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Layout and Mechanical Design of Microcab The pace of change in road cars hasn’t been this high since the early days of the automotive industry. It is widely acknowledged that we desperately need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and this has led to a huge range of developments in alternative energy storage and power generation systems. One of the future options for on-board energy storage is to use hydrogen, whether compressed, liquefied or in metal hydrides. Despite its problems, hydrogen storage is one of very few alternatives that can come close to achieving the same energy density as gasoline (energy stored per kg). ‘Microcab’ is a very light, efficient vehicle powered by an on-board hydrogen fuel-cell. The concept has been developed over the course of the last 10 years to provide an emission-free way to transport people and freight around towns, cities and even large industrial or sports complexes (see www.microcab.co.uk for more details). Delta Motorsport has supported Microcab for many years, and is delighted to have carried out the mechanical layout and design of the vehicle’s next iteration late in 2007. Delta then built the vehicles to the stage of being “rolling chassis” early in 2008 – chassis, steering and suspension, drive-train and seats. The five vehicles were delivered to Birmingham University for the formal launch of the UK’s first meaningful demonstration of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in July 2008. The Microcabs are now carrying out a wide variety of duties around the campus. Ongoing research into the interaction between the hydrogen-fuelled Microcabs and their environment is supported by BERR’s program of research into Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Carbon Abatement Technologies (HFCCAT), and is being carried out in collaboration with Birmingham University (www.fuelcells.bham.ac.uk). The all new next generation Microcab which will be launched in September 2010 is being designed at build by Delta at its Silverstone facility.
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| Copyright Delta Motorsport | Designed By Kyle Wilson-Clarke @ www.kylewc.co.uk |