Engineering faculty members at Arkansas Tech University have earned a $63,648 grant to conduct an experimental investigation of a hydrogen fuel cell engine in a lightweight vehicle.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation grant will allow for the design, development and optimization of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell that will operate on hydrogen gas.
Dr. Seyed Ehsan Hosseini, ATU assistant professor of mechanical engineering, will serve as principal investigator on the project. His co-principal investigator will be Dr. John Krohn, ATU professor of mechanical engineering.
“Unlike a battery that drains while it is used to power electrical components, a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) engine acts as a continually operational power source so long as fuel is being provided,” wrote Hosseini and Krohn in the grant application. “Hence, it is projected that the HFC can overcome the disadvantages of batter electric vehicles, making hydrogen the transportation fuel of the future.”
It is projected the project will take 12 months to complete.
Visit www.atu.edu/engineering/mechanical to learn more about the ATU Department of Mechanical Engineering.
