Hydrogen-powered Aston Martin

FULL Vehicle Conversion

by Aston Martin and Alset

Conversion of Modern Car too !!!

Aston Martin is not the first supercar manufacturer that comes to mind when you think "hi-tech," maybe "high life," but with the help of Alset Global, they managed to create a four-door grand turismo with the carbon footprint of a supermini.

The system comprises a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks and proprietary engine management module.

The combustion process can be adjusted according to each particular driving situation: either pure hydrogen, gasoline or an arbitrary blend of both can be selected to ensure optimum power, acceleration and CO2 reduction.

To be just as safe as a regular race car, the system includes four ultra-high strength carbon fibre tanks holding a total of 7.7 pounds of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 350 bar (~5000 psi), with two tanks housed next to the driver and two in the trunk.

The hydrogen system, together with engine enhancements (see below), adds approximately 100 kg to the weight of the car. Approximately 70 per cent of the additional weight is due to the tanks.
Hydrogen storage system.

In metric terms The four 350 bar hydrogen tanks are fully wrapped composite cylinders with an aluminium liner with a 15 mm thickness. These cylinders are denominated Type III cylinders and all vessels together have a total hydrogen storage capacity of 3.2 kg.

The hydrogen system, together with engine enhancements (see below), adds approximately 100 kg to the weight of the car. Approximately 70 per cent of the additional weight is due to the tanks.

The packaging was specially designed to fulfil all safety regulations and to avoid any sort of damage during the race.

The Hybrid Hydrogen system comprises a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks and proprietary engine management system.

This enables flexibility in the control of the combustion process according to each particular driving situation: either pure hydrogen, gasoline or a arbitrary blend of both can be selected to ensure optimum power, acceleration and CO2 reduction. This control results in a powerful and dynamic propulsion system that provides sports car performance but with a carbon footprint more akin to that of a supermini.

Safety is paramount, of course, and the system includes four ultra-high strength carbon fibre tanks holding a total of 3.5kg of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 350bar – two tanks housed next to the driver and two in the boot of the car. Meanwhile the entire hydrogen system developed by Alset Global and its partners is approved by German motorsport’s governing body, the DMSB.

The Hybrid Hydrogen race car is based on the new Rapide S four-door sports car that is arriving in Aston Martin showrooms worldwide this month.

Redesigned and re-engineered to offer even greater style and significantly enhanced performance by virtue of its new AM11 6.0-litre V12 naturally aspirated engine, the new Rapide S is capable of 190 mph and sprints from 0 to 62 mph in only 4.9 seconds.

Engine ECU.
As custom software was required for this one-off race car, the flexible motorsport Pectel engine management system from Cosworth is used. For road car applications though, a standard OEM ECU would be used. In order to control the engine in all modes, specific engine control functionalities developed for the Alset Engine Operating Software (AEOS) have been integrated with the Pectel controller.

"In pure hydrogen mode, Aston Martin and Alset Global aim to show that a zero CO2emissions lap of the Nordschleife is possible while emitting virtually only water from the exhaust," said an Aston-Martin statement on the coming event. Also commenting on the hybrid, Jose Ignacio Galindo, CEO of Alset Global, said,

"Our system offers the highest power density of all built and existing hydrogen cars and, because it is compatible with nearly all current internal combustion engines, it is the most affordable and simplest to implement."

The new Rapide S can hit 62 mph in 4.9 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 190 mph. The hybrid is based on Aston Martin's new four-door, four-seat sports car.

Compression ratio.
To facilitate turbo charger operation the compression ratio has been reduced from 11.5:1 to 9.5:1, achieved through a modification to the piston crown design. The integration of the turbo chargers also led to an alternative cylinder head gasket.
Valves.

Due to a lack of lubrication properties of the hydrogen fuel, it might be necessary to use different materials for the valves or/and the valve seats. The Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S’ valves are made from Inconel alloy for added robustness and improved temperature resistance.

Hydrogen injection system.The hydrogen injectors, supplied by AFS, are similar in design to natural gas injectors found in OEM CNG applications. There are small differences needed for the different requirements, including high durability seals and materials. In the case of the Aston Martin V12, those injectors, of a solenoid type, are fitted to the intake manifold, upstream of the regular gasoline injectors. The hydrogen is delivered to the fuel rail in constant flow, at between 4 and 5 bar.

Twin turbochargers.Two small exhaust driven turbochargers are used when the car is burning hydrogen to improve the mixture heating value of the charge, forcing more air/fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. To facilitate the intercooler package, the front grille of the new Rapide S has been slightly adapted and features scoops on the left and right side. As the car industry moves increasingly to turbocharged engines, this package modification is unlikely to be required for all commercial applications in the future.