"Beyond the single-tank range capability, this new system was developed to deal with two major challenges to the refinement of fuel-cell powertrains. That is, starting and operating in cold temperatures and standing up to the vibration and harshness of rough road conditions ... over a long distance ... over a long time."
"Equally important was to show how the development of Toyota's hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains continue to move forward and mature at an impressive pace, far in advance of an infrastructure that will be necessary to support them."
To add a sense of risk and adventure, Toyota engineers planned to accomplish the feat with no practice runs and no pre-trip evaluations. Just get in the Highlander FCHV and drive. If they made it to Vancouver, great; if not, it would be chalked up to research and development.
Vehicle preparation consisted of adding tubular guards for the grille, rockers and rear end, a roof rack and a few appropriate graphics to mark the occasion. Every mile of the journey was monitored in real time by a dedicated laptop program that measured distance, time, speed, and hydrogen tank temperature and fuel consumption. The entire trip was shot in high-definition video. And to verify and chronicle the achievement, Road & Track magazine engineering editor Dennis Simanaitis was invited to come along as referee and co-driver. One of the key reasons why engineers chose the route from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Vancouver is that Canada allows mobile refueling of high-pressure hydrogen vehicles along its public highways. Without a network of hydrogen fueling stations every 300 miles, mobile refueling was a necessity.
Two companies were enlisted to assist with mobile refueling. Linde, a German company based in the U.S., provided the rolling supply of hydrogen, while Canadian-based Powertech Labs supplied a self-contained refueling station. Mounted on two separate flatbed trucks, the refueling team moved in advance of the Highlander FCHV, setting up shop at predetermined intervals. A RAV4 camera vehicle stalked the FCHV from start to finish, while a pair of Toyota Tundra pickup trucks followed as support should anything major go wrong. Nothing did.
The first leg of the drive was the most suspenseful. The caravan needed to travel more than 316 miles from Fairbanks to Beaver Creek across the Canadian border in order to legally refuel. Not only did the vehicle make it, the onboard monitoring system confirmed that the vehicle could have covered nearly 400 miles.
a leading automotive company in Indonesia is currently looking for talented and motivated candidates to fill the following positions:
MT-Learning & Improvement SPV
(Code: MT-LEIM)
(Jakarta Raya)
Responsibilities:
- Handling/maintain National Contest, Product Knowledge, and Trainer Development
Requirements:
- Male
- Max. age 27 years old
- GPA : min. 2,8
- Bachelor Degree, Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
- Interest in Automotive and Mechanical Area
- Willingness to teach and able to operate Ms. Powerpoint
- High quality in Communication Skill, Good Planning & Development Skill, Energetic, and Enthusiastic
send your application to :
recruitment_auto2000@yahoo.com
write your email subject with position code
