ventilation systems on the ceiling at two different points, with a powerful fan in the middle. Farraj explained that the ventilation system was set up in accordance with the Chicago Fire Department specifications. He said that many of the procedures and regulations for the safe storage and refueling of the buses and training of the employees had already been set up through the individual companies’ own expertise in each area of the field of hydrogen use and storage. But the Fire Department and the Department of the Environment were very helpful in working with the CTA, Ballard, and Air Products to amend standards to coincide with city and state regulations. Each station had been equipped with dry chemical extinguishers placed on the walls and special sensors to detect hydrogen fires. I then was escorted to the section holding the first operational public hydrogen bus.

The hydrogen bus is different in appearance than the buses using fossil fuels. A hood covers the entire top of the bus that accommodates the pressurized tank for the hydrogen. The lettering on the side of the hood proudly proclaims bus number 5901 a “zero-emission fuel cell bus.”

The driver must start the bus by turning a dial in the back to open the valves for the fuel. There are also special sensor panels overhead, above the mirror, each one monitoring a different area of the bus that must be checked before the ignition is switched on.

This first bus is being used to take each driver through special training sessions designed by Air Products and CTA in order to deal with any differences in safety and refueling, but the contract between Ballard and CTA specifically states that the actual driving and transit operational procedures should be similar to those of any other bus. Indeed, although the outside may seem a bit different at first, upon entering the bus, drivers and passengers will be able to see that the zero-emissions buses look just like any other bus.

Refueling from Liquid Hydrogen

Farraj then lead me to the refueling station set up on the compound outside the garage. The hydrogen fuel is stored in liquid form in an aboveground, 9,000-gallon, upright, carbon steel tank surrounded by fencing to keep out unauthorized personnel. The hydrogen is converted into gas before being pumped through the Sherex nozzle into the tank atop the bus. For safety reasons, the refueling station is equipped with emergency stops to halt the transfer of the gas, as is the main garage.

The tank must go through a prefill checklist provided by Air Products and Chemicals before purging and initial filling, during which the refueling areas are shut off to other traffic and unauthorized personnel. Refueling areas are also unavailable to traffic when the buses are being refueled. Air Products and Chemicals has taken all necessary precautions to ensure the success of this demonstration.

The CTA is playing a major part in Ballard Power Systems’ plan to adapt its fuel cell technology for transit bus engines. The demonstration data that Ballard will be receiving from these buses over a two-year test period will allow them to make any adaptations necessary to enhance performance, reliability and cost for the final commercial product. Ballard has scheduled commercial production of its transit buses for 2001.

Many thanks to CTA personnel for an informative visit. The three demonstration hydrogen buses in Chicago will be servicing route numbers 20 down Madison Street, 65 on Grand Avenue, and 66 on Chicago Avenue.

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