Hy-wire

The HY WIRE concept car the name symbolizes the combination of hydrogen as fuel for the fuel cell propulsion system, and the replacement of conventional mechanical and hydraulic control linkages for steering, braking and other control systems by a drive-by-wire system. By combining fuel cell and by-wire technology, General motors have packaged this vehicle in a new way, opening up a new world of chassis architectures and customized bodies for individualized expressions and it is a significant step towards a new kind of automobile that is substantially more friendly to the environment and provides consumers positive benefits in driving dynamics, safety and freedom of individual expression.

The world today consumes a large amount of energy. Most of the energy requirements are fulfilled using conventional sources of energy. Of this energy consumed, a large part is utilized by the automotive sector. If the people continue using the conventional sources of energy at this rate, the earth will be facing an energy crisis very soon. The introduction of an efficient electric vehicle can greatly improve the conditions of today by helping curb the use of traditional fuels.

The Hy-Wire, discussed in this paper, runs on the electricity generated by a hydrogen fuel cell, more accurately called the 'Proton Exchange Membrane' fuel cell. This fuel cell uses hydrogen as a source of fuel. The fuel cell produces dc voltage, which is converted to ac voltage and used to run an ac motor.

The by-wire concept removes the mechanical linkages and replaces all of them by wires and electromechanical actuators. This makes the whole vehicle lighter and more spacious. In the Hy-Wire vehicle, the whole system has been modeled into an 11-inch thick chassis. This chassis houses all the electrical components and mechanical components of the vehicle. This lets us make the body in a customized version and also lets us change the chassis architecture with radical new designs.

The by-wire system is made practical by the higher voltages inherent in a fuel cell system. The 42-V technology is made use of in this vehicle. It is said to be a luxury car in the sense that it provides the space and visibility that a luxury car does.

Control

The Hy-wire's "brain" is a central computer housed in the middle of the chassis. It sends electronic signals to the motor control unit to vary the speed, the steering mechanism to maneuver the car, and the braking system to slow the car down.

Image Gallery: Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Image Gallery: Alternative Fuel Vehicles

At the chassis level, the computer controls all aspects of driving and power use. But it takes its orders from a higher power -- namely, the driver in the car body. The computer connects to the body's electronics through a single universal docking port. This central port works the same basic way as a USB port on a personal computer: It transmits a constant stream of electronic command signals from the car controller to the central computer, as well as feedback signals from the computer to the controller. Additionally, it provides the electric power needed to operate all of the body's onboard electronics. Ten physical linkages lock the body to the chassis structure.

The Hy-wire's X-drive The X-drive can slide to either side of the vehicle.

Photo courtesy General Motors Photo courtesy General Motors

The Hy-wire's X-drive The X-drive can slide to either side of the vehicle.

Photo courtesy General Motors Photo courtesy General Motors

The driver's control unit, dubbed the X-drive, is a lot closer to a video game controller than a conventional steering wheel and pedal arrangement. The controller has two ergonomic grips, positioned to the left and right of a small LCD monitor. To steer the car, you glide the grips up and down lightly -- you don't have to keep rotating a wheel to turn, you just have to hold the grip in the turning position. To accelerate, you turn either grip, in the same way you would turn the throttle on a motorcycle; and to brake, you squeeze either grip.

Electronic motion sensors, similar to the ones in high-end computer joysticks, translate this motion into a digital signal the central computer can recognize. Buttons on the controller let you switch easily from neutral to drive to reverse, and a starter button turns the car on. Since absolutely everything is hand-controlled, you can do whatever you want with your feet (imagine sticking them in a massager during the drive to and from work every day).

The 5.8-inch (14.7-cm) color monitor in the center of the controller displays all the stuff you'd normally find on the dashboard (speed, mileage, fuel level). It also gives you rear-view images from video cameras on the sides and back of the car, in place of conventional mirrors. A second monitor, on a console beside the driver, shows you stereo, climate control and navigation information.

Since it doesn't directly drive any part of the car, the X-drive could really go anywhere in the passenger compartment. In the current Hy-wire sedan model, the X-drive swings around to either of the front two seats, so you can switch drivers without even getting up. It's also easy to adjust the X-drive up or down to improve driver comfort, or to move it out of the way completely when you're not driving.

GM concept of the AUTOnomy with and without a body attached

Photo courtesy General Motors Photo courtesy General Motors

GM concept of the AUTOnomy with and without a body attached

Photo courtesy General Motors Photo courtesy General Motors

One of the coolest things about the drive-by-wire system is that you can fine-tune vehicle handling without changing anything in the car's mechanical components -- all it takes to adjust the steering, accelerator or brake sensitivity is some new computer software. In future drive-by-wire vehicles, you will most likely be able to configure the controls exactly to your liking by pressing a few buttons, just like you might adjust the seat position in a car today. It would also be possible in this sort of system to store distinct control preferences for each driver in the family.

The big concern with drive-by-wire vehicles is safety. Since there is no physical connection between the driver and the car's mechanical elements, an electrical failure would mean total loss of control. In order to make this sort of system viable in the real world, drive-by-wire cars will need back-up power supplies and redundant electronic linkages. With adequate safety measures like this, there's no reason why drive-by-wire cars would be any more dangerous than conventional cars. In fact, a lot of designers think they'll be much safer, because the central computer will be able to monitor driver input. Another problem is adding adequate crash protection to the car.

The other major hurdle for this type of car is figuring out energy-efficient methods for producing, transporting and storing hydrogen for the onboard fuel-cell stacks. With the current state of technology, actually producing the hydrogen fuel can generate about as much pollution as using gasoline engines, and storage and distribution systems still have a long way to go (see How the Hydrogen Economy Works for more information).
So will we ever get the chance to buy a Hy-wire? General Motors says it fully intends to release a production version of the car in 2010, assuming it can resolve the major fuel and safety issues. But even if the Hy-wire team doesn't meet this goal, GM and other automakers are definitely planning to move beyond the conventional car sometime soon, toward a computerized, environmentally friendly alternative. In all likelihood, life on the highway will see some major changes within the next few decades.
For more information about the Hy-wire and other emerging automotive technologies, check out the links on the next page.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts the hydrogen and oxygen into water and in the process produces electricity. Such fuel cells, which use hydrogen as a source of fuel, are called hydrogen fuel cells. The other electrochemical device that we are all familiar with is the battery. A battery has all of its chemicals stored inside, and it converts those chemicals into electricity too. This means that a battery eventually goes dead and you either throw it away or recharge it. With a fuel cell, chemicals constantly flow into the cell so it never goes dead - as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell, the electricity flows out of the cell.
Sir William Grove invented the first fuel cell in 1839. He used dilute sulphuric acid as electrolyte, oxygen as the oxidizing agent and hydrogen as fuel. In 1959, Francis T Bacon came up with an alkaline fuel cell, but it could produce only 5-kilowatt power.
A fuel cell produces dc voltage that can be used for various needs. The fuel cells are classified into various types depending upon the electrolyte they use. They are classified as follows: -
a) Direct method fuel cells
b) Solid oxide fuel cells
c) Phosphoric acid fuel cells
d) Alkaline fuel cells
e) Molten carbonate fuel cells.

Coolest things about the car.
Instead of an engine, it has a fuel cell stack, which powers an electric motor connected to the wheels.
Instead of mechanical and hydraulic linkages, it has a drive by wire system -- a computer actually operates the components that move the wheels, activate the brakes and so on, and based on input from an electronic controller. This is the same control system employed in modern fighter jets as well as many commercial planes.The result of these two substitutions is a very different type of car -- and a very different driving experience.
There is no steering wheel, there are no pedals and there is no engine compartment. In fact, every piece of equipment that actually moves the car along the road is housed in an 11-inch-thick (28 cm) aluminum chassis -- also known as the skateboard - at the base of the car. Everything above the chassis is dedicated solely to driver control and passenger comfort.This means the driver and passengers don't have to sit behind a mass of machinery.
Instead, the Hy-wire has a huge front windshield, which gives everybody a clear view of the road.
The floor of the fiberglass-and-steel passenger compartment can be totally flat, and it's easy to give every seat lots of leg room.
Concentrating the bulk of the vehicle in the bottom section of the car also improves safety because it makes the car much less likely to tip over.
But the coolest thing about this design is that it lets you remove the entire passenger compartment and replace it with a different one. If you want to switch from a van to a sports car, you don't need an entirely new car; you just need a new body (which is a lot cheaper).
The driver's control unit, dubbed the X-drive, is a lot closer to a video game controller than a conventional steering wheel and pedal arrangement. The controller has two ergonomic grips, positioned to the left and right of a small LCD monitor. To steer the car, you glide the grips up and down lightly -- you don't have to keep rotating a wheel to turn, you just have to hold the grip in the turning position. To accelerate, you turn either grip, in the same way you would turn the throttle on a motorcycle; and to brake, you squeeze either grip.
In the current Hy-wire sedan model, the X-drive swings around to either of the front two seats, so you can switch drivers without even getting up. It's also easy to adjust the X-drive up or down to improve driver comfort, or to move it out of the way completely when you're not driving.
It is environment friendly and the only product of the emission is drinkable water.