Photo By Christopher Estrada | The H2Rescue vehicle, a hydrogen-powered emergency relief truck, is displayed at the...... read more read more
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WARREN, Mich.— U.S. Army engineers specializing in ground vehicle power and mobility set a Guinness World Record for a hydrogen-powered emergency relief truck.
The H2Rescue vehicle logged the longest distance traveled with hydrogen fuel-cell technology, covering 1,806 miles while emitting zero pounds of carbon dioxide over an 8-day period.
The team responsible for the record-setting performance included the U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center, Accelera by Cummins, the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, and the Department of Energy. Through a multi-agency funded effort, the team has been developing the truck's capabilities since 2019.
The H2Rescue vehicle is a Kenworth T370 prototype truck designed for disaster relief and features a mobile command center. In late October, the heavy truck started its journey in Oakland, California, ending in Sacramento on one fuel tank.
Featuring dual 45 kW fuel cells and 176.4 kg of onboard hydrogen storage, the H2Rescue’s primary function is to operate as a rapidly deployable emergency command center for domestic emergency scenarios. Upon setting up base camp at a relief site, it can then augment disaster relief efforts by silently powering Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assets, providing 25kW of continuous AC power while also generating water for multiple days before returning home to prepare for the next mission. In an age when increasingly power-hungry technologies require the bandwidth to match, the H2Rescue offers a look at how alternative powertrain solutions can meet the need.
A collaborative process between GVSC and its government partners established the vehicle requirements based off the desired mission requirements from Accelera. After verifying that the vehicle could meet the specified disaster relief metrics through testing, the focus shifted to understanding the range of the vehicle. This set the stage for the culminating world-record achievement through a collective effort.
Pratreek Vaish, Accelera’s technical lead on the H2Rescue, said the interagency cooperation between industry and government allowed for the success seen on the project.
“The collaboration between Accelera and the government has further demonstrated what is possible when interagency collaboration is at the forefront of the conversation,” Vaish said.
The H2Rescue offers a glimpse at the capabilities of the rapidly advancing hydrogen fuel cell technologies being researched and developed today.
The lessons learned from this project will provide army engineers with the experience and data necessary to continue its S&T efforts in the space, said Eric Wasiloff, who served as the GVSC project lead for H2Rescue.
“The data gathered during this project supplements our understanding of how the unique operational benefits fuel cells provide can be leveraged for next-generation army applications and inform requirements,” Wasiloff said.
The world record achievement set by the H2Rescue and the teams supporting it set a new standard for ground vehicle development and hybridization. Through partnerships across industry, government and academia, GVSC continues to innovate and develop the latest technologies needed to support the continuous transformation of the Army.
About U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center
The U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) is the research, development, and engineering organization dedicated to advancing ground vehicle systems and technologies for the U.S. Army and its partners. GVSC's mission is to deliver cutting-edge solutions that enhance warfighter capabilities, improve vehicle performance, and ensure mission success. With a focus on innovation, collaboration, and agility, GVSC works closely with industry, academia, and government partners to develop and field state-of-the-art ground vehicle systems that meet the evolving needs of the Army and the nation.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2024 10:25 |
| Story ID: | 485539 |
| Location: | WARREN, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 170 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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