ATFCAN in the News

March/April 2007 - Case Study: Senate of Canada Page 2

“The initiative, which started several years ago, was interesting from the beginning,” says Marysa Oueriemmi, building services manager for Parliamentary Precinct Services, whose responsibility for various services on Parliament Hill includes all transportation. “We went through a lengthy and rigorous process to ensure the buses would be appropriate for our fleet. Ultimately, we are pleased the project allows us to promote Canada’s participation in environmental leadership.”
Additionally, before delivery of the buses to Ottawa, firms in four provinces were involved in the development, testing and production of the vehicles:
• Dynetek Industries in Calgary manufactured the high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks.
• Cold-weather testing took place in Ford’s extreme cold weather test facility in Thompson, Man.
• Ford’s engine plant in Windsor, Ont., produced the buses’ 235-hp, 6.8-L, V-10 engines.
• The buses’ bodies—based on the Ford E450 van chassis—were manufactured by Les
  Entreprises Michel Corbeil in St.-Lin-Laurentides, Que., while Montreal-based Air Liquide Canada
  is supplying hydrogen fuel.
Overall, the buses feature approximately 60 per cent “Canadian content,” according to Ford.

Engineering
Hydrogen internal combustion engines address societal health and environmental concerns by producing virtually no greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fewer smog-forming emissions than traditional gasoline engines. When hydrogen is produced from renewable energy sources, the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are 99.5 per cent less than those of gasoline.
“What comes out of the tailpipe is basically water vapour,” says Oueriemmi. “Any emissions that do come out are from lubricants, i.e. engine oil.”
The shuttle buses’ engines underwent more than 7,000 hours of development and testing to ensure their durability and performance. Ford replicated the same durability standards applied to its other engine types.
Specialized components in the engines include the following:
• Valves and valve seats—Specially hardened materials are used to compensate for hydrogen’s 
  reduced lubricating properties, compared to gasoline or natural gas.
• Spark plugs—Iridium-tipped plugs enable an increased lifespan.
• Ignition coils—High-energy coil-on-plug components are used to manage the engines’ unique
  ignition characteristics.
• Fuel injectors—The injectors are designed specifically for hydrogen.
• Fuel rails—High-volume fuel rails are used.
• Crank damper—To ensure smooth operation, the crank damper is tuned for hydrogen fuel.
• Pistons, connecting rods and piston rings—High-output designs accommodate the higher
  combustion pressure of the hydrogen engine.
• Head gasket—The gasket accommodates increased combustion chamber pressures.
• Intake manifold—A new manifold was designed to accommodate the twin screw supercharger
  and the water-to-air intercooler, which were added to improve power output and maximize
  efficiency.
• Engine oil—A full-synthetic formulation was developed in partnership with BP/Castrol, optimized
  for hydrogen’s combustion properties. more