Physics education research, electronic materials, and the musings of Christopher Moore, Ph.D.

Edmund Scientific recently asked me to review some products for them, so the first item I picked was one I’ve had my eye on for years: a hydrogen fuel cell model car. Recently I wrote an article about advances in fuel cell catalyst technology, so fuel cells are an interest of mine that may one day find a way into my research.

The model car Edmunds sent me is manufactured by Heliocentris. It is the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Demo kit and comes with a solar module, a reversible proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell (operates as both an electrolyzer and a fuel cell), and a car chassis with electric motor. Its operation is simple: you fill the fuel-cell with water, plug it into the solar panel, and the electricity generated by the panel electrolyzes the water, forming hydrogen and oxygen gas. Once you’ve made enough gas, you plug the fuel-cell into the car. The hydrogen and oxygen recombine producing a current that powers the electric motor making the car move.

I’ve had a lot of fun with this item, and I have lots of plans for it. Specifically, I’m using it as a demo during an upcoming talk on fuel-cell catalysts, I’m working with a student at a local high school on a Virginia Junior Academy of Science project involving PEM fuel cells, and I’m developing a presentation on basic fuel cell technology and energy for a group of fifth graders at an area elementary school. Needless to say, I find this toy useful and incredibly fun. It runs on water! Sort of. (You do need a little solar energy to make hydrogen gas, and technically the car runs on hydrogen. But whatever.)

A short video demonstrating the operation of the car is provided after the jump along with a more detailed review and purchasing information.

The video below shows a quick demonstration of the fuel cell and car in operation. The fuel cell is filled and gas is created. You’ll notice the overflow tank begins to fill with water, which traps the gas inside at the base of the actual fuel cell. With a standard 100 W light bulb placed about 1 foot from the solar panel, I was able to electrolyze about 8 mL of hydrogen gas in about 10 minutes. This was enough for about 3-4 minutes of actual operation of the car. During testing, I noticed that fluorescent bulbs do a horrible job of powering the solar panel and therefore creating gas, which suggests that much of the output of the solar panel may depend on thermal energy.

If you do not see the video above, then you do not have Macromedia Flash. You can check out the video in Quicktime and/or download the latest Flash player here

The axle of the car can be set in three different positions forcing the car to follow a certain path: straight, left circle, and right circle. Initially, I wonder why the manufacure did not include some sort of remote controlled steering mechanism, since doing so would not have added to the cost considerably. After running the car, I realized why — there is very little power under the “hood”. The car moves, but not very fast. The extra energy needed to operate transducers for steering would certainly tax the fuel cells output.

The kit also comes with two manuals. One is the operating instructions and the other in an experiment booklet. The operating instructions are poorly written and at many points provide confusing directions. However, the experiment manual is very well written and contains all of the same information concering operation in a much clearer manner. You could throw out the operations manual without regret. The experiment booklet contains a series of experiments designed for middle school-aged students, though many could be adapted for older students. As mentioned, I’m working on adapting a few for younger students (5th grade), and a local high school student is expanding others into an entire research project.

The cost is a little high, though for what you get it is not astronomical. The kit Edmunds Scientific sent me retails for about $220, though you can get the basic kit without the solar panel for less. I would advise against it, since an external power supply would need to be used without the solar panel, and the fuel cell is easily subject to damage if you (or your students) are not careful. Plus, the use of a solar panel further instills the concepts behind energy transformation and provides for a discussion of the photoelectric effect for more advanced students. I would also advise against buying the more expensive “complete” kit if you already have a decent set of volt and ammeters. A large majority of the kits cost comes from the Pt catalyst used in the PEM fuel cell. As I discuss in this article, catalysts may change in the future resulting in reduced costs, but I wouldn’t wait around for a cheaper version of this model car. It may be a while.

Overall, this is an interesting and fun toy, and if used correctly it can be an effective learning tool. My colleagues are jealous and get upset when I won’t let them play with the car. Imagine being the only “kid” on the block with a car that runs on water.

You can purchase the kit here.