BMW is stress testing its hydrogen drivetrains with hand grenades.
[AUTOBALA] For most of us, knowing that we are traveling in a car with the right safety standards is enough to make us feel safe. This is primarily because some automakers have been building cars for over a century and know how to prevent important parts such as fuel tanks from exploding in the event of a collision. But as drivetrains evolve, we also need to test the safety of new components. That’s why BMW literally blows up hydrogen fuel cell SUVs with grenades.A German carmaker recently built a prototype hydrogen fuel cell stack for an armored BMW X5 SUV and tested it in an explosive way to ensure that the hydrogen tank remained intact in the event of an attack.
During a recent trip to the BMW Motorwelt, we were shown this prototype and talked about all the technology built into the chassis, body, and all the various bits for armoring the X5.We are actually I covered this in detail before If you want to check it. However, what is interesting here is that this armor X5 works with hydrogen above all else.
BMW’s armored vehicle division, as you can imagine, does not have frequent discussions with the media, as much of its work is inherently very cautious. But it, of course, decided that there was a story worth telling here. That wasn’t wrong.
My first question was why use a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle as an armored vehicle. They have little range or horsepower to help in all sorts of conflicts and escape situations. The answer to that question was related to size and proportion.
As another project, BMW built a concept fuel cell stack hybrid powertrain X5 (Photo below) And because of the size of the object, it had to ride in a huge vehicle that could be changed relatively easily.
In advance, you have a fuel cell stack with a 125kW output, which is my goodness, not small. Then there are two tanks (one vertical and one horizontal) that hold 6 kg of H2 (hydrogen). Immediately behind is an electric motor that runs on both the fuel cell stack and the power from the battery (above), raising the output of the car to a more reasonable level.
The tanks are separated due to packaging difficulties, not due to size restrictions on hydrogen storage. The X5 I saw had this setup and had a raised section throughout the center of the car to accommodate its long tank.
Hydrogen, as anyone who has heard of Hindenberg knows, is extremely explosive. It is this volatility that works in the fuel cell stack because of its super-reactivity. For this reason, it is not always necessary for something like a bullet or shrapnel to penetrate the tank.
As you know, most people with ordinary cars don’t have to deal with it on a regular basis, but those with armored cars are always afraid. If something breaks into the canister, it essentially fires a bomb.
BMW asks the German army to test the robustness of its armor if it can climb the Alps with its stripped X5 chassis with its long H2 tank (without hydrogen) and a titanium base plate for armored vehicles. I did.
In a top secret facility, under military supervision, BMW claimed to have detonated a grenade under the chassis, and the base plate suffered the damage shown above with a flying shrapnel. You weren’t allowed to take a picture of the video that actually shows this, but you can see it in the picture above the kind of hell unleashed on its chassis.
Surprisingly, BMW claims that the tank survived perfectly well. After performing as many scans as possible for damage and leaks, the storage of hydrogen in the tank could indicate that it was safe during and after the blast. I didn’t even have to replace it.
I even took a taxi on the fuel cell X5 later that week, and I have to say, it felt very good. Sure, we were in Munich traffic, but felt that it had all the features of a high-speed electric drivetrain with the advantage of running on hydrogen and, of course, being armored.
It’s not clear how BMW will use the knowledge gathered from this test, but it’s an exaggeration to say that it can be applied to any application, from tank reinforcement for unarmored hydrogen vehicles to collision safety and other special applications. Not. only time will tell.
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
BMW is stress testing hydrogen drivetrains with grenades, September 23, 2021
