The Japanese company Toyota is constantly exploring new ways to utilize hydrogen. This is a company that has been researching hydrogen technology for years to provide mobility solutions for vehicles. Countries striving to reduce pollution and CO2 emissions are ideal places to implement their projects. One such project that has progressed is the world’s most famous hydrogen car, the Toyota Mirai. However, not all continents have seen equally positive results.
Toyota won’t rest until it achieves a fully functional hydrogen vehicle with all guarantees
Regarding the Toyota Mirai, it is important to note that it requires a lot of space to store hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bars and has a relatively short range. For these reasons, Toyota is exploring new solutions, such as burning hydrogen in a Corolla model, and continues to innovate over time. One of the championships where Toyota participates is the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2024, a Japanese competition where the hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla was put to the test. This combustion method feels similar to gasoline, with comparable sensations and a similar sound. This approach was introduced by the Japanese company in 2021.
As previously mentioned, Toyota continues to strive to improve its vehicles, particularly addressing the challenges of large tanks that don’t last long. For instance, during testing, the vehicle had to make up to 41 pit stops. In 2023, another solution was discovered: converting hydrogen gas to liquid, which resolved the space issue. However, this technology is still far from electric cars and remains highly inefficient.
The solution to the inefficiency problem
The inefficiency stems from the need to cryogenize hydrogen at -235ºC, with the liquid evaporating due to the vehicle’s temperature (boil-off gas). What did Toyota do? They pressurized as much evaporated hydrogen gas as possible and fed it into a fuel cell system. This simultaneously generates electricity, which the vehicle uses for various components, such as the liquid hydrogen pump. According to Toyota experts, there is still some hydrogen that remains unused, being released into the atmosphere as water vapor. For this reason, they aim to generate electricity with the unused hydrogen, similar to how an alternator functions.
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