Hy-wire

ABSTRACT

In this seminar, we will look at one interesting vision of the

future, General Motors’ remarkable concept car, the Hy-wire.
General Motors (GM) may never actually sell the Hy-wire to the
public, but it is certainly a good illustration of various ways cars
might evolve in the near future.
Instead of an engine, Hy-wire car 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 where a computer actually operates the components that
move the wheels, activate the brakes and so on, based on input
from an electronic controller. By combining fuel cell and drive by
wire technology, the Hy-wire car has opened a new world of
chassis architectures and customized bodies for individual
expression. The development is a significant step towards a new
kind of automobile that is substantially friendlier to the
environment and provides consumers positive benefits in driving
dynamics, and freedom of individual expression.
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INTRODUCTION
Cars are immensely complicated machines, but when you
get down to it, they do an incredibly simple job. Most of the
complex stuff in a car is decided to turning wheel, which grip the
road to pull the car body and passengers along. The steering
system tilts the wheel side to run the car, and brake and
acceleration system control the speed of the wheel. Given that the
overall function of the car is basic (it just needs to provide rotary
motion to the wheel), it seems a little strange that almost all cars
have the same collection of complex crammed under the hood
and the same general mass of mechanical and hydraulic linkages
running throughout.
Why do cars need necessarily need a steering column, brake
and acceleration pedals, a combustion engine and the rest of it?
This question led the automotive engineers at the General Motors
Company to design and develop a new breed of cars.

FIGURE 1 GM'S SEDAN MODEL HY-WIRE

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HY-WIRE BASICS
The two basic elements that largely dictate car design today
are: the internal combustion engine and mechanical and hydraulic
linkages. If we look under the hood of a car, we can see that an
internal combustion engine requires a lot of additional equipment
to function correctly. The designers trying to bring out new
luxurious and environment-friendly cars into the market always
have to make room for this equipment.
The same is the case with the mechanical and hydraulic
linkages. The basic idea of using the linkages is that the driver
can maneuver the various actuators in the car more or less
directly, by manipulating driving controls connected to those
actuators by shafts, gears and hydraulics. For example, in a rack
and pinion steering system turning the steering wheel rotates a
shaft connected to a pinion gear, which moves a rack gear
connected to the car’s front wheels.
The defining characteristic of the Hy-wire is that it doesn’t
have either of those two things. 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 where a computer actually operates the
components that move the wheels, activate the brakes and so on,
based on input from an electronic controller. By combining fuel
cell and drive by wire technology, the Hy-wire car has opened a
new world of chassis architectures and customized bodies for
Hy-wire

individual expression. The development is a significant step

towards a new kind of automobile that is substantially friendlier
to the environment and provides consumers positive benefits in
driving dynamics, and freedom of individual expression.

FIGURE 2 THE HY-WIRE HAS WHEELS, SEATS AND WINDOWS LIKE A

CONVENTIONAL CAR, BUT THE SIMILARITY PRETTY MUCH ENDS THERE. THERE
IS NO ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD AND NO STEERING WHEEL OR PEDALS
INSIDE.

The result of the 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. This
Hy-wire

maximizes the interior space for five occupants and their cargo.
Everything above the chassis is dedicated solely to driver control
passenger comfort.

FUEL CELL –ON HY-WIRE

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device
that converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing
electricity and heat in the process. A fuel cell provides a DC
(direct current) voltage that can be used to power motors, lights
or any number of electrical appliances. One can continually
recharge a fuel cell by adding chemical fuel- hydrogen for an
onboard storage tank
The type of fuel cell that is used in the Hy-wire car is the
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

Proton exchange membrane

The four basic elements of a PEM fuel cell are:-

• The anode, the negative post of the fuel cell, conducts the
electrons that are freed from the hydrogen molecules so that
they can be used in an external circuit. It has channels
etched into it that disperse the hydrogen gas equally over
the surface of the catalyst.
Hy-wire

• The cathode, the positive post of the fuel cell, has channels
etched into it that distribute the oxygen to the surface of the
catalyst. It also conducts the electrons back from the
external circuit to the catalyst, where they can recombine
with the hydrogen ions and oxygen to form water.

• The electrolyte is the proton exchange membrane. This

specially treated material, only conducts positively charged
ions. The membrane blocks electrons.

• The catalyst is a special material that facilitates the reaction

of oxygen and hydrogen. It is usually made of platinum
powder very thinly coated onto carbon paper or cloth. The
catalyst is rough and porous so that the maximum surface
area of the platinum can be exposed to the hydrogen or
oxygen. The platinum-coated side of the catalyst faces the
PEM.
Hy-wire

The working of PEMFC

FIGURE 3 FUEL CELL

The pressurized hydrogen gas (H2) enters the fuel cell on

the anode side. This gas is forced through the catalyst by the
pressure. When an H2 molecule comes in contact with the
platinum on the catalyst, it splits into two H+ ions and two
electrons (e-). The electrons are conducted through the anode,
where they make their way through the external circuit (doing
useful work such as turning a motor) and return to the cathode
side of the fuel cell.
Meanwhile, on the cathode side of the fuel cell, oxygen gas
(O2) is being forced through the catalyst, where it forms two
Hy-wire

oxygen atoms. Each of these atoms has a strong negative charge.

This negative charge attracts the two H+ ions through the
membrane, where they combine with an oxygen atom and two of
the electrons, from the external circuit to form a water molecule
(H2O).
Chemistry of a Fuel Cell
Anode side:
2H2 => 4H+ + 4e-
Cathode side:
O2 + 4H+ +4e- => 2H2O
Net reaction:
2H2 + O2 => 2H2O
PEMFCs operate at a fairly low temperature (about 176
degrees Fahrenheit, 80 degrees Celsius), which means they warm
up quickly and don’t require expensive containment structures.

FIGURE 4 THE HYDROGEN TANKS AND FUEL-CELL STACK IN THE HY-WIRE

Hy-wire

The gaseous hydrogen fuel needed to power this system is

stored in three cylindrical tanks, weighing about 165 pounds (75
kilograms) total. The tanks are made of a special carbon
composite material with the high structural strength needed to
contain high-pressure hydrogen gas. The tanks in the current
model hold about 4.5 pounds (2kg) of hydrogen at about 5000
pounds per square inch (350 bars). In future models the Hy-wire
engineers hope to increase the pressure threshold to 10000
pounds per square inch (700 bars), which would boost the car’s
fuel capacity to extend the driving range.

DRIVE BY WIRE TECHNOLOGY

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.
The central computer is connected to an array of advanced
sensors. Based on input from the driver, the computer activates
the different actators to control the motion of the vehicle. The
driver doesn’t actually drive the car directly: He or she gives
instructions and the computer decides how to carry them out. The
computer constantly makes adjustments on it to improve the
driving performance the computer artificially creates a relatively
smooth ride. The computer is connected to the body’s electronics
through universal docking ports. The UDP transmits a constant
Hy-wire

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.

FIGURE 5 THE HY-WIRE'S X-DRIVE

FIGURE 6 THE X-DRIVE CAN SLIDE TO EITHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE

Hy-wire

The driver’s control unit, dubbed the X-drive has to

ergonomic groups, positioned to the left and right of a small LCD
monitor. To steer the car, you glide the gripes up and down
lightly, you don’t have to keep rotating a wheel to turn, and 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 motor cycle; and to brake you squeeze either grip. Electronic
motion sensors, translate the motion of the X-drive in to a digital
signal the computer can recognize. Buttons on the controller let
you switch easily from neutral to drive to rivers, and a starter
buttons turns the car on. Absolutely everything is hand
controlled.
The 5.8 inch (14.7 centimeter) color monitor in the center of
the controller displays all the stuff you‘d normally find on the
dashboard 9speed, 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.
Hy-wire

One of the amazing 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. One fuel cell only puts out a little bit of
power, so you need to combine many cells into a stack to get
much use out of the process. The fuel-cell stack in the Hy-wire is
made up of 200 individual cells connected in series, which
collectively provide 94 kilowatts of continuous power and 129
kilowatts at peak power. The compact cell stack is kept cool by a
conventional radiator system that’s powered by the fuel cells
themselves. The fuel system delivers DC voltage ranging from
125 to 200 volts, depending on the load in the circuit. A
transformer in motor controller boosts this up to 250 to 380 volts
and converts it to AC current to drive the three-phase electric
motor that rotates the wheels.
The electric motor’s job is to apply torque to the front wheel
axle to spin the two front wheels. The control unit varies the
speed of the car by increasing or decreasing the power applied to
the motor. When the controller applies maximum power from the
fuel-cell stack, the motor’s rotor spins at 12000 revolutions per
minute, delivering a torque of 159 pound-feet. A single-stage
planetary gear, with the wheels, that’s enough torque to move the
4200 -pound (1905-kg) car 100 miles per hour (161 kph) on a
Hy-wire

level road. Smaller electric motors maneuver the wheels to steer

the car, and electrically controlled.

FIGURE 7 GM'S DIAGRAM OF THE AUTONOMY DESIGN

ADVANTAGES:
1. Fuel efficient - Since a fuel cell propulsion system is
about twice as efficient as an internal combustion engine, a fuel
cell vehicle could provide twice the fuel efficiency of a
comparably sized conventional vehicle, and an optimized fuel
cell vehicle like Hy-wire would be even more efficient.
2. Environment friendly - Since the reaction through which
the power is generated is 2H2+O2=>2H2O the only bi-product
formed is water, which is a non-pollutant. Since there is no burning
Hy-wire

or other oxidation process in the releasing of energy harmful

components like nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon oxides and
other unburnt products are not produced. Hence these cars are
highly eco-friendly.
3. High stability - As all the technical elements have been
nicely blended into the chassis, most of the power train load has
been evenly distributed between the front and rear of the chassis.
This provides a low center of gravity, giving the architecture both a
high stability and driving dynamics potential. This contributes to
the overall safety of the vehicle, by enabling superior handling,
while resisting rollover forces, with the tallest body attached.
4. Highly spacious - As there are no linkages and engine lot
of legroom space is available for the passengers.
5. Driver friendly - As the X-drive does not have any
physical linkages with the steering controller, it can be taken to
anywhere inside the car. Moreover as everything that drives the car
is housed in the chassis, the driver does not have to sit behind a
mass of machinery. This gives the driver a clear view of the road
and thus increases the drivability.
6. Freedom of individual expression - As the chassis would
be common for most the Hy-wire vehicles, one can easily remove
the entire passenger compartment and replace it with a different
one. This leads to the freedom of individual expression. For
example if one wants to switch from a van to a sports car, he does
Hy-wire

not need an entirely new car; he only needs a new body (which
would be a lot cheaper).
Hy-wire
Hy-wire

FIGURE 8 GM CONCEPT OF THE AUTONOMY WITH AND

WITHOUT A BODY ATTACHED

DISADVANTAGES
1. Low safety - 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 supply and redundant electronic linkages.
2. Storage and transportation of hydrogen fuels - The
other major hurdle for this type of car is figuring out energy-
efficient method for producing, transporting and storing hydrogen
for the on board fuel cell stack. With the current state of
Hy-wire

technology, actually the production of the hydrogen fuel can

generate about as much pollution as using gasoline engines.
3. Pricing - With the current status of development,
manufacturing of the Hy-wire cars on a mass scale would not at all
be economical. According to the present accounts, the cost for
manufacturing even a single Hy-wire car would be about 1 to 2
crores.

FUTURE OF HY-WIRE
Looking in to the future, Burns says he thinks fuel cells offer
a promising alternative, but he recognizes that they need to be
compelling, affordable, and profitable. One area GM is tackling is
hydrogen storage. GM partnered with Quantum Technologies to
develop a prototype tank that will give you a driving range of up to
300 miles before you have to refuel.
Burns says GM is looking into other ways it can store
compressed hydrogen, “There’s liquid for hydrogen and there’s
also metal hydrides when you’re storing hydrogen in a solid state,”
he said. Keebler says another solution could be to build a hydrogen
reformer into the car, which would enable it to turn other fuels into
hydrogen. You could also house these reforms at gas stations, he
says. Burns says you could distribute the gasoline the same way
you do today, but it would go through a reformer at the pump,
creating hydrogen from the gas. Burns sees a world where GM
Hy-wire

overcomes those obstacles and your car becomes part of your

energy solution and not the problem.
“Let’s imagine a world in which you could come home at
night and pull your hydrogen fuel cell vehicle into your garage.
The first thing you do is connect it to some compressed hydrogen
tanks that are also in your garage and you put hydrogen into your
vehicle. You are refueling at home,” he said. At the end of the day,
if you have some leftover hydrogen in your tank, you could also
use it to power your home. He says he also envisions you being
able to plug your car into your city’s electric grid and selling back
fuel you don’t use. Keebler says he likes what he has seen from the
Hy-wire overall. He hasn’t been able to test-drive it yet. But he
said, “If they can pull that off, they will have indeed leaped over
the completion.”
CONCLUSION
The Hy-wire concept has so profoundly brought about
changes in the automotive industry that GM and other auto makers
are planning to move beyond the conventional car, towards a
computerized environment friendly alternative. They are actually
planning to launch such a vehicle for the public usage by the year
2020, hoping that they can overcome all the drawbacks faced by
the Hy-wire car.
Anyway, in all likelihood life on the highway will see some
major changes within the next few decades.
Hy-wire

REFERENCES

1. www.popularmechanics.com
2. www.gm.com
3. www.motortrend.com
4. www.fuelcellonline.com
5. www.avista.com
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