GM’s Design Concept HUMMER O2: Fuel Cell HUMMER That Breathes
27 November 2006
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| The body panels of the HUMMER O2 contain the algae. |
General Motors Advanced Design’s entry into the Los Angeles Design Challenge in conjunction with the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show is the HUMMER O2: a fuel-cell powered vehicle with a phototropic body shell that produces oxygen (O2) even while parked.
The concept features algae-filled body panels that consume atmospheric CO2 and produce oxygen that is released back into the environment. The O2’s construction specifies the use of 100% post-consumer materials like aluminum for the frame and VOC-free finishes.
Each phototropic body panel functions essentially as a leaf. Each panel contains an optimized photobioreactor where a solution of algae and water transforms the CO2 into oxygen. (Diagram to the right.)
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| Click to enlarge. |
Algae would be replaced annually, with the used algae recycled as biomass for the production of fuel.
The flow of CO2 and oxygen is regulated by a two-way valve system in the corner of each panel. These devices control and monitor the amount of CO2 and source nutrition required by the algae, and optimize oxygen production and distribution.
The concept uses four modular, self-contained hydrogen fuel cells to power hydraulic motors attached to each wheel. The hydrogen tanks sits in the center of the vehicle.
Other Design Challenge entries this year are:
- Acura FCX 2020 Le Mans (fuel cell and lightweight materials)
- Audi Dynamic Space Frame (new frame concept with hydraulic fluid drive)
- Honda Extreme (recyclable chassis)
- Kia Sandstorm (a biodiesel plug-in hybrid)
- Mercedes-Benz RECY (recyclable body with BLUETEC biodiesel engine)
- MINI Bimoke (compostable body)
- Toyota RLV (split powertrain: manual (pedals) or electric (motor))
- Volkswagen Nanospyder (nanomachine-based)
On a more prosaic level, General Motors will have among its exhibits at the autoshow the following:
- 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid
- Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid
- Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell
- Chevrolet Sequel fuel cell vehicle
Cool.
Posted by: Gio | 27 November 2006 at 08:38 AM
You can order any color you want as long as it is GREEN
Posted by: Lotfw | 27 November 2006 at 09:16 AM
This is so wrong on so many levels! If the algae is replaced once a YEAR, how much CO2 can realistically be captured? Compare that to the amount produced to power the vehicle. Even though it runs on hydrogen, the upstream production emissions will still make this far from a green vehicle. The hydrogen fuel cells are still an inefficient way of using energy compared to simple rechargable batteries.
Just a stupid gimmick from a company that seems more and more out of touch with reality every day. I can't resist a bad pun: This is "window dressing." Where are your clean diesels, hybrids, and EV's GM?? You're ten years behind Toyota and falling further.
Posted by: BlackSun | 27 November 2006 at 09:17 AM
BlackSun, this is a CONCEPT!! If we do not reach out to new inovative ideas, and think outside of the box we are in serious trouble. And again, its a CONCEPT. May spark an idea somewhere!
Fuel cells will gain efficiency as the years go by, and will most likely see more developement and be better than the latest rechargeable batteries, and become a much better alternative to these batteries. Battery developement appears to have reached a plateau, in range. Hopefully not.
By the way, GM has clean diesels, hybrids, and EV's in the pipeline, some of which may be coming soon. But GM is no further behind Toyota than the Mercedes', BMW's, Mitsubishi's, Honda's, Nissan's, or Audi's in the automotive world in this sense.
Posted by: Mark A | 27 November 2006 at 09:47 AM
I'd like to hear more about the kia bio diesel plug-in and the nanospyder. Mini compostable LOL ... nothing new ... back in the 60s and 70s cars were already biodegradable (rust).
Posted by: Neil | 27 November 2006 at 09:56 AM
Meh, where is the series hybrid they promised us?
Posted by: Energex42 | 27 November 2006 at 10:10 AM
By the way, GM has clean diesels, hybrids, and EV's in the pipeline
Yes, an infinitely long pipeline...
Posted by: pizmo | 27 November 2006 at 10:17 AM
"this is a CONCEPT!!"
And what a concept it is!! Maybe they plan to sell a few of these to Kerk Kerkorian.
Posted by: Dursun | 27 November 2006 at 11:00 AM
Good to see that GM is busy at work, creating cars that will realistically sell & get us out of the current climate crisis.
At least we can't blame them for utterly failing to effectively compete against Toyota & Nissan!
Posted by: Matt | 27 November 2006 at 02:14 PM
Or how about putting legume plants (Beans and Nuts producing) all over the car? By using nutty plants to fix N2 from the air, the level of N2 will be reduced, and hence less NOx?
Either ways, this idea is purely NUTTY with near-zero ecological impact. Far more sensible to use a far more energy-efficient vehicle to start with, rather than a Hummer design with brick-like aerodynamic and weighing several tons!
Posted by: Roger Pham | 27 November 2006 at 03:47 PM
The algae for what? Solely for capturing CO2? Why not keep them in a fish tank at home? Rather then using them to decorate your car?
Posted by: rexis | 27 November 2006 at 05:28 PM
Please. No more silly concept cars for green marketing. Just a well-built compact car with a hybrid drive train that gets 45 MPG. And a couple of years after that a plug-in model with a 50-mile all-electric range. Practical engineering, not marketing hype. But Detroit ceded that territory to the Japanese companies a long time ago...
Posted by: Michael Cain | 27 November 2006 at 08:35 PM
Even though General Motors has no sense of humor, that doesn't stop them from spending a lot of money on jokes.
Wonder if this concept Hummer is also able to greenwash itself ?
Posted by: Lee Dekker | 27 November 2006 at 09:46 PM
GM's greatest invention is the Rapid Cash Burner.
Posted by: pizmo | 27 November 2006 at 10:11 PM
Yes it's a concept but why oh why make it a Hummer-type vehicle if it's supposed to be green? Their designers seem so confused. It's like that Jay Leno-GM bioethanol fuelled gas turbine concept they came up with a few months back. They want to go green but just can't let go of the high consumption car model. When will they wake up and produce a green concept car that might someday actually be built in any numbers? It doesn't have to be a dull car, it just needs to have reasonable performance and within reach of more than a few of the super rich.
Posted by: scatter | 28 November 2006 at 03:21 AM
Sounds interesting, but the energy conversion equation isn't balanced.
Posted by: Observer | 28 November 2006 at 06:18 AM
"why oh why make it a Hummer-type"
Because the clever marketing types at GM see a new demographics coming for this kind of car:
The Apocalyptic post-Peak Oil Mad Max.
Posted by: Dursun | 28 November 2006 at 12:47 PM
I feel it is very ridiculous that we have to practically beg the Japanese manufactures to build the cars that we want to buy. Mainwhile the American car makers waste money on funny marketing stunts.
The car lobies should try to get US regs in line with EU, so that the R&D research can be leveraged more effectively.
Posted by: Energex42 | 29 November 2006 at 12:12 AM
why not just turf it!
Posted by: andrichrose | 29 November 2006 at 03:15 PM
Coming soon: cigarettes that cure cancer
Posted by: FYI co2 | 29 November 2006 at 07:29 PM
Well, I don't exactly think it looks like a hummer... But it is pretty cool! Personally, I would call it something else, but it is a pretty awesome idea.
Posted by: Matt | 23 March 2007 at 05:21 AM
Maybe it has not sense in a car, but: what about an algae farm city bus?. Algae can absorb CO2,NOx ans HC from the bus engine (like a Bio catalytical converter) and be harvested every night , then biomass be processed to produce useful products (biodiesel, dry biomas, foot, plastics, etc). Better if the bus is an "water/algae free piston Proe hydraulic hybrid" with a digital controlled hydraulic motor/pump. (see: http://phytobus.blogspot.com/). That the nice of concepts, they can inspire other ideas.
Posted by: Eduardo | 30 April 2007 at 06:39 AM
Commisioner of Patents
Provisional patent.
P.O.Box 1450
Alexandria ,Va 22313-1450
James W Blevins
6224 Dryburg Road
Scottsburg ,Va 24589
434-572-1738
[email protected]
www.wateredu.com
www.hurtback.org
A camshaft made that would fit in the existing cam area of an internal combustion engine
That would open the exhaust valve to drivethe piston down with pressure and the intake valve to exhaust air as the piston comes up and vice versa,the oil viscosity lowered,air put into the exhust manifold and vented from theintake manifold or vice versa .An iternal combustion engine could be run off of air.Pressure in the tank would be 8000 PSI with a regulator to lower it to 1000PSI.
Thank You
Jay
To make camshaft based up on the combustion cycle
2 lobes for each existing lobe or double the rpm of the cam shaft. and grind down the intake cam
Intake lobe to be .010 in with 6 degrees of rotation opening
Exhaust same lobe structure
At 500 psi the opening would be a lobe .010 in 12 degrees rotation.
A cubic foot of liquid air has about the energy of a gallon of gas and weighs 60 lbs.
Posted by: Jay | 27 November 2007 at 07:43 AM
Commisioner of Patents
Provisional patent.
P.O.Box 1450
Alexandria ,Va 22313-1450
James W Blevins
6224 Dryburg Road
Scottsburg ,Va 24589
434-572-1738
[email protected]
www.wateredu.com
www.hurtback.org
A camshaft made that would fit in the existing cam area of an internal combustion engine
That would open the exhaust valve to drivethe piston down with pressure and the intake valve to exhaust air as the piston comes up and vice versa,the oil viscosity lowered,air put into the exhust manifold and vented from theintake manifold or vice versa .An iternal combustion engine could be run off of air.Pressure in the tank would be 8000 PSI with a regulator to lower it to 1000PSI.
Thank You
Jay
To make camshaft based up on the combustion cycle
2 lobes for each existing lobe or double the rpm of the cam shaft. and grind down the intake cam
Intake lobe to be .010 in with 6 degrees of rotation opening
Exhaust same lobe structure
At 500 psi the opening would be a lobe .010 in 12 degrees rotation.
A cubic foot of liquid air has about the energy of a gallon of gas and weighs 60 lbs.
Posted by: Jay | 27 November 2007 at 07:44 AM
Commisioner of Patents
Provisional patent.
P.O.Box 1450
Alexandria ,Va 22313-1450
James W Blevins
6224 Dryburg Road
Scottsburg ,Va 24589
434-572-1738
[email protected]
www.wateredu.com
www.hurtback.org
A camshaft made that would fit in the existing cam area of an internal combustion engine
That would open the exhaust valve to drivethe piston down with pressure and the intake valve to exhaust air as the piston comes up and vice versa,the oil viscosity lowered,air put into the exhust manifold and vented from theintake manifold or vice versa .An iternal combustion engine could be run off of air.Pressure in the tank would be 8000 PSI with a regulator to lower it to 1000PSI.
Thank You
Jay
To make camshaft based up on the combustion cycle
2 lobes for each existing lobe or double the rpm of the cam shaft. and grind down the intake cam
Intake lobe to be .010 in with 6 degrees of rotation opening
Exhaust same lobe structure
At 500 psi the opening would be a lobe .010 in 12 degrees rotation.
A cubic foot of liquid air has about the energy of a gallon of gas and weighs 60 lbs.
Posted by: Jay | 27 November 2007 at 07:44 AM