The Honda-developed Vertical Flow (V Flow) fuel cell stack is nothing short of revolutionary. The advanced layout enables a vertical flow of hydrogen and oxygen from the air through a more efficient package.
The compact design also allows better distribution of the powertrain components for a sleek cabin-forward look that was not possible in earlier models.
How It Works
A hydrogen fuel cell produces electricity for the vehicle. The fuel cell combines hydrogen, which is stored in a fuel tank onboard the vehicle, with oxygen from the air to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn drives the front wheels. Water vapor and heat are the only byproducts.
A fuel cell is made up of a thin membrane wedged between two electrode layers in between two separators. Several hundred layers of these cells are connected in series.
1. Hydrogen fuel is fed into the anode of the fuel cell. Helped by a catalyst, hydrogen molecules are split into electrons and protons.
2. Electrons are channeled through a circuit to produce electricity.
3. Protons pass through the polymer electrolyte membrane.
4. Oxygen (from the air) enters the cathode and combines with the electrons and protons to form water.
5. Water vapor and heat are released as byproducts of this reaction.
Advances in fuel cell vehicle design accelerated rapidly once we began to develop our Honda fuel cell stack, turning conventional thinking literally on its ear. Read more about the Honda fuel cell evolution.
