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Group Details:

Sarina Thapa Pradhan ID109473

Cherry Than ID109858
Olga Olegovna Shipina ID109523
Kushal Sundar Shrestha ID 110570
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As early as the  th century, novelist Jules Verne had already written about hydrogen as a
fuel in his novels and since then many have been trying to convert this fiction into reality,
the replacement of fossil fuels by hydrogen. Very recently, some automakers are working on
cars that use hydrogen as fuel, powered by sophisticated devices that mix preserved
hydrogen and the atmospheric air to generate power and water vapor as its wastage. This
wonderful innovation would have no emissions of carbon dioxide.

But this sustainable mode of transportation would never have been a reality without the
availability of hydrogen filling stations. In 2 , Arnold 6chwarzenegger talked very
enthusiastically about building ͞hydrogen highways͟ across his state by 2  .

The advancement in hydrogen fuel cell technology and the availability of few hydrogen
filling stations in the U6 and the Europe is making this fiction come into reality. Automakers
are still in the testing phase and want to test with few selected customers to get results at
this stage. GM and Honda are distributing strategically these hydrogen cell cars to few
selected customers. While GM is testing its Chevrolet Equinox with celebrities, Honda is
leasing its FCX clarity to few drivers in California which it calls as the ͞producti on model͟ for
the drivers in California.

Although the above seems very optimistic, there lies a massive obstacle. These project s are
high profile and low volume and are very costly to manufacture. The increase in hydrogen
filling stations are not growing rapidly. In 2 , British Petroleum shut down their only
hydrogen filling station to invest in bio fuels stating that the next alternative to petroleum is
not hydrogen. Currently, 6hell owns six such stations worldwide. 6o why should automakers
invest heavily into this technology when there is nowhere to get the fuel.

Even as uncertainty looms large for this technology with major obstacles, Honda is
determined to break this myth. With high costs and fewer markets for this product, makes
this innovation viable for a disruptive technology.

Honda FCX Clarity is a hydrogen fuel cell automobile designed and manufactured by Honda.
The Honda FCX clarity has zero emissions with water vapor as the output. It uses no
gasoline, but behaves like a normal car.

Honda͛s hydrogen fuel cell car, the FCX Clarity was shown to the world in an auto show in
Tokyo in 2 . The first Honda FCX Clarity to hit the road was on 2 th 6eptember 2 . If
Honda had stuck with the conventional thinking, the development of the FCX C larity would
not have been a possibility. Honda has converted fiction into reality and brought us the
future.
The Honda FCX prototype was started in . In July 2 2, Honda's FCX was certified by
the U.6. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Cal ifornia Air Resources Board
(CARB), making it the first and only fuel -cell car in history to be approved for commercial
use. In 2 , this was available for commercial use. This is a proper production -quality car,
but we cannot buy it. Only 2 people will be using the Honda FCX Clarity under a leasing
and research program over the next three years. These cars will be based in Japan and the
U6, but two have also arrived in Europe ʹ Germany. Honda charges its U6 customers $
(£3 ) a month to lease a Clari ty over three years, which comes nowhere near covering the
project's costs. But that is not the point; rather it is to find out how these cars will fare in the
real world.

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Honda Motors Co. Ltd. and their subsidiaries make a variety of motor products that range
from small general-purpose engines to unique sports cars. Honda has business in
automobile, motorcycle and power products. Honda Motor Co. Ltd. was established in
  in Tokyo, Japan and since then the company built a strong foundation becoming the
world͛s largest motorcycle producer. They have sports bikes, commuters and business
models which are ranging from  cc to  cc 2. In the automobile industry Honda is well
renowned and comes second in line after Toyota in Japan. The famous automobiles include
Accord, CR, Civic, Element, Ridgeline along with other hybrid versions. Apart from this
Honda also makes engines, scooters and sports cars to give a wide value to its customers.
These include snow blowers, lawn mowers, portable generators, personal watercrafts,
outboard motors and ATVs.

Honda has 2 manufacturing units in more than 3 countries 3 throughout the world. From
the report of March 2 , Honda has 3 consolidated subsidiaries . As on March 3 st 2 
Honda possessed a capital of ¥ Billion and for the fiscal year 2  had consolidated sales
resulting in ¥ , ,2 million . The total no of employees for the beginning of the year
2  was , .

Honda͛s reputation can be mainly attributed to its high quality and reasonable price and
gets its leading edge by providing new value and products to the customers.

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http://www.japancorp.net/company_show.asp?compid=3
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technology that is capable of generating output of  ,w. It is the breakthrough in stack
technology that gives an elegant design to FCX clarity. The V Flow design also means that
water drainage is assisted by gravity. Water doesn't collect on the electrical generation
layer, ensuring constant power generation. This also allows flow channel depth to be
reduced by - - a major contributing factor in creating thinner cells and a more compact
stack.

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(Honda, 2 )The Honda V Flow FC 6tack uses a proton exchange membrane fuel cell
electrical generation system that directly converts chemical energy produced in hydrogen-
oxygen reactions into electrical energy. The extremely thin proton exchange membrane
(electrolytic membrane) is sandwiched between pairs of electrode layers and diffusion
layers (the hydrogen and oxygen electrodes) to form a membrane electrode assembly
(MEA). The MEA is enclosed between two separators to form a cell - a single electrical
generation unit. 6everal hundred cells are stacked together to form a fuel ce ll stack. As with
batteries, these individual cells are connected in series to produce a high voltage.

 
 
 





. c Hydrogen gas is passed over the hydrogen electrode. Each hydrogen atom is converted
into a hydrogen ion in a catalytic reaction with the platinum in the electrode, releasing
an electron.
2. c Having given up its electron, the hydrogen ion passes through the electrolytic
membrane, where it joins with oxygen from the oxygen electrode and an electron
arriving via an external circuit.
3. c The released electrons create a flow of direct current in the external circuit. The reaction
at the oxygen electrode produces water as a by-product.

Because the electrolytic membrane must be kept continually damp, it is necessary to

humidify the supply of hydrogen and oxygen. The water by-product is recycled for this
purpose. Unneeded water and air are released as exhaust.
(3)The main components of the fuel cell vehicle's power plant are the fuel cell stack, which
generates electricity from hydrogen, the hydrogen tank, the lithium ion battery, the electric
drive motor, and the Power Drive Unit (PDU), which governs the flow of electricity. Because
the vehicle is propelled by an electric motor, it delivers smooth, powerful acce leration and
quiet operation, without the noise and vibration associated with an internal combustion
engine. During start-up and acceleration - when a large amount of power is required - the
electricity from the fuel cell stack to the drive motor is supplemented with electricity from
the lithium ion battery to provide powerful performance. During deceleration, the drive
motor works as a generator, converting kinetic energy into electricity, which is stored in the
lithium ion battery along with any excess electricity produced by the fuel cells. When the
vehicle is stationary, an idle stop system shuts down electrical generation in the fuel cell
stack. Electricity from the lithium-ion battery ensures continued operation of the air
conditioner and other devices . The system optimally controls electrical power, resulting in
highly efficient operation.


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× ! Honda introduced their First Fuel Cell Vehicle Prototype, FCX -V, with seating capacity
of 2 persons. The prototype engine had maximum output capacity of  Horsepower. The
car had mileage of  miles

"###$"##"! FCX-V3 was launched in 6ept 2 , with seating capacity

of  people at a time. It had maximum speed limit of 3 km/h, with
hydrogen storage capacity of  liters. The evolved version of FCX-V3
was launch as FCX-V, could store 3 liters and enhanced mileage of
3 km. The fuel cell for FCX -V was in house developed by Honda.

"##%$"##&! Honda introduced FCX fuel cell as Honda FC stack, which

had ability to run in b oth cold and hot climate. In 2  Honda leased it
FCX to non-commercial customer in south California.
"##'$"##(! Honda unveiled the new production version on FCX. Honda
introduced new fuel cell stack, can called it as V Flow FC stack. The fuel
cell stack was 2 - smaller, 3 - lighter moreover it was  - more
efficient. The V flow FC stack used three electric motors with maximum
speed of  ,m/h. In 2 , Honda introduced the Home Energy
6tation (HE6). HE6 could convert natural gas to hear, electricity and
Hydrogen to refuel the FCX. The main objective of this concept was to
make customer to feel ease to refill hydrogen, until the hydrogen
stations could be widely found.

"##): The Honda FCX clarity was launched in Los Angeles Auto 6how
as mid size, four door sedan with electric motor. The car was made
available to customers for with leasing terms for 3 months at $
per month.

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Honda U6 released the first ze ro emission hydrogen powered FCX Clarity in 6outhern
California, June 2 , with the availability of ͞fast fill͟ hydrogen stations. The cars were
leased to the selected customer for the monthly payment of U6 $ / month.

()Honda has also thought about the concept refueling infrastructures, i.e. Home Energy
6tation IV (HE6). HE6 would be capable of converting the natural gas into hydrogen fuel, as it
is also designed to provide heat and electricity for homes using fuel -cell cogenerations. The
concept of HE6 is still on experimental phase.

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Jack Cusick

͞FCX changes the way you affect the environment WITHOUT changing the way you drive,
but you will look at things like pollution, consumption, and waste d ifferently. Let me put it
this way: a fuel cell electric vehicle won't change the way you drive, but it may change the
way you liveͶfor the better͟. ()

6cott Niedermayer

"My love for nature and the outdoors developed while growing up in Canada and I hope the
generations after me get to experience nature as I have," said 6cott Niedermayer. "Everyday
actions, like driving the zero-emissions Honda FCX Clarity, will help to make this dream a
reality." ()

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Hydrogen is seen as the future alternative source of energy for oil, but the question arises
with the availability of Hydrogen. It is anticipated that Hydrogen will be in great demand in
future for the use in Fuel cell based vehicles. As per current scenario, there are less than 
hydrogen stations, where as the different stations use different methods for producing
hydrogen (). 6ince Honda has planned to commercially lunch the FCX by 2 , it order the
make hydrogen availability at ease, Honda has arrived with the new concept of Home
Energy 6tations

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() Honda has operated an experimental Home Energy 6tation in Torrance, California, since
2 3. The Home Energy 6tation, which generates hydrogen from natural gas, is designed to
provide heat and electricity for the home through fuel cell cogeneration and to supply fuel
for a hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicle.

Honda has worked in cooperation with technology partner c*cÀ , to reduce size
and increase convenience in each subsequent generation of the Home Energy 6tation. In
2  Honda developed the still experimental Home Energy 6tation IV Ͷwhich is even more
efficient and better suited for home use than previous versions. a
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household using the Home Energy 6tation are %#+c * than those for an average
household using a gasoline -engine car and commercial electricity and heat.
Honda believes in a future society powered by hydrogen, and we are serious about our
commitment to contribute to the development of useful refueling solutions.

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Honda has officially announced that, it could march mass -production of Honda FCX by 2 
() for the mass consumers. Manufacturing the car in larger scale would reduce the
production cost per unit car by  times from $  million U6 approx to $, U6 approx
( ). Observing the cost factor and the availability of Hydrogen, the question still exists,
would the Honda FCX clarity set an example of Disruptive Technology.

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. *
 *, How 6tuffs Works. www.howstuffsworks.com. [Online] 2  . [Cited:  , 2  .]
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/fuel-cell.htm.

2. 
 Corpotate Honda. http://corporate.honda.com. [Online] [Cited:  , 2  .]

http://corporate.honda.com/environment/fuel_cells.aspx?id=fuel_cells_fcx.

3.  
 Honda. www.Honda.com. [Online]  , 2 . [Cited:  , 2  .]
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. -
 c?
 Popular Mechanics. www.popularmechanics.com. [Online] 2 .
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. a,c
, Honda. www.Honda.com. [Online]  , 2 . http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-
clarity/customer-experiences/Jack-Cusick.aspx.

. 
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 Honda. world.honda.com. [Online] 2  .
http://world.honda.com/news/2  /c  FCX-Clarity/photo/pages/ 2.html.
. ? *, [Online] 2 .
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/ _ /b3 _mz .htm.

.  
 [Online] 2  . http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/home-energy-station.aspx.

. 
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 Autoblog green. [Online] 2 . http://green.autoblog.com/2 /2/2/honda-
president-expects-generally-available-fuel-cell-cars-by-2 /.

 . ac

 [Online] 2 . http://cleantech.com/news/3/honda-to-take-until-2 -to-
produce-fue.

. About Fuel cells FCEV. Honda FCX Clarity. [Online] [Cited: April , 2  .]
http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/fuel-cell-evolution.aspx.

2. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (HMC) Profile. Yahoo Finance. [Online] [Cited: April , 2  .]
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=hmc.

3. Company Overview. Honda Motors. [Online] March 3, 2 . [Cited: April , 2  .]

http://world.honda.com/profile/overview/.

. Honda. JCN Network Japan's Corporate Neywork. [Online] [Cited: April , 2  .]

http://www.japancorp.net/company_show.asp?compid=3.

. Hydrogen cars The cars of the perpetual future. The economist. [Online] 6eptember , 2 .
[Cited: April , 2  .] http://www.economist.com/search/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E_TTJJJNNJ.