Hydrogen-powered New Holland tractor

In the week that Top Gear tested its first fuel-cell car, New Holland has announced it has won a Sima Gold Medal for its experimental hydrogen-powered NH2 tractor. Unlike the electric Case IH prototype at the same event two years ago, this appears to be a well thought-out proposition - right down to using farm-produced electricity (which can't be stored) to create the hydrogen (which can).

The company's press release says:

The hydrogen-powered NH2 tractor is a key element in New Holland’s Energy Independent Farm concept, a project that hopes to free farmers from the cost of purchased fossil-fuel and allow them to achieve fuel autonomy. The concept is a natural fit with the brand’s Clean Energy Leader position.

Based on the popular T6000, the experimental NH2 tractor replaces the internal combustion engine with hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity, which drives electric motors to power the tractor. More than just an idea, the NH2 tractor is a 120hp working prototype able to perform all the tasks of a T6000, while operating virtually silently and emitting only water and vapour.

Hydrogen-powered vehicles have been in development for several years, offering many benefits over battery-driven vehicles, which are efficient only in a stop-and-start cycle and take a long time to recharge. The working cycle of agricultural vehicles is similar to a car running on the highway at a constant speed. Vehicles powered by hydrogen overcome these obstacles by using a compressed-hydrogen fuel to feed automotive fuel cells to generate electricity. Fuel cells have a long working life and avoid the environmental issues of disposing of batteries, which lose their accumulation capacity during their life. Energy-dense compressed hydrogen can be stored conveniently in a tank, allowing the energy to be stored for an extremely long period and the vehicle to be refuelled quickly.

Traditional barriers to the use of hydrogen centre on its distribution and availability. New Holland’s Energy Independent Farm concept envisages customers producing their own compressed hydrogen from water, using a process called electrolysis or directly from methane by burning waste or biomasses. Production systems would be powered by wind farms or solar panels and the hydrogen would be stored at the farm in underground tanks, taking advantage of tractors’ and combines’ short working distance from the farm, when compared to cars or lorries.

Farmers are in a unique position to benefit from hydrogen technology. They have the space to install alternative electricity generation systems, such as solar, wind, biomass or waste plants, and then store that power as hydrogen. Apart from the environmental benefits, such a system would allow customers to become energy independent and improve their financial stability, as fuel costs form a significant proportion of their operating costs now and in the future.

How much would a tractor like this cost?

According to Farmer Guide this hasnt got a reply, well it has now!

The technology in its present form is useless.

To make a years worth of new cars running hydrogen fuel cells, you'd need 1240 tonnes of platinum for the catalyst inside each unit.

1240 tonnes being roughly 6 times the worlds annual output of this precious metal.

So its a non-starter.

But some clever inventer may find a way around that problem, It will be very interesting to watch the progress of this development, maybe it is a dead horse , but there again

Graemetic having read your article in the farmers guide I presume you might of posted on a busy forum day and it slipped through to page 2 to quickly to be seen by the masses . Although I just noticed it had over a 1000 hits , so it goes to show you we must be a forum full of petrol heads

Originally Posted by Mayo

The technology in its present form is useless.

To make a years worth of new cars running hydrogen fuel cells, you'd need 1240 tonnes of platinum for the catalyst inside each unit.

1240 tonnes being roughly 6 times the worlds annual output of this precious metal.

So its a non-starter.

And when the diesel engine was developed how many more times the worlds output of diesel would it have taken to replace the horses with tractors! Where there is a demand then technology will develop cheaper and easier ways of fulfiling that demand. Surley you understand that.

[Billhook]

I also saw your report in the FG and your disappointment in the lack of response It is not that we are not thinking about it, it is just difficult to know what to say when we do not know the pitfalls.
On the face of it, anything made from water which releases the same after giving energy must be good. Going around with a cylinder of compressed hydrogen in the car? People will need to be convinced that they will not end up like the Hindenberg in an accident.
But I think a major stumbling block to new technologies, and electric vehicles in particular, is how is the government going to replace the vast amount of tax it receives each year from oil? At the moment although it preaches otherwise, it wants everyone to own a Chelsea Tractor and be sitting in a massive traffic jam across the whole country. How would you tax it Graeme?

Originally Posted by Billhook

Going around with a cylinder of compressed hydrogen in the car? People will need to be convinced that they will not end up like the Hindenberg in an accident.

In the Hindenberg accident the hydrogen GAS was enclosed by a thin non-pressurised envelope.

Have you not seen a car burned out with petrol ?

I really don't think that the safety issue is unsurmountable

Originally Posted by richard

How much would a tractor like this cost?
According to Farmer Guide this hasnt got a reply, well it has now!

Been at a presentation by one of the designer, he said they can't give even a ballpark figure because it's only a prototype built from components they have been able to source in time for Sima. The fuel cell are capable of something like 130 kW but the biggest motors available were 60 hp.

I think its great news. Im glad the machinery manufacturers are looking into alternatives.

When I was in Fredrichshaven (might be mis-spelled) where the airships were built, they explained that a modern long distance plane will be just as flamable, considering its fuel content.

Well done New holland.

This is hailed as a first by the agricultural press but I am just off to find my book with an Allis Chalmers fuel cell hydrogen powered tractor pictured in it
Hope I can find it now as I may make my face look more like my a&$e, if I can find wil post a scan of it either later or tomorrow

The text reads " the 1959 ( no relation ) fuel cell tractor is now in the Smithsonian Institute.
It weighed 5270lbs and had a drawbar pull of 3000lbs.
Oxygen and Hydrogen were used to produce 15 kw of electricity by chemical process ".

Goes back to a statement from Elmsted on here about cultivation where he bravely stated " there is nothing new under the sun"

Looks a pretty tidy motor....... some pictures on FWI

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/0...he-launch.html

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/0...-in-italy.html

106 hp ... and they say the fuel cell alone cost 300,000 euros so god only knows how much the whole tractor would be!!

DP

[Billhook]

Originally Posted by Courier

In the Hindenberg accident the hydrogen GAS was enclosed by a thin non-pressurised envelope.

Have you not seen a car burned out with petrol ?

I really don't think that the safety issue is unsurmountable

Just read the article in Farmers Weekly and I see the hydrogen tank is pressurised to 350 bar. That is over 5000 psi. I have to have a certificate on my modest workshop compressor which is only 150 psi. Then you have a cylinder of oxygen as well I presume at the same pressure.

I am fortunate in that the only cars burnt out with petrol were deliberately started and usually down our farm track. I am sure that if we had all started on diesel cars and someone introduced petrol it would be banned as unsafe.
But 5000 psi, surely that is nearly a bomb?

[Billhook]

TNT generates well over 4,000 psi overpressure in close proximity to the source of the explosion, along with significant radiant heat effects from the explosion's fireball. Conventional high explosive munitions also produce fragments from the munition case, as well as fragments from material in the target area that is broken loose by the high blast overpressures
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/fae.htm

Originally Posted by Management Student

And when the diesel engine was developed how many more times the worlds output of diesel would it have taken to replace the horses with tractors! Where there is a demand then technology will develop cheaper and easier ways of fulfiling that demand. Surley you understand that.

IIRC the first diesel engines didn't run on Diesel. But quickly moved from coal extract to vegetable oil for a long time. Reminds one does it not of bio fuels.

Originally Posted by ploughman_1959

The text reads " the 1959 ( no relation ) fuel cell tractor is now in the Smithsonian Institute.
It weighed 5270lbs and had a drawbar pull of 3000lbs.
Oxygen and Hydrogen were used to produce 15 kw of electricity by chemical process ".

Goes back to a statement from Elmsted on here about cultivation where he bravely stated " there is nothing new under the sun"

Well having been that foolish before. I'll follow up with. Due to the global economic downturn there will be no upturn in energy costs over a rate in today's terms of oil at $60 a barrel for a decade.

Originally Posted by Billhook

TNT generates well over 4,000 psi overpressure in close proximity to the source of the explosion, along with significant radiant heat effects from the explosion's fireball. Conventional high explosive munitions also produce fragments from the munition case, as well as fragments from material in the target area that is broken loose by the high blast overpressures
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/fae.htm

At the launch of the Stockton to Darlington steam railway. There was a fatality and am pretty sure it was the local MP who got in the way of the wheels of progress. On this basis we should have abandoned railways immediately as a hazard to life. Thankfully common sense prevailed.

Originally Posted by Billhook

Just read the article in Farmers Weekly and I see the hydrogen tank is pressurised to 350 bar. That is over 5000 psi. I have to have a certificate on my modest workshop compressor which is only 150 psi. Then you have a cylinder of oxygen as well I presume at the same pressure.

I am fortunate in that the only cars burnt out with petrol were deliberately started and usually down our farm track. I am sure that if we had all started on diesel cars and someone introduced petrol it would be banned as unsafe.
But 5000 psi, surely that is nearly a bomb?

Details, details, surely none of the problems are insurmountable.
Anyways I'm pinning my hopes on fusion after watching Horizon last night.

Originally Posted by Col

Details, details, surely none of the problems are insurmountable.
Anyways I'm pinning my hopes on fusion after watching Horizon last night.

agree, it made for very interesting viewing, lets hope we can get it right without blowing ourselves up!

D-K

[The Pretender]

Horizon was good wasn't it, and I understood some of it too!

Why haven't CNH made this tractor electric drive? They are just adding maintenance with a transmission.

given the change in the political agenda in the states and the push for renewables I think that this tractors launch is well timed. Perhaps the move to this type of technology will provide the stimulus for the economic recovery?

Originally Posted by The Pretender

Horizon was good wasn't it, and I understood some of it too!

Why haven't CNH made this tractor electric drive? They are just adding maintenance with a transmission.

Krone built a diesel/electric forager but the weight was the big issue. Don't suppose you know what the weight of the tractor is?