Abstract

Hydrogen-fueled race cars can offer safe, clean, efficient, and competitive advantages in the racing field. Although such cars are currently rare, they hold tremendous promise for the future of the industry. This research paper will explore the potential benefits and downsides of this revolutionary alternative energy source for race cars. Specifically, it will focus on environmental impact, driver safety concerns, and aerodynamic inefficiencies. The paper then concludes with detailed recommendations that can improve this dynamic addition to the race car industry.

Environmental Impact

One of the greatest advantages of hydrogen-powered race cars is that they do not tend to emit harmful pollutants into the environment. In fact, the major component of their emissions is not fossil fuel exhaust, but water vapor. In addition, the fuel economy of hydrogen is exceptional. Recent studies have indicated that hydrogen’s performance in this regard is equivalent to approximately twice that of gasoline vehicles (Consumer Reports). Another noteworthy characteristic of hydrogen is its sheer abundance in nature and ability to be made from renewable energy sources. These factors pose significant advantages over conventionally-fueled race cars. 

Unfortunately, the overall impact of hydrogen on the environment depends heavily upon how it is produced and any by-products associated with its generation. A vast majority of the hydrogen available on the market at present to race car manufacturers is mainly generated by using steam reformation of natural gas (Nowotny). The natural gas involved in this process often constitutes fossil fuel status and exacerbates the greenhouse effect as well as pollution on a global scale. Another concerning factor regarding hydrogen generation is that its major by-product is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide ranks among the most significant and long-lasting greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere and contributes to rampant global warming (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). From this perspective, hydrogen-powered race cars can indirectly pose a detrimental impact on the environment. 

Driver Safety and Aerodynamic Inefficiencies

The combustion speed of hydrogen is extremely fast when compared to conventional petrol. Hydrogen boasts a gas-to-air volume ratio of 75% combustibility (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory). This sharply contrasts with the meager 7.6% ratio of petrol combustibility (Ibid.). Although such combustion speed offers a significant advantage over traditional petrol engines in terms of vehicle acceleration, hydrogen can be unwieldy to control under racing conditions due to its more volatile nature. That is precisely why Naoyuki Sakamoto, Chief Engineer of Hydrogen Engine Corolla, said, “...our biggest challenge of developing the hydrogen engine was combustion management" (Gitlin). That is one primary reason why many hydrogen-powered race cars feature “...four H2 tanks—two medium-sized ones...and another pair that [are] slightly shorter—surrounded by carbon fiber reinforced plastic to protect them in the event of a crash” (Gitlin). These reinforced, powerful safety measures are vital components of hydrogen-powered race cars. They can greatly boost driver safety when compared to their conventional race car counterparts, which do not always offer such safeguards. As a result of these powerful precautions, hydrogen-powered race cars are far less likely to explode upon impact. 

One pitfall of implementing these bulky safety measures is that it can have a detrimental impact on the aerodynamic efficiency of race cars and drastically reduce their speed. Romain Aubry, Technical Manager of the racing-focused H24 Hydrogen project, reinforced this notion. He reported that hydrogen-powered race cars tend to be significantly heavier than other prototypes that race in Le Mans (Kilbey). This factor can reduce a hydrogen-powered race car’s acceleration compared to its competitors. Unfortunately, this is particularly true with respect to turning the vehicle around corners. This can be one of the greatest single time losses that occurs during an entire race. While traveling around a corner, race cars create downforce from the air which pulls and pushes the car toward the ground (Hoena). When more downforce is added by extra weight, race cars take a much greater amount of time to efficiently navigate these aspects of race tracks. As a result, hydrogen-powered race cars can be less likely to successfully compete with other cars that are not burdened by such extra weight.  

Recommendations for the Future

In light of the aforementioned findings, there are a number of important considerations that should be taken into account when creating future iterations of hydrogen-powered race cars. With respect to environmental protection, hydrogen fuel is typically derived from non-renewable natural gas. This environmentally unsustainable process results in large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. Instead, efforts should be deployed to source hydrogen from renewable energy reserves. One example can be solar energy-powered hydrogen production. This innovative process is far more environmentally cleaner than conventional methods of hydrogen sourcing during the cycles of its generation and combustion (Nowotny). 

In addition to improved environmental sourcing techniques, it is vital to address ​​aerodynamic inefficiencies that spring from driver safety concerns in future hydrogen-powered race car models. In their current form, hydrogen race cars are often crammed with reinforced fuel tanks. Some measurements indicate that the combined weight of such tanks can easily exceed 100kg (Toyota Times Staff). Carrying this burden around race tracks creates significant disadvantages in competitiveness. A potential remedy for this issue was offered by the manufacturers of the Tigergen II hydrogen-powered race car. Its new-and-improved design is expected to weigh approximately 500 pounds less than its predecessor, with the team capping it at no more than 300 pounds (Heavin). To achieve this milestone, the body and chassis of the vehicle will be integrated as a single load-bearing system. It is expected to be composed of multiple carbon fiber layers as well as Balsa wood, a strong but lightweight substance that can reinforce the car’s beams and braces (Heavin). 

An additional remedy to the weight quandary is evident in the second-generation version of the H24 race car prototype that is expected to be showcased at the 2021 Le Mans Cup. This design is “...radically different aerodynamically to the original chassis that was first seen back in 2018, and crucially, 150kg lighter, making the performance targets appear more achievable” (Kilbey). The extensive improvements to this hydrogen-powered race car have been achieved in a number of innovative ways that can be adopted by other manufacturers. For example, H24’s design team drew upon a state-of-the-art hydrogen-powered battery. This device “...stores more energy and produces more power, reducing the number of motors from four to two and installing a more compact gearbox” (Kilbey). Although these improved race cars are still heavier than their competitors, the progress that has been made is significant and will likely result in future weight-reduction improvements. 

It is becoming increasingly evident that these recommendations for improvement will be integrated into future iterations of hydrogen-powered race cars over the coming years. In fact, the recent establishment of the Hydrogen Racing Federation and similar organizations that champion such modifications is quite promising. When combined, these important changes can profoundly improve the ability of these cars to remain environmentally friendly, safe, efficient, and competitive. Overall, the concepts explored throughout this paper signal the beginning of a hydrogen-fueled revolution that can profoundly reshape the race car industry for the better.

Works Cited

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consumerreports.org/cro/2011/05/pros-and-cons-a-reality-check-on-alternative-fuels/index.htm 

Gitlin, Jonathan. “Here’s Why Toyota Converted this Corolla to Hydrogen and Went Racing.” Arstechnica.com. 3 June 2021. arstechnica.com/cars/2021/06/toyota-tells-us-about-doing-a-24-hour-race-with-a-hydrogen-engine/

Heavin, Janese. “MU Team Readies Hydrogen Car for Race: Redesign Aims for Less Weight.” Columbia Daily Tribune, 16 Jan. 2010.

Hoena, Blake. Surviving the Le Mans Auto Race: An Interactive Extreme Sports Adventure. United States, Capstone, 2017.

Kilbey, Stephen. “Hydrogen Is Coming.” LeMansRace.com. 28 April 2021.lemansrace.com/le-mans-news/hydrogen-is-coming-part-1/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “The NOAA Annual Greenhouse Gas Index (AGGI) - An Introduction.” NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory/Earth System Research Laboratories. 18 December 2020.

Nowotny, Janusz and Nejat Veziroglu. “Impact of Hydrogen on the Environment.” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 36, no. 20, Oct. 2011. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.07.071. 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “Hydrogen Compared with Other Fuels.” H2Tools.org. ND. h2tools.org/bestpractices/hydrogen-compared-other-fuels

Toyota Times Staff. ​​ “How a Hydrogen-Powered Engine Differs from a Gasoline-Powered One: What You Need to Know Before the 24H Endurance Race Challenge.” Toyotatimes.jp. 17 May 2021. toyotatimes.jp/en/insidetoyota/143.html