Safety of Hydrogen-fueled Motor Vehicles with IC Engines.

Clarification of questions of safety represents a decisive contribution to the successful introduction of vehicles fuelled by hydrogen. At the moment, the safety of hydrogen is being discussed and investigated by various bodies. The primary focus is on fuel-cell vehicles with hydrogen stored in gaseous form. This paper looks at the safety of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles with an internal combustion engine and liquefied hydrogen storage. The safety concept of BMW’s hydrogen vehicles is described and the specific aspects of the propulsion and storage concepts discussed. The main discussion emphasis is on the utilization of boil-off, parking of the vehicles in an enclosed space and their crash behaviour. Theoretical safety observations are complemented by the latest experimental and test results. Finally, reference is made to the topic-areas in the field of hydrogen safety in which cooperative research work could make a valuable contribution to the future of the hydrogen-powered vehicle.